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PARIS (AP) – Carli Lloyd had just scored on a throw of 18 yards to give the United States advantage over 11 minutes against Chile. After jumping, fisted and hugged teammate Lindsey Horan, she raised her hands up her chin and made four tiny applause , the guy seen more often at Pebble Beach than Parc des Princes.
A message? You bet.
Easy wins and many goals are needed for the American women's football team.
"I can not take credit for it. I do not know if Lindsey takes credit, "said Lloyd after a 3-0 win Sunday night, the United States qualified for the round of 16. "She told me that if we scored, that's what we're going to do. I went after my little party But it was fun. I think he's made a statement on the sidelines. It was cool. "
Thailand's 13-0 defeat, which opened the tournament on behalf of the Americans, sparked a debate at home. The party had not been much discussed since Kool & the Gang. Some shouted at bad sportsmanship. Others argued that players should not be asked to drop on the biggest stage of football.
All harrumphing has been heard on the other side of the Atlantic.
"I guess we could have gone around it a million times, but it's boring. It's disrespectful to everyone: the fans, ourselves, "said Megan Rapinoe, a pink-haired veteran, famed for running under the flag and shouted" Born in the United States "in a microphone of television after his goal against Colombia in 2011. Cup.
"The only thing you ask an athlete to do is explain everything and do your best. It's never in our DNA. "
Coach Jill Ellis assumed that Lloyd's inspiration was his wife, professional golfer Brian Hollins.
"I guess it was a joke for her husband," said Ellis.
According to Horan, Emily Sonnett, a defender from her first 25-year-old World Cup, suggested answers. The goal was to criticize the critics.
"We decided to do something different today," said Horan with a mischievous smile. "Handshakes were part of it. The golf shot was part of it.
Only the remarkable player of the goalkeeper Christiane Endler has lowered the offensive production of Americans at the level Wonder Woman at the worldly level. The United States beat Chile with 26 shots against one for the South Americans, raising the US margin to 65-3 in two games that seemed more practice than tests.
Alyssa Naeher, the new goalkeeper of the World Cup World Cup, was not noticed until the unidentified Carla Guerrero redirected Claudia Soto's free kick in the middle of the first half. Guerrero was called offside.
Among the 45,594 people present at Parc des Princes, there were more Americans than visitors Sunday in Paris, Kentucky or Texas. Far different from the 21-year-old standings and a day earlier, when Germany had beaten the United States 2-0 on the same pitch on the first day of the 1998 World Cup with the goals of Andreas Möller and Jürgen Klinsmann.
Fans dressed in red, white and blue bottled the subway a few hours before the send-off, marching on line 9 of the Trocadero, Republic and Richelieu-Drouot and opening on the door of Saint -Cloud sunny afternoon.
"We are in France and yet we felt like playing a home game," said Lloyd, 36, the oldest woman with a multi-goal World Cup game.
Despite their second easy victory, the Americans maintained that there was no reason to calm down: Thailand ranks 34th in the world and Chile 39th. Americans need a win or a draw against Sweden (No. 9) on Thursday to win the group. A win probably means a second-round match against No. 13 Spain or No. 16 China, which would put the United States on the right track for a quarter-final match against France, ranked fourth, in Paris.
Ellis would not speculate if his team would be better off finishing second and ending up in the other half of the range.
"There is a lot of grass to navigate between now and possible confrontations," she said. "This game is a crazy game, and you have to bring it to every game."
Since the beginning of the competition in 1991, no team has won a consecutive Women's World Cup, because of SangFroid.
"We are climbing a mountain now," said Lloyd, "and that will only make it worse."
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