Hope Solo

Athletica goalie Hope Solo went the first player in the chronicle of U.S. National Team soccer to stop two penalty kicks in one match as the U.S. women defeated Iceland 2-0 Wednesday in the beginning match of the Algarve Cup in Vila Real de San Antonio, Portugal.

Her first stop came 12 minutes into the match against Margret Vidarsdóttir, Iceland’s star forward, after Vidarsdóttir was taken down in the U.S. penalty field. Taking the kick herself, Vidarsdóttir hit it tough, but not that accurately, and Solo dove to her right, cutting her right hand down to turn the ball away.

Her secondly stop came during six minutes of extra time at the end of the match. In the 93rd minute, there was a three-player scramble in front of the U.S. net that included Solo. A foul was called on U.S. defender Rachel Buehler. Solo hurt her right arm in the scramble and needed a couple minutes to recover before the penalty kick. Berglind Björg Thorvaldsdóttir, who came into the match in the 63rd minute for Vidarsdóttir, took the PK. Solo took a step to her right and winged to the post to knock the ball down. It looked for a moment like Thorvaldsdóttir would be first to the rebound, but the U.S. defenders converged to clear the ball away.

“It’s very crazy, because Abby (Wambach) and I sat at breakfast for about an hour this morning speaking about penalty kick strategy and what I like and what she sees in goalkeepers when she takes a penalty,” Solo said. “We cleaned each other’s brains, so going in I kind of knew what I wanted to do.”

USA opened the scoring in the 60th minute on a ball that avoided in off an Iceland player. Lauren Cheney made it 2-0 just two minutes later by finishing on a breakaway.

Athletica freshman Shannon Box played 75 minutes in the match before being subbed off for youngster Casey Nogueira.

The U.S. women will face Norway in the second cup competition in Group B on Friday.