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World class U.S. women smash Costa Rica 7-0, clinch World Cup berthPosted: Thursday November 07, 2002 1:19 AMUpdated: Thursday November 07, 2002 10:38 AM
SEATTLE (AP) -- The United States will get a chance to defend its 1999 Women's World Cup soccer title. Cindy Parlow had three goals and helped the U.S. team clinch a berth in next year's World Cup with a 7-0 thrashing of Costa Rica in the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup semifinals on Wednesday night. "This is wonderful for our team," U.S. coach April Heinrichs said. "We are genuinely elated about earning our way into the World Cup." The Americans will play Canada in the final on Saturday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Canada beat Mexico 2-0 on two own goals to also secure a World Cup spot. "We'll go after either team," Heinrichs said of their plan for the final before learning of the other semifinal result. "We won't sit back. We'll play attacking soccer and go after whoever we play aggressively." Mexico will face Costa Rica on Saturday in the third-place match. The winner will play the third-place finisher from the Asian Football Confederation in a two-game home-and-home series for a spot in next year's Women's World Cup. Five other countries already have earned spots in next year's Women's World Cup. China is in automatically as the host country, and Germany, Norway, Russia and Sweden have qualified. Parlow, who plays for Atlanta of the WUSA, scored in the 30th minute, 49th minute and 52nd minute to lead the United States to its 15th straight game without a loss on an American pitch. Parlow, the tallest player on the U.S. roster at 5-foot-11 (1.80 meters), used her height to her advantage. Two of her goals were headers. "My height advantage is a key to my game," she said. "And tonight, the service I was getting from my teammates was the best it's ever been with the national team." Angela Hucles, Shannon MacMillan, and Kristine Lilly also scored for the Americans. Costa Rica's Cinthia Lopez was charged with an own goal that gave the United States a 5-0 lead in the 79th minute. Costa Rica packed it in on defense, keeping the U.S. team off the scoreboard for much of the first half. The Americans hit the cross bar three times in the first 19 minutes and eventually broke through. Julie Foudy crossed from inside the 18-yard (16-meter) box, going far post and Parlow one-touched it into the open net for the first goal of the match. Despite outshooting Costa Rica 18-0 in the first half, the lead at the break was only one goal. "It was a bit of a relief that we finally got a goal in the first half," Parlow said. "We knew we were on top of them, and if we kept attacking we figured that they'd eventually go in." U.S. goalkeeper Briana Scurry didn't face her first shot until the 89th minute. In the end, the U.S. crew outshot Costa Rica 37-1. In the first four matches of the Gold Cup, the United States has outscored opponents 22-0. "The U.S. is such a powerhouse. I can't see any weaknesses on their team," Costa Rica coach Ricardo Rodriguez said. In the final, the United States will face a Canadian team that has been the top scoring team in this year's Gold Cup, with 25 goals in four matches. Against Mexico, Canada's Sharolta Noren centered the ball in the 10th minute, but Mexico's Dioselina Valderrama's attempt to head it away went far post just out of the reach of goalkeeper Jennifer Molina for a 1-0 Canadian lead. Canada's second point came in the 70th minute on another own goal when the ball skipped off the foot of a sliding Monica Gonzalez past Molina, who was already on the ground. Mexico's best opportunity to score came in the 65th minute when Paty Perez escaped on a breakaway, but her attempt to tie the match at 1-1 rolled just inches wide right of the goal. U.S.-Costa Rica Summary:Scoring: USA - Cindy Parlow (Julie Foudy) 30th minute.
Lineups: USA: 1-Briana Scurry; 4-Cat Reddick, 6-Brandi Chastain, 14-Joy Fawcett, 17-Jenny Benson (2-Lorrie Fair, 46); 5-Tiffany Roberts (3-Angela Hucles, 46), 10-Aly Wagner, 11-Julie Foudy; 8-Shannon MacMillan, 12-Cindy Parlow (9-Mia Hamm, 71), 13-Kristine Lilly. Subs not used: 7-Heather O'Reilly, 15-Kate Sobrero, 16-Tiffeny Milbrett, 18-LaKeysia Beene. CRC: 23-Marie Claire Herra; 3-Gabriela Trujillo, 4-Karol Segura, 5-Monica
Salazar, 15-Cinthia Lopez, 6-Xiomara Briceno, 13-Maricela Rojas, 16-Cindy
Rodriguez (19-Heilyn Barrantes, 82), 10-Shirley Cruz, 9-Ericka Castro
(17-Jackeline Alvarez, 46), 11-Megan Chavez (8-Ana Gabriela Campos, 74).
Subs not used: 1-Alejandra Alvarez, 2-Emilia Solano, 7-Martha Chavez,
12-Laura Sanchez.
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