The Road To Rio

The U.S. Women’s National Team embarked on the chase for a sixth consecutive Olympics berth and a fourth gold medal in soccer on Wednesday night. The Road to Rio looks good from here (even if Rio has its issues).

The USWNT devoured Costa Rica 5-0 in Frisco, Texas, on Wednesday night in its first qualifying match and the rout started quickly. Alex Morgan scored 12 seconds into the match, the U.S led 3-0, Morgan scored again in the second half, and everyone’s thoughts turned to Mexico on Saturday night.

The women’s soccer teams of the Olympics and the World Cup continue to yield stars of great skills and marketability. From Mia Hamm to Brandi Chastain to Abby Wambach to Carli Lloyd, these players – individually and as a group – made and make a mark on sports that is rare in the States. Women’s sports are still often denigrated or eyed as something less, but soccer has continued to disprove those stereotypes through the years.

There have been seven Women’s World Cup tournaments – the U.S. has won three. There have been five gold medals awarded in women’s Olympic soccer, and the U.S. has won four. If the team wins the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship it is playing in now, that will mark the fourth consecutive time.

That’s success. That’s worthy of attention. That’s our team.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman