USWNT gets4-0 Win against New Zealand in St. Louis

Saturday, April 4, 2015 the United States Women’s National Team faced New Zealand in an International Friendly match. The game was one of a kind, held at Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. The 3 P.M. kickoff was what some soccer lovers would call perfect. The weather was sunny, 59 degrees and the stadium was full of fans. The game was a record-setting attendance for the USWNT with 35,817 viewers in the stands all decked out on their red, white and blue.

This game was all about the GOALS. Goals mainly from defenders! The USWNT held NZL 4-0 with goals coming from Meghan Klingenberg (defender) in the 14th minute, Lori Chalupny (defender and STL native) in the 76th minute, goal three was brought to us by Julie Johnston (defender) in the 78th minute, and the fourth goal brought to us finally by a middy, Morgan Brian in the 81st minute.

Hope Solo was rarely tested in the goal as the USWNT held NZL to ZERO shots on goal and only two shots the entire game. Unfortunately for New Zealand keeper Erin Nayler, the U.S. shoved 18 shots, 11 of those being on goal, in her zone.

Lori Chalupny, the hometown girl told reporters that it was good to be home. She not only scored her first goal in five years for the national team, but she also scored it with her family in the audience, and was awarded the Budweiser Woman of the Match. Her remarks on playing at home in front of 35,817 fans who traveled endless miles to watch the game sounded like this, “It was incredible. It kind of felt like a dream. The atmosphere was awesome. We looked around as a team and just felt so grateful to play in front of crowds like these.”

. Coach Ellis said she was pleased with how the game went, a lot of positives and many players coming off the bench who helped out on the field to keep the clean sheet against a team with good pressure. New Zealand is considered a good contender for this summer’s World Cup and was a great test to the USWNT in the final matches preparing them for Canada.

In St. Louis Megan Rapinoe gained her 100th cap and Hope Solo debuted the new bright red goalkeeper kit for the 2015 season.

Being at the game, seeing Busch Stadium filled with 35k soccer fanatics, especially for the women’s team is something I will never forget. Being involved in the sport growing up, I have got to witness the love, excitement, and respect our women’s team has gained and is continuing to gain. In a country that is finally giving soccer some shine, a few years behind the rest of the world, it brings a smile to my face seeing this many people come together to support our team and prepare to have continued support this summer in Canada.

On a side note, after the game I got to meet my hero, Hope Solo for the fourth time and I FINALLY got my picture with her after trying for six years. It was a day that I will always remember. I’m proud of our girls and can’t wait for Canada!

NWSL Viewings

As we approach the Women’s World Cup this summer, the excitement is almost to much to contain! Well today that excitement multiplied when the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) released that every game played during the 2015 NWSL season will be broadcasted through YouTube.

Each game will have it’s own live stream making every fan world wide able to view the games. YouTube live will be available through the NWSL’s YouTube channel and each team will also have their own channel if viewers wish to watch one team specifically instead of the entire league. Highlight packages will also be available after games.

Why is this so current? The 2015 season starts TOMORROW, Friday, April 10 in Houston featuring the Dash and Washington Spirit. This is a HUGE accomplishment for the women’s game. We may not get TV time very often, but luckily the world is becoming more mobile, so since the games are streamed via YouTube we can watch the league matches virtually anywhere. This is also great promotion for not just the women’s game in general, but also the road to WWC this summer.

The league should also get a few games aired on National TV, but that schedule is yet to be released. The fact that young players can now be exposed to watching such quality games almost weekly will improve their game more than they know. I wish we would have had something like this while I was growing up playing!

Happy Viewing Soccer Lovers. 🙂

“I Will See You Again” — Nicaragua 2015

“I will see you again, this is not where it ends.. I will carry you with me until I see you again.”

It was June 2013- I had just graduated high school a month before I hopped on a plane (with a few minor set backs) headed to Nicaragua. I had never been more scared or excited before in my life. Luckily, I had my Daddy by my side the whole time. That was until we got there and I absolutely fell in love with the country, the people, and the culture I was surrounded by within an hour and then I was off playing soccer with some local kids and running around carefree for the rest of the week. The smiles I saw, the love I felt, the need I witnessed, and the hurt that was evident all pulled on my heart and I knew I would never be the same. 

Most of you saw my pictures, have heard my stories and followed my posts that I shared on facebook during our mission trip up until now. That being said, most of you know I have been dying to go back from the moment we landed on U.S. soil. Well, here I am, two years later, sitting in my apartment at Murray State University which was not in my plans at the time in 2013, studying for my photography test (also not in my plans), trying to figure out what to teach my middle schooler’s tomorrow night at church (TOTALLY not in my plans) — anyone see a trend here? The last two years of my life haven’t gone as I planned, I really hoped to have been back down in Nicaragua loving on sweet babies and catching up with friends way before now, but HE had different plans for me. 

What does Carrie Underwood’s #1 Hit song “See You Again” have to do with this? Let me tell you a little side story of our trip in 2013. Each morning we opened our day with worship and a devotional on the rooftop of the Casa Mataeo in Jinotepe where we stayed for the week. When it came to be my turn to give the devotional for some reason God palced it on my heart to dig deeper into the lyrics of the song, connect them to my experience of the week, then sing the song in front of our entire team. Something came over me as I was choking down the tears trying to make it through the last verse that I had nothing to worry about, I would see these people again, I would be back, I would get to continue my relationships with my new friends- that excited me. I knew that we would be leaving in a few days, but I would certainly be carrying them with me until I saw them again. 

It has taken two years but as always, it is His timing; it excites me to announce that I will be going back to Nicaragua this summer after much consideration, a few tears, and a TON of prayer. I’m sure y’all know I am exstatic, but I am even happier to be going with three of my friends.

We won’t be going back to the same part of the country I visited before, but I am looking forward to making new relationships with beautiful faces in a country I left a little piece of my heart in.

  

 “And He said to them: GO into ALL the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” – Mark 16:15 || Come June 20th, I will GO, show compassion, feel love, and I expect to be broken down and brought back up to a high all in the same day much like I did two years ago. I hope to be able to blog and post pictures while I am there to keep y’all connected. Until then I ask that you please be in prayer for our team and everyone connected to our trip. I know my Momma & Daddy G-Reg will be worried about me going without them, but I told them this was coming with a text that said, “Just so you know I am going somewhere this summer, I don’t know where it will be, but I know I am being called to go.” At least I warned them right? 🙂

So let the countdown begin- 80 days until my heart will be beating so hard on an airplane flying into Managua that I may just cry before I even step foot in Nicaragua!! (tears of joy of course)

I will be selling t-shirts in order to raise a little extra money for my trip, but if you feel led to donate to our mission team or my personal costs you can call, text, or email me at savana_smothers@hotmail.com for information. I can not wait to share this experience with y’all! 

  

 “…Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders.. Let me walk upon the waters, wherever you would call me.. Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander, and my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Savior…”