 |
| |
|
 |
 |
 |
Road to China U.S. women start Cup year with Japan stalematePosted: Sunday January 12, 2003 6:56 PM
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Japan surprised defending World Cup champion United States by playing to a scoreless tie Sunday, snapping the Americans' 12-game winning streak. The match was the first of 2003 for the American women, who are preparing to defend their World Cup title in China later this year. The U.S. came out sluggish in the first 10 minutes before applying offensive pressure through the rest of the first half. But the Americans could not sustain an attack in the second half and failed to score for the first time in 17 matches since a scoreless tie against Germany on Jan. 25. The United States hasn't lost since March 5, 2002, against Norway. After dropping 13 straight matches to the United States, Japan has gotten ties in the last two matches. The U.S. increased its home unbeaten streak to 17 matches. The Americans, who outshot Japan 12-4, failed to convert on a number of scoring chances, all in the first half. Aly Wagner, who received the MAC Hermann Trophy as college soccer's top player on Saturday night, got off the first U.S. shot in the 19th minute, but missed over the top of the goal. Lorrie Fair missed an open net from 15 feet out in the 33rd minute. Later Brandi Chastain's header just missed over the top of the crossbar in the 39th minute. The U.S. took nine shots compared with three for Japan in the
first half.
|
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||||
