The USA women have made the semifinals in the Singapore SVNS event, logging one of their best pool-play efforts in that city.
It wasn’t easy, however, as all three pool-play matches were close and the Eagles had to come from behind in all of them. A major comeback led to a victory over Japan, they won in overtime to beat Fiji, and in the final pool match lost on the last play of the game against Australia.
USA vs Japan
The Eagles couldn’t really get out of their own 22 the entire first half against Japan. Down a try they gave up a holding-on penalty, leading to a try, and then another on a kick charge-down—Spiff Sedrick signaled to her teammates that she was going to kick, but that opened up a chance for a charge-down.
Halftime produced a 19-0 Japanese lead.
And then things turned around. Right off the second-half kickoff the Eagles sent it wide and put Kaylen Thomas in space to race down the sideline for the opening USA try. Hard running up the middle with offloads and a good, aggressive mindset led to Su Adegoke powering out of the grasp of defenders and going in under the posts. That made it 19-12. Right off the restart the Eagles got the ball back and Thomas once again outstripped her cover. That made it 19-17.
With time essentially up the USA players kept the ball moving. Ariana Ramsey set up Adegoke for another burst from midfield. They needed four tries in the second half and they got it, taking the win 22-19.
USA vs Fiji
The Eagles fell off some tackles and were victims of some shifty Fiji running. Down 5-0 the Eagles responded immediately with Ramsey taking an offload off the deck from Sammy Sullivan to speed 55 meters to paydirt.
Ahead 7-5 the Eagles added to that with another Ramsey try, the halfback was in support of Adegoke, who popped the pass of the floor, and in they went.
Fiji exploited some over-pursuit by the USA to tie it up, and the game ended 12-12. In overtime, the Eagles found themselves with the ball just a few meters from their tryline. Erica Coulibaly scythed right, and then offoaded to Ashley Coudrey, who crashed ahead to commit two defenders and lofted a left-handed pass to Sariah Ibarra.
The former Belmont Shore star had a ton of work to do as she was still inside her own 22, but she took off down the sideline and no one could catch her. Try, ballgame, USA 2-0.
