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U.S. advances without displaying dominance

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Posted: Thursday July 08, 1999 08:17 AM

LOS ANGELES -- This may sound like sacrilege to the multitudes of teenage girls painted in red, white and blue, but the U.S. Women's National Team hasn't been exactly hitting on all cylinders in the Women's World Cup.

Yes, the Americans have qualified for Saturday's championship game against China, winning their five matches by a combined score of 18-3. Yet, they haven't been as imposing as advertised or hyped. The U.S. has played well only in stretches. Sorry to break anyone's bubble.

Even Michelle Akers, the team's 33-year-old grand dame, realizes the U.S. has been far from perfect.

"I don't think we're completely satisfied with our performance in this World Cup," she said. "We have yet to do it for 90 minutes."

She has a valid point. There have been too many nervous moments from a supposed veteran team and too many missed scoring opportunities. This doesn't look like a team that is hitting its peak. Just take a gander at the five games, in which the U.S. stumbled minutes after the kickoff four times:

• A jittery U.S. survived two close calls in the opening moments in its 3-0 win over Denmark before a packed house at Giants Stadium. Even after a late first-half goal by Mia Hamm, it took the U.S. nearly an hour to find its rhythm.
• After Nigeria scored a stunning goal five minutes into the match, the U.S. put on its most awesome display of the Cup, striking six times during an incredible 22-minute span in the first half of a 7-1 rout. It was, hands or feet down, the most memorable American display of the Cup.
• It took the U.S. all of 49 minutes before it found the back of the net in a 3-0 victory over North Korea.

It got more difficult in the knockout rounds.

• In the worst of all possible beginnings and scenarios in the semifinals, the U.S. had to overcome an early own goal by Brandi Chastain and battle back from a pair of one-goal deficits to overcome a gritty German side, 3-2.
• In the semifinals, the U.S. took advantage of an early defensive error by the opposition and managed to survive a tough 2-0 encounter with Brazil. Goalkeeper Briana Scurry saved the team from getting up very early Saturday morning to play in the 10:15 third-place match.

Ah yes, China. The Chinese looked unbeatable in their 5-0 demolition of defending champion Norway, the worst defeat meted out in any semifinal of any FIFA competition. Unless proved otherwise at the Rose Bowl this Saturday, China is the best team in the tournament.

China is fast, technical and tricky -- in many respects not unlike the Americans, but faster. So, the U.S. task and challenge won't be an easy one. The Chinese have vanquished the Americans twice in three encounters this year -- all results ended at 2-1 -- including a stirring extra-time win at Giants Stadium on April 25.

"They've been hot all year," U.S. coach Tony DiCicco said. "They made a great statement against Norway."

If there is a plus side in the disparity of results of the finalists, it's that China hasn't played in a nailbiter or one-goal game in the Cup, which could very well work in the Americans' favor.

"Whatever the game is we've already played it," U.S. assistant coach Lauren Gregg said. "We're up a goal, we're down a goal. We've been down twice in a game. We've been there before. We've come back and overcome that. We have a wealth of experience in situations. This team has learned a lot from those games. We also respect that whatever the road for China has been, they are at the peak of their game, and they are one of the best teams in the world women's soccer has ever seen."

Michael Lewis covers soccer for the New York Daily News and is editor of Soccer Magazine. His column appears weekly on CNNSI.com.

 

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