RAPINOE, TARPLEY NET GOALS FOR WNT

Fire’s Blanco nominated for awards; Soumare chats on ESPN.com

Megan Rapinoe and Lindsay Tarpley of Women’s Professional Soccer’s Chicago Red Stars netted goals for the U.S. Women’s National Team as the squad defeated Canada, 4-0, in a friendly Monday night at BMO Field in Toronto.

Just into stoppage time in the first half, Heather O’Reilly found Rapinoe to her left. Rapinoe cut the ball inside and bent the rock with her right foot to the far right post for a goal and a 2-0 lead. Earlier in the half, Rapinoe had a shot on goal and also had a corner kick that came pretty close to angling toward the far post through the air. But the ball neither reached the net nor a player, even though it was a playable strike that stayed in bounds.

In the 61st minute, Tarpley substituted for Rapinoe, and in the 77th minute, Tarpley gave the U.S. a 3-0 advantage. Off of a corner kick, the ball bounced around and Tarpley put a foot on the ball to cushion the U.S. lead.

Chicago defender Marian Dalmy also came into the game in the second half. But Carli Lloyd was not available because of a knee injury during a scrimmage over the weekend.

Crystal Lake, Ill., native and Boston Breakers defender Amy LePeilbet made a start on defense for the U.S. But she only played in the first half as Rachel Buehler came into the game for LePeilbet at the start of the second.

Blanco nominated for awards: The Chicago Fire announced that midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco is among the nominees for the second edition of the “Tecate Premios Deportes” (Tecate Sports Awards). The winners will be revealed on June 25. Blanco is nominated for Soccer Player of the Year, Offensive Midfielder and Athlete of the Year. Nominees are considered based on the athlete’s statistical excellence, participation in a televised professional sport in the U.S. during 2008, cumulative impact on their team and in the sport, and their reputation as a role model for the Hispanic community. Fans can vote by visiting Univision.com.

Soumare to chat on ESPN.com: Fire defender Bakary Soumare will chat live with fans through ESPN Soccernet at 2:15 p.m. (CST) on Tuesday. Fans can submit questions and follow the chat by CLICKING HERE. The Fire take on Chivas USA on Thursday in a battle between the conference-leading squads. The game will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

Vote for Rolfe: The Chicago Fire’s Chris Rolfe is up for MLS Goal of the Week for Week 10. His strike was the lone goal during Chicago’s road victory against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday. CLICK HERE to vote for him or your other favorite MLS player at MLSNet.com.