22 October 2007 - Ryan Goes Solo

On 22 October 2007, the United States Soccer Federation announced their decision to part ways with women's national team manager Greg Ryan (pictured) despite a record of 45 wins, 9 draws, and 1 loss.

That loss, however, was a big one, coming against Brazil in the quarterfinals of the 2007 Women's World Cup. Prior to the match, Ryan benched starting goalkeeper Hope Solo--who had conceded only 2 goals in the tournament--in favor of veteran Brianna Scurry. Scurry had done well against Brazil in the past, but had not played a full match in over three months.

The decision did not go well, as Brazil delivered a 4-0 pounding--the worst-ever loss for the US women and the end to a 51-match unbeaten streak. Solo spoke out against Ryan and Scurry after the match, leading to her being dropped from the squad for their third-place match against Norway.

The situation prompted the USSF's announcement in October that they would not renew Ryan's contract when it expired the following December. They eventually hired Pia Sundhage that November, while Ryan went on to coach at the University of Michigan.

20 March 1994 - It's Also An Anagram For "A Gal Cup Rev"

On 20 March 1994, Norway and the United States, who had met in the 1991 Women's World Cup Final, met again in the Final of the first Algarve Cup. This time, Norway--who had lost that World Cup to the US--took their revenge with a 1-0 win.

The Algarve Cup, played in Algarve, Portugal, is an international invitational women's tournament played every year, joining the World Cup and the Olympics as the top three international women's competitions. Six teams participated in the first Cup: the two finalists, plus Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and hosts Portugal.

The teams were separated into two groups of three and played a round robin. The group winners advanced directly to the final, while the runners-up played each other for third place and the two bottom teams met in the fifth-place match. Both Norway and the United States topped their groups with two wins each. Norway rolled through their group with stunning ease, beating Finland 6-0 and Denmark 6-0, while the US dispatched Portugal 5-0, then narrowly beat Sweden 1-0.

Like the previous World Cup Final, which the US won 2-1, the first Algarve Cup Final was a closely-contested match. The two sides battled to a scoreless stalemate through the first half and most of the second before Norway's Ann Kristin ("Anka") Aarønes (pictured) scored the late match-winner, beating US keeper Brianna Scurry in the 84th minute.

The teams have met several more times in the Cup, including a dramatic third-place match in the 1995 Algarve Cup, with Norway winning on penalty kicks.