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In the mix Brazil upsets China 3-2 on golden goal
Posted: Saturday July 01, 2000 08:28 PM LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- A sudden-death overtime penalty kick gave Brazil one of its biggest victories ever. Cidinha scored the spot kick at the end of the first extra period Saturday at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium as the Brazilians beat China 3-2 to reach the final of the women's soccer Gold Cup. "This is the biggest happiness to win this game," said Cidinha, who accepted the long, emotional hugs from her teammates on the field long after her goal. The victory left no doubt as to Brazil's status as a gold-medal threat in the Sydney Olympics, a position that will be even more solidified if it wins Monday's championship game in Foxboro, Mass. Brazil will play the winner of Saturday's late semifinal between the United States and Canada. China, which lost to the United States in last year's World Cup final, will play in the third-place game. "The Brazilian football, compared with China and the United States, is very young," coach Jose Duarte said. "We have some young players that are playing for the first time. Our team was nervous the first two games. I believe in time we are going to be just as good as the United States and China." Cidinha's game-winner came after Wang Liping pushed down Formiga just inside the penalty area in the final minute of the first 15-minute overtime. Cidinha calmly put her penalty kick inside the left post. Katia da Silva scored in the 11th minute -- her tournament-high eighth goal -- and Roseli in the 60th for Brazil, while Shui Qingxia tallied in the ninth and Qiu Haiyan in the 75th for China. Second-half substitute Qiu atoned for a missed penalty kick to tie the game 2-2 with her first goal of the tournament. Shui chipped a short cross from the right side, and Qiu put the ball in from eight yards with her left foot. Twelve minutes earlier, Shui had won a penalty kick when she was hooked by Simone Gomes. Qiu took the penalty and hit the left post. The rebound went right back to her, but she shanked her follow shot over the net. Roseli gave Brazil a 2-1 lead on a breakaway down the right side. Goalkeeper Gao Hong went to the ground to make a leg save on the first shot, but Roseli put in the easy rebound for her fifth goal of the tournament. Two early goals in two minutes, both off set plays, highlighted a lively first half. In the ninth minute, Shui tucked a left-footed, 20-yard free kick just under the crossbar for her fourth goal of the tournament. In the 11th, Brazil won a free kick to the left of the penalty box. Sissi yielded the kick to Cidinha, who placed a perfect left-footed cross for Katia's running header past Gao. Pu Wei wasted a breakaway in the 22nd minute by pushing her shot right at goalkeeper Andreia, but otherwise China's attack continued to lack its full creative flow without playmaker Sun Wen, who is nursing a knee injury.
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