The U.S. Women’s National Team got goals from Carli Lloyd, Abby Wambach and Lauren Cheney to defeat Germany 3-2 and claim the 2010 Algarve Cup title.

Carli Lloyd got on the scoresheet first, in the 18th minute and Abby Wambach doubled the lead just four minutes later. German forward Inka Grings pulled a goal back five minutes before halftime, but a goalkeeper mistake from Germany’s Nadine Angerer allowed Lauren Cheney to make it 3-1 in the 69th. Grings completed her brace with a goal in 74th minute to make matters interesting again, but the Americans’ defense, led by central defenders Amy LePeilbet and Rachel Buehler, shut the Germans down the rest of the way.

The win marked the seventh time the USA has won the tournament and sixth time in the last eight years. The U.S. has been in the final every year since 2002.

The teams last met at Augsburg, Germany, on Oct. 29, where the U.S. won 1-0 despite being outplayed for large portions of the match. Today, the Americans clearly had more of the dangerous attacking chances.

The U.S. got the first goal when a cross was sent into the German penalty area in the 18th minute. It was cleared to the top of the box where Lloyd collected it well, slithered around a defender and hammered a 22-yard shot that deflected off another defender and skidded into the lower right corner past the diving Angerer.

The second U.S. goal came in the 22nd minute and originated off a quickly-taken free kick by Rachel Buehler who found Heather O’Reilly down the right wing. O’Reilly took a quick dribble and then spun a perfect cross to the far post where Wambach was crashing. The U.S. forward shed a defender and ran through the ball to send a powerful header on goal, stretching the right side of the net from seven yards out.

The USA could have put the game away at the end of the first half, producing three chances right in front of the goal that couldn’t be converted, partly due to the muddy conditions in the goal box.

When Grings scored her first goal in the 40th minute, the U.S. was surely ruing the missed chances just moments before, but it was a quality strike from the German forward who ended the tournament as the competition’s leading scorer with seven goals.

Coming out of halftime Germany pushed hard for the equalizer and launched several dangerous attacks after winning balls in the middle, but it soon became clear that the conditions in the center of the pitch would make it very difficult for the USA to play through the midfield. The Americans then started going a bit more direct and in the 64th minute Cheney had another great chance after she ran under a long ball over the top of the German defense. Staring only at Angerer again, she tried to lift the ball over the German ‘keeper, but sent it over the bar.

The USA made it 3-1 in the 69th minute on a uncharacteristic mistake from Angerer. Lori Lindsey had chipped a pass from the left wing into the penalty area, but it was clearly too far for Cheney and Angerer rushed out to grab it on the bounce. Still, Cheney continued her run at Angerer and somehow the German ‘keeper misjudged the skip and lost control of the ball. It hit the charging Cheney in the face and bounced behind Angerer. Cheney only had to tap it into the open net for her eighth career international goal and fourth of the tournament.

No one expected the Germans to roll over and they certainly didn’t, pulling a goal back through Grings in the 74th minute. This time a great dribble from Behringer into the left side of the U.S. penalty area beat several defenders and she crossed on the ground to the slashing Grings, who slotted her first-time shot under Solo from eight yards out.

The last 15 minutes were physical and tense with both teams counter-attacking on a wet field that made transition by defenders difficult. Germany had one last gasp as a long ball skidded off the head of LePeilbet and flew backwards towards the U.S. net. With a German attacker right in front of the goal, Solo was able to jump on the ball and end Germany’s last chance.

U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage started Amy Rodriguez, usually a forward, at left midfield and she played a solid 59 minutes before giving way to Lindsey. Sundhage also started Meghan Schnur at left back and the 23-year-old did very well in just her third career cap.

The three goals given up by Germany were the first conceded in the tournament after demolishing Denmark 4-0, Finland 7-0 and China 5-0 during group play.

Wambach’s goal was not only her 104th career score, but it gave her 15 all-time in the Algarve Cup, tying her with Swedish legend Hanna Ljungberg as the top scorer in the 17-year history of the tournament.

The U.S. players will now return home and report soon to their WPS clubs for pre-season training. The team will come together again at the end of March for two matches against Mexico, on March 28 at Torero Stadium on the campus of the University of San Diego and on March 31 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah

Match Facts

U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Germany, March 3, 2010
2010 Algarve Cup; Championship Game
Stadium Algarve; Faro, Portugal
Kickoff: 4 p.m. (11 a.m. ET)
Attendance: 1,200
Weather: 63 degrees; cloudy, windy

Scoring Summary:
USA – Carli Lloyd 18th minute
USA – Abby Wambach (Heather O’Reilly) 22
GER – Inka Grings (Brigit Prinz) 40
USA – Lauren Cheney 69
GER – Inka Grings (Melanie Behringer) 74

Lineups:
USA: 1-Hope Solo; 2-Heather Mitts, 26-Rachel Buehler, 6-Amy LePeilbet, 17-Meghan Schnur; 9-Heather O’Reilly, 7-Shannon Boxx (Capt.), 10-Carli Lloyd, 8-Amy Rodriguez (5-Lori Lindsey, 59); 11-Lauren Cheney (15-Casey Nogueira, 84), 20-Abby Wambach
Subs not used: 4-Cat Whitehill, 12-Yael Averbuch, 13-Megan Rapinoe, 14-Stephanie Cox, 18-Nicole Barnhart, 24-Jill Loyden
Head Coach: Pia Sundhage

GER: 1-Nadine Angerer; 4-Babett Peter, 15-Sonja Fuss, 22-Bianca Schmidt, 29-Lena Goebling (20-Jennifer Zietz, 29); 7-Melanie Behringer (16-Martina Müller, 87), 9-Birgit Prinz (Capt.), 11-Anja Mittag (27-Alexandra Popp, 70), 18-Kerstin Garefrekes, 19-Fatmire Bajramaj (13-Célia Okoyino da Mbabi, 46), 8-Inka Grings
Subs not used: 12-Ursula Holl, 14-Kim Kulig, 28-Nadine Kessler
Head Coach: Silvia Neid

Statistical Summary:
USA / GER
Shots: 15 / 11
Shots on Goal: 5 / 6
Saves: 4 / 3
Corner Kicks: 5 / 3
Fouls: 13 / 7
Offside: 2 / 2

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Heather Mitts (caution) 41st minute
USA – Carli Lloyd (caution) 46

Officials
Referee: Kirsi Heikkinen (FIN)
Asst. Referee: Tonja Paavola (FIN)
Asst. Referee: Anu Jokela (FIN)
Fourth Official: Quetzalli Godinez (MEX)