KANSAS CITY, Kan. – It wasn't the rout that might have been expected for the United States, but they still got all three points and the clean sheet from their CONCACAF Women's Championship opener.
Abby Wambach's header in the second half stood up for a 1-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago in Group A on Wednesday night, the favored Americans getting just enough to overcome the Caribbean champions' defensive mindset and a blinding 11-save performance from 'keeper Kimika Forbes.
The Soca Princesses, who turned to social media for emergency support after arriving in the United States a week ago with just $500 because funding from their home federation was slow in arriving, kept plenty of numbers behind the ball against the US through a scoreless first half.
Not that the Americans were shy about trying to break open the bunker; the six-time World Cup qualifiers pressed hard from the outset, keeping the Caribbean side pinned in their own end, and completed 165 passes in the first 45. Still, T&T's tightly packed defense wouldn't allow them to turn that possession advantage into a halftime lead.
The US first came close just before the quarter-hour mark, when Christen Press got off a header from close range, but Forbes was there to deflect it up and then pull it in. Forbes also came up big in the 38th minute, when she dove to push Carli Lloyd's shot out for a corner, and in the 39th when she positioned herself to snuff out Wambach's no-look header.
And in the 44th, she leaped to knock away a cross-turned-shot from Megan Rapinoe, smacking into the right post as she fell but getting up to continue on after staying down for a minute.
The US started to look livelier after the half, Wambach pushing a low header just wide in the 48th minute and getting in on Forbes for a 1-v-1 in the 52nd, but Forbes got down to deflect the shot and Rapinoe fired the rebound high.
There was nothing the keeper could do about Wambach's match-winner in the 55th, though. Alex Morgan rounded Forbes, drove to the end line and lofted a cross that Wambach nodded in at the far post, extending her team scoring record with her 171st international goal.
Kennya Cordner gave the Soca Princesses a chance to equalize on the hour mark, when she found space just inside the 18, but she put her shot just high and wide. Cordner also went wide from just outside the penalty spot in the 74th minute and fired high in the 85th.
The United States continue group play against Guatemala, who fell 1-0 to Haiti in Wednesday's early match, on Friday in Bridgeview, Ill.
Steve Brisendine covers soccer in Kansas City for MLSsoccer.com.