CHICAGO -- Tom Sermanni coached the U. Bert Blyleven Twins Jersey .S. womens soccer team to a 2-0 win over China in Colorado in the afternoon. By evening, he was out of a job. Sermanni was fired by the U.S. Soccer Federation on Sunday after a disappointing finish last month at the Algarve Cup. The surprising move came just 16 months after he was put in charge. The dismissal was announced hours after Lauren Holiday and substitute Megan Rapinoe scored in the exhibition victory over China in Commerce City, Colo. "We felt that we needed to go in a different direction at this time," USSF President Sunil Gulati said. He said the federation will begin looking for a new coach immediately, with the team looking toward qualifying for the 2015 Womens World Cup. On Monday, a message on goalkeeper Hope Solos Twitter account addressed the firing: "Its a sombre day for us all today. Tom is simply a classy man in every way, and he will certainly be missed." Jill Ellis, the USSFs director of development, will serve as interim coach. She went 5-0-2 in that role in 2012. The womens team faces China again on Thursday in San Diego. "I was completely blindsided," Sermanni told SI.com on Sunday night. "Maybe Im losing my intuitive and perception skills, but I didnt sense a real unease in the team. But I could be wrong in that regard." Sermanni said he assumes there was "some degree of dissatisfaction among the players, otherwise we wouldnt have gotten to this point so quickly now." He added that the players did what he asked and he has "no qualms with them in the sense of having poor relations with them." He was hired in October 2012, but Ellis served as interim coach until he took over that January. Sermanni made his debut in a 4-1 win over his native Scotland on Feb. 10, 2013. He spent the previous eight years coaching Australias womens team, leading the Matildas to the quarterfinals of the last two World Cups. Sermanni helped the U.S. to a 13-0-3 record last year, but the Americans went 1-2-1 at the Algarve Cup, the last major tournament for the U.S. before qualifying for next years World Cup. The seventh-place finish included a 1-0 defeat to Sweden and former U.S. coach Pia Sundhage, ending a two-year, 43-game unbeaten streak. That was the first loss following a 16-0-4 start under Sermanni. "To put it in a nutshell, they just felt that the way I was managing the team wasnt working," Sermanni told SI.com. "It could be the U.S. team is a unique team that has certain demands that perhaps my management style or my philosophy didnt quite jell with." His firing came about six months before North and Central American and Caribbean World Cup qualifying, which takes place from Oct. 16-26 at Cancun and Playa del Carmen, Mexico. On Sunday, Sermanni experimented with a 4-3-3 alignment (four defenders, three midfielders and three forwards) and talked about the team making the most of its offensive opportunities. "I thought our movement was good, thought our passing was quite incisive," Sermanni said. "What we shouldve done better is finish the game off a lot earlier. We really need to be finishing these games off when were creating chances." The U.S. outshot China 23-1 and ran its unbeaten streak on home turf to 81 games (71-0-10). Holiday was back in the lineup after missing the Algarve Cup because of a family commitment. She scored in the 39th minute -- the U.S. finally solving goalkeeper Zhang Yue after a flurry of shots. Holiday nearly had another goal early in the second half, only to have it deflected near the goal line. The defence allowed only one scoring chance to China, which played defensively even after falling behind. "The most important thing is coming together now and figuring out what works and what doesnt," forward Sydney Leroux said. "Were getting better every single day." Any further improvement will come under a new coach. Tom Brunansky Twins Jersey . They are back to a game above .500 on the year and back to .500 on the road. It was their 10th extra time game of the year, and only the second one that did not got to a shootout. Tom Brunansky Jersey . The Thornhill, Ont., native, who is ranked 11th in the world, said hed hoped he would be ready when Canada begins its World Group first-round tie against Japan in Tokyo on Friday. https://www.cheaptwins.com/952t-willians-astudillo-jersey-twins.html . -- Canadian Erik Bedard pitched into the fifth inning in his bid to win a spot in Tampa Bays rotation, helping the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 on Saturday. PITTSBURGH -- Ryan Braun homered in the ninth inning to tie it, then Khris Davis hit a home run in the 14th that put Milwaukee ahead for good. Yet those were hardly the big blows that attracted all the attention Sunday in the Brewers 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Brewers centre fielder Carlos Gomez, Pirates outfielder Travis Snider and Milwaukee bench coach Jerry Narron were ejected after a shouting match quickly escalated into a punch-filled brawl in the third. "Im not apologetic for anything that I did today," Gomez said. "I was just doing my job." The problems started when Gomez paused at the plate and flipped his bat to watch his two-out drive off Pirates starter Gerrit Cole. Gomez said he thought the ball would be caught. Instead, it hit the wall and he sped into third base, making a headfirst slide for a triple. Cole, who was near third base backing up the play, stormed toward Gomez and they exchanged words. Cole said he told Gomez: "If youre going to hit it out of the ballpark, then you can stop and look at it. But it youre going to hit just a fly ball to centre field, then dont stand and look at it." That didnt sit well with Gomez. He took a couple steps toward Cole and the benches and bullpens emptied. "Everything had stopped," Gomez said. "He told me something, I told him back, then I talked to the umpire. Then Snider came like a superhero, trying to throw punches at everybody. I just tried to protect myself." Milwaukees Martin Maldonado came from the dugout and threw a punch that knocked off Sniders hat. "Were a family," said Maldonado, who expects to be suspended. "I see two guys over Gomez, so I tried to protect him." Snider, who wasnt in the game, and Gomez shoved each other, and the Brewers star fell to the ground. Pirates catcher Russell Martin called Maldonados swing a "sucker punch" and had to be restrained by teammate Gaby& Sanchez as he walked off the field. Max Kepler Jersey. Last September, Gomez was in the middle of the bench-clearing brawl after arguing with Atlanta pitcher Paul Maholm while rounding the bases after homering. Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said he fears Gomez could develop a reputation as a guy who starts conflicts. But he said he found little fault in the way Gomez initially handled Coles challenge. "(Cole is) the one that started it all," Roenicke said. "If you start it, were going to respond. Gomeys not going to sit there and not say anything." Gomez said he planned to appeal any suspension. The Brewers won their third in a row. Pittsburgh has lost three in a row and five of six. Davis hit his first homer, connecting for a leadoff shot against Jeanmar Gomez (0-1). "It was pretty hard to see with the shadow," Davis said. Zach Duke (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings and Francisco Rodriguez got his seventh save. Cole allowed one run and six hits in a career-high eight innings, striking out six. Cole appeared to be in line for the win after Jose Tabatas eighth-inning infield single scored Ike Davis to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead. Roenicke challenged the call, but the play was upheld. Braun hit his sixth homer with one out in the ninth, giving Pittsburgh closer Jason Grilli his second blown save in as many games. Mark Reynolds hit his fifth home run, a solo drive in the Milwaukee seventh. Neil Walker homered for the Pirates in the fourth off Marco Estrada. NOTES: C Chris Stewart went 1 for 6 in his Pirates debut. He missed the start of the season after undergoing arthroscopic right knee surgery last month. ... RHP Wily Peralta (2-0, 1.96) is scheduled to pitch for the Brewers on Monday night at home against the San Diego Padres. ... LHP Francisco Liriano (0-3, 3.96) is scheduled to pitch for the Pirates on Monday night at home against the Cincinnati Reds. ' ' '