CHICAGO -- The last time the United States womens national soccer team played at Soldier Field, it scored six goals and pummeled an upwardly mobile opponent that had recently qualified for a major tournament.It is unlikely many people remember that August game played nine years ago. It is unlikely many American fans remember fondly the World Cup campaign that followed a month later. What glittered along the shores of Lake Michigan back then soon foundered, accompanied by a literal typhoon, in China.Which is to say, extrapolate from Saturdays lackluster 1-0 win against South Africa at your own peril.But, well, it fell some ways short of compelling. No one is going to argue that.It wasnt our best performance, U.S. coach Jill Ellis said by way of the lexicon of diplomacy.It was a historic matchup, both because it was the first meeting between the United States and South Africa, which will make its major tournament debut in the Olympics, and because it marked Hope Solos 100th clean sheet for her country, an unequaled milestone.It offered the specter of societal significance, although American players ultimately did not take the field wearing the shirts or temporary tattoos in support of equal pay, as reportedly planned.It even took place against the backdrop of a spectacular summer afternoon, equally free of clouds and humidity.It just wasnt a memorable game of soccer.Ranked No. 52 in the admittedly dubious FIFA world rankings, behind the likes of Myanmar and Uzbekistan, South Africa showed itself a good deal more organized and committed than that assessment. But a team with few full professionals never really put Solo or the U.S. defense in danger. The United States controlled the game but couldnt dominate it, lacking the precision to create or finish chances.With the team on the verge of naming its final roster of 18 players for the Olympics -- Ellis said she would inform players Monday of the final decisions -- Saturday played out less as a final opportunity to impress than as a university lecture scheduled after the final exam.Send-off games are never easy, Crystal Dunn said after scoring the games lone goal. South Africa is obviously in the Olympics as well, and theyre giving their all. And they had a good game as well. I think, for us, were all coming off NWSL seasons, playing a lot of minutes. The league is very intense, and obviously everything thats going on with us mentally -- yes, we are all preparing for the roster to be announced. But its really no excuse. This wasnt a good performance.But at the end of the day, its all about results.Thats debatable. Just ask the folks who watched the U.S. women pummel New Zealand here nine years ago. But if were talking about the result of Olympic preparation, of months of work rather than 90 minutes of work, it wasnt without some positives.Ellis spoke this week about preparation as a funnel, all the personnel changes and tactical tweaks placed in the wide end of the funnel months ago, with what is left now the distilled product.On the goal, Meghan Klingenberg intercepted a South African pass deep in its own half, no surprise given the amount of time the outside back spent on the attacking side of the halfway line. She moved the ball to Mallory Pugh, who sprinted past a defender to the end line and delivered the cross that Dunn slammed home at the far post. South Africa should have done better with the ball before it ever reached Dunn, but Pugh put it in dangerous space.In that sequence, isolated as it was on the afternoon, Klingenberg looked the veteran completely comfortable in her marauding role, Dunn looked like the player fighting not for the roster spot she didnt claim in the World Cup but a starting spot in Brazil. And Pugh looked like a player who has lived several soccer years in the mere months since she debuted against Ireland in January.Indeed, Pugh was far and away the bright light on the day, full of energy and threatening movement.I dont think of Mal in terms of age because I think shes got a bit of ice running through her veins, Ellis said. She came in in January with us for the first time and, yeah, I think you see a little bit of anxiety there. But now you see her off the field -- and thats important, too, that she feels comfortable off the field. Off the field, shes well blended in, respected in the group. And then her performances, she doesnt play like a young player. Shes special, and we know that. Thats why shes in with us regularly now.Thats why, while confirmation will only come with the official announcement, shes going to Brazil.The other bit of good news Saturday is that Carli Lloyd looks as if she will take the field in the Olympic opener Aug. 3 at 100 percent -- or 120 percent, by her own estimate. Absences were a story Saturday, with none of Morgan Brian, Tobin Heath or Megan Rapinoe in uniform. The injuries for Brian and Heath are described as minor, their absences precautionary. Rapinoe is the biggest question mark on the roster, Ellis saying Friday that she had seen what she needed to see out of the midfielder seven months removed from an ACL injury but also that quad and hamstring concerns would keep Rapinoe off the field against South Africa. But in 45 minutes as a second-half substitute, punctuated with some firm tackles if not goals, Lloyd eased the anxiety created by her knee injury early in the NWSL season.It felt good, knocking the rust off, Lloyd said. You as a player always want to just come on and think everything is going to be perfect. I have to keep it in mind that its been 11 weeks since I played a game, so I think for the most part it felt pretty good. I thought it was the perfect amount of time for me to play, first game. Unfortunately it wasnt maybe our best overall team performance, but we all knocked the rust off. Now everyone will go home and recharge.It will be that process, not this game or the final send-off game against Costa Rica in two weeks (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET, July 22), that matters most. Physical ailments aside, mental freshness is an equally notable challenge. As Dunn alluded to, players have logged far more NWSL minutes this season than those who went to the World Cup a year ago did before that tournament -- and these minutes on top of the international calendar in womens soccer that crowds major tournaments into back-to-back years. It is one more reason no team has won World Cup and Olympic titles in back-to-back years.In reality, these players havent had a break in 2?, Ellis said this week. Since we started the buildup to World Cup qualifiers, then they come straight out [the World Cup] straight into a 10-game victory tour and straight into the league and all the friendlies.So thats something that I think going into these Olympics Im trying to be very thoughtful about making sure were not just physically ready but were also mentally ready.And if they are, chances are few will remember a sunny summer afternoon at Soldier Field. Youth Browns Jerseys .C. -- Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Bobcats got off to a fast start, and the Sacramento Kings were never quite able to catch up. Browns Jerseys From China . The Browns coaching search remains incomplete. http://www.cheapbrownsjerseyschina.com/ . -- Anaheim Ducks defenceman Luca Sbisa will be out at least six weeks with a torn tendon in his right hand. Womens Browns Jerseys . Barcelonas entertaining victory ensured the defending Spanish champions retained their share of the league lead with Atletico Madrid two rounds ahead of their meeting in the capital. Real Madrid needed a late goal by substitute Jese Rodriguez to earn a 3-2 victory at Valencia to stay in third place and three points behind its title rivals. Cheap Browns Jerseys . -- Quarterback Will Finch threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns, and Yannick Harou rushed in two scores as the No. INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Stan Kroenke had dreamed of turning over this particular ceremonial shovelful of dirt ever since his first pre-dawn glimpse of this corner of Inglewood several years ago.The real estate tycoon relished the thought of filling the largest block of contiguous unused land in the Los Angeles area with a lavish, career-defining stadium for his Rams. Under a brilliant Southern California sun Thursday, the team owner officially broke ground on the project with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts at his side.This was so impressive, Kroenke said, recalling his initial late-night clandestine visit to the site. Honestly, I couldnt believe it existed. From my perspective, this should not exist. From our perspective at the NFL, (the situation) probably shouldnt have existed, either. There should not have been a market like the greater Los Angeles area with no NFL team. But both of them existed, and we were very excited, so we started working.The groundbreaking was merely ceremonial: Work has already begun on the estimated $2.6 billion stadium and surrounding entertainment district on the former site of the Hollywood Park racetrack, next door to the famed Forum.The huge construction site is buzzing with crews working toward the scheduled August 2019 opening. The first stadium to be built specifically for an NFL team in Los Angeles is already booked to host the Super Bowl in February 2021.The 69-year-old Kroenke, a billionaire developer married to a Walmart heiress, clearly sees the project as a centerpiece of his legacy from a career spent building less-glamorous projects around the nation.Its our goal to build the most unique and fan-friendly stadium in the world, Kroenke said. Were going to give you something to be proud of. Were going to build a global destination ... in the entertainment capital of the world. We think people from all over the world will seek this location out.While Kroenke finessed the Rams move back home from St. Louis over the past few years, his building plan eventually grew to the dimensions of a small city. The estimated 80,000-seat stadium will have 275 luxury suites and innumerable amenities, but its only the centerpiece of a 300-acre complex featuring 1.5 million square feet of retail and office space, 2,500 residential units, a smaller performance arena, a hotel and 25 acres of parkland.ddddddddddddThe NFL made several aborted attempts to return to LA during Goodells tenure in the league office, but the plans never gathered momentum until Kroenke presented a sound financial plan to build a stadium complex that could become the West Coast hub for the NFLs operations.We are confident that this is going to be the place to be in 2019 and beyond, Goodell said. Not just for football, but for entertainment, for events, for eating, for living, for working. Thats whats going to come to Inglewood and the Hollywood Park area, and we couldnt be more excited to have the NFL be a part of that.Kroenke has returned the Rams to the market after a 21-year absence, moving them out of his native Missouri and back into LA, where he lives for most of the year. The NFL bought into Kroenkes relocation plan in January largely due to his solid stadium plan, but also required the Rams to prepare for the possibility of an AFC team joining them.The Rams are still waiting to find out whether theyll have roommates in Inglewood. The San Diego Chargers are contemplating their future after their latest failed stadium ballot measure, with a January deadline to announce their plans.Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff said Kroenke speaks to Chargers President Dean Spanos regularly, but the Rams dont know the Chargers intentions.If the Chargers elect to take yet another shot at San Diego, the Oakland Raiders could have the opportunity to return to Los Angeles, where they were based from 1982-94. The Raiders are expected to file for relocation to Las Vegas in January, but the Chargers decision could clear the way for a more lucrative move back to Los Angeles.If they get their issues resolved in San Diego and the issues in Oakland, I think thats an ideal solution, frankly, Goodell said. Thats what we would all like to see have happen. Theres a lot that has to get done in those two communities to get there.---For more NFL coverage: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '