U.S. women’s soccer team leads Colombia, 1-0, at halftime

LONDON -- Megan Rapinoe split a pair of defenders to score from 20 yards in the 33rd minute Saturday, giving the U.S. a 1-0 halftime lead over Colombia in group play of women’s soccer at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland.

But Colombia, which needs a win to keep alive its hopes of advancing after losing its pool-play opener to North Korea, should be thankful the margin wasn’t larger.

That’s because it was a first half full of opportunities for the U.S., which dominated in terms of possession but struggled to finish its chances.

Lauren Cheney actually found the back of the net in the ninth minute but her score was waved off by a foul. And three minutes later Abby Wambach put a left-footed blast on goal from deep inside the 18-yard box but Colombian goalkeeper Sandra Sepulveda, who had an active first half, batted the ball away with both hands.

Again in the 28th minute, a long free kick from captain Christine Rampone just missed a leaping Wambach and was cleared from in front of the goal by defender Nataly Arias. But Rapinoe collected the ball on the left wing and sent another cross back to the center, but Alex Morgan broke the wrong way and the ball bounced, untouched, out of bounds.

Rapinoe and Morgan hooked up again in the 33rd minute, this time successfully, with Morgan scooting a pass across the center of the Colombia defense to Rapinoe, who settled the ball, then sent a right-footed shot just over a leaping Sepulveda and just under the crossbar.

Rapinoe should have had a second goal in stoppage time but she was robbed on a short-range shot by a spinning save by Colombian defender Natalia Gaitan.

In the 38th minute, the U.S. got a scare when Wambach, charging up the center of the field, was clawed from behind by a Colombia player and fell to the turf holding her right eye. Wambach pleaded for a foul, yelling at referee Thalia Mitsi to “look at my eye.” But to no avail.

Mitsi seemed in danger of losing control of the match near the end of the half when Rapinoe exchanged shoves with two Colombian players as the official looked on.

About the only action U.S. keeper Hope Solo saw came late in the first half when she stopped a long shot from Lady Andrade at the right post.

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