USA (1-3-1) 0 0 1 0 — 1
SAF (0-5) 0 0 0 0 — 0
USA: Meredith Sholder (Beth Yeager, Ashley Sessa), pc, 42nd
Shots — USA 3; SAF 6. Saves — USA: Kelsey Bing 6; SAF: Arelle Lloyd 2
FULL TIME We’ll have more coffee grinds to analyze tomorrow. Until then, good day and good hockey
FULL TIME I think you’re going to have some interesting roster decisions for the United States for World Cup qualifying in two years. Will we see a healthy Jillian Wolgemuth? Will Erin Matson rejoin the fold? What are we going to see from young players like Charlotte de Vries, Olivia Bent-Cole, Josie Hollamon, and Ryleigh Heck? And might we see a first cap from the wunderkind within the U.S. system, Reese D’Ariano?
FULL TIME There is a lot to dissect from the last week, and I’m sure there are a lot of fine points to look at when it comes to team performance. But I like the fact that a different person stepped up every game to take leadership
FULL TIME The United States leaves pool play with a win and a draw, which is about what you could expect given the Group of Death this team was in; playing four matches against four World Cup/Olympic former champions, all in 120 hours, was a big ask
FULL TIME For some perspective here, these two national teams met in London in 2012, and the final score was South Africa 7, USA 0. This was a much better result, for more than one reason
FULL TIME The final horn goes with the United States beating South Africa 1-0
59:53 Interception by Hammel of a crossing pass! That should do it here
59:40 South Africa with a final push from 40 yards out
59:00 South Africa tries the middle, but the ball evades Seerane outside the striking circle, and a 16Y for the States
57:12 South Africa now throwing caution to the wind; Lloyd is being pulled for an 11th outfielder
56:00 South Africa piling on the attack pressure here
55:13 SAF PC Another pass play for South Africa but cannot get off a shot on goal
55:34 SAF PC Runs the hi-lo to the inserter, but Bing with a huge stop!
54:00 Seerane tries the circle; but she’s called for back-sticks
52:45 South Africa tries the left side and Zimmer with the takeaway
52:00 Tamer tries to get through on the left wing and it’s tackled away; 23M free-in for the United States
50:30 Oh, Zimmer finds Sessa on the right wing, but goes off her stick and a 16Y free out for South Africa
49:10 USA GREEN And now Amanda Golini is being sanctioned for two minutes
48:30 SAF GREEN Ntsopa Mokona goes off for the indiscretion; could this open up the pitch a little?
45:00 The fourth quarter is under way
END THIRD Sholder, you must remember, once held the Pennsylvania career scoring leader for high-school players when she was a forward at Emmaus (Pa.), before winning titles at the University of North Carolina. Her personal story in field hockey could fill a novel, and she’s doing well here in Paris
END THIRD The horn sounds with the United States leading 1-0; this is not the most familiar position for the Americans, playing with a lead
44:45 After a chopped ball into the circle goes off Ally Hamel over the end line, the ensuing 23M for South Africa goes awry
42:16 USA PC and GOAL Meredith Sholder slides in from the right wing and takes a slung pass from Beth Yeager and defects it in! VAR check allows the goal and the United States are leading 1-0!
42:16 VAR CHECK South Africa is appealing the foul, but it is denied, and South Africa loses their referral
42:16 Free hit in a promising position for the States; played back for a hard pass into the middle, and Tamer is tackled from behind
40:37 USA PC Dragflick by Yeager is saved by Lloyd; second shot by Golini is blocked short of the goal line
39:28 USA GREEN Meredith Sholder is off the pitch for the barge on Paton
39:15 Zimmer with a cross to an open Yeager, but cannot make the trap
37:30 Meredith Sholder tries to make a cut in from the deep right wing but is tackled away
36:15 A couple of shots from Ongeziwe Mali (late of James Madison) are expertly parried away by Bing
35:45 Paton receives a free hit in a promising position and tries to draw contact; didn’t happen
33:55 Through pass to Ntsopa Mokoena evades her; she has had all three goals for the South African women this tournament
33:00 Beth Yeager once again makes havoc along the right side, but tackled away for a 23M free-in
31:50 Free hit in a promising position for South Africa, but the resulting shot from the left wing is way over the goal off the stick of Celia Seerane
30:40 Forward-looking aerial pass from the side-in, but bounces over Amanda Golini; 16Y free out for South Africa
30:00 The second half is under way
END HALF It’s telling that the Americans have all three corners in the first half, but have not forced Anelle Lloyd into making a save yet
END HALF South Africa has a bit of spring in the center of the park, thanks to Dirkie Chamberlain, Kristen Paton, and Taheera Augousti, but have not generated the best of chances
END HALF We’re all even at zero with the teams heading off the pitch for the interval
27:45 Augousti again into the circle; lances a backhander that Bing covers and Leah Crouse clears
27:00 Augousti seemingly has a 3-on-3 break, but is called for a stick obstruction
25:00 Free-in for the States; Ashley Sessa gets the ball but is called for an obstruction here; 16Y free-out for South Africa
22:55 The U.S. gets a break; an overrule by the umpire in regards to the landing zone of an aerial gives the States a free hit in a promising position
19:40 Megan Valzonis up the left side of the field; chops a backhand looking for a teammate, but a raised ball is called
18:40 The U.S. with a high press and is getting South Africa all in knots
16:55 Hoffman’s hard pass into the D hits the South African goalkeeper, who gives up a huge rebound and a couple of U.S. forwards are trying to dig it out, but can’t get a good shot on net
15:00 The second quarter begins
END FIRST The States looked the more dangerous, but the penalty corner execution failed them again
END FIRST The horn goes with the sides goallless
14:30 South Africa tries a feed across the top of the circle, but goes off a teammate for a side-in
12:45 South Africa tries a pass in the circle, but a missed skill, and a 16Y free out for the United Eagles
9:45 USA PC Ugh! A flubbed insertion pass and the States can only manage a weak shot wide; 16Y for South Africa
9:10 USA PC Hoffman’s shot is awry one more time and does not get to the goal frame
8:54 USA PC Ashley Hoffman with a struck shot which goes off the South Africa penalty corner defense unit, a 23M free-in for the States
8:54 VAR CHECK The question is whether there was a dangerous ball when Brooke DeBerdine made the pass across goal; a quick decision is that a penalty corner is the result
6:30 Taheeri Augousti with a steal and goal shot; but it’s high, wide, and handsome
5:00 USA PC Ashley Hoffman’s drag flick didn’t go in this time. That’s the 22nd unsuccessful penalty corner of the Games
4:53 Indiscipline by the South African defense leads to a U.S. penalty corner; it is essential to get off a good shot here
0:00 The game is on
PREGAME South Africa is wearing the all-green kit with gold socks; the United States are in the all-white for this game
PREGAME The teams are warming up on the blue pitch at Yves-du-Manoir, temperatures around 73 degrees
PREGAME For much the same reason, a win for South Africa would be welcome because of that formula. South Africa has dropped 40 points in the rankings with their four defeats
PREGAME Beyond all that, the US team wants to be able to get some FIH rankings points from this tournament. Under normal circumstances, this would be about trying to get to roughly 10th place in the overall standings to get FIH rankings points. However, with the FIH’s new match-by-match points system, every game counts for a move up or down the rankings
PREGAME For South Africa, a side which was not allowed to play in the 2016 Olympics, it was an accomplishment just getting here through managing not only qualifying, but managing the internal politics of the South African Olympic Commttee
PREGAME This is a classic “run through the tape” game, one where it is the moral imperative for the States to finish strong and avoid last place in the pool. This is, in essence, the game which puts you in the shop window for selection for future national teams heading into Los Angeles four years from now. In other words, that tournament begins today
PREGAME Neither of these Pool B teams are making it to Week 2 of the Olympics; the United States has a draw and three defeats for one point; the South African side is winless in four matches
PREGAME Hello, and welcome along to Stade Yves-du-Manoir in the northwest suburbs of Paris, for this final Pool B game between South Africa and the United States
