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U.S. thumps Japan 7-0 as Hamm breaks scoring drought

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Posted: Monday May 03, 1999 09:25 AM

Mia Hamm: "I always want to score goals, but the most important thing is that we win." Aubrey Washington/Allsport

CLARKSTON, Georgia (CNN/SI) -- Mia Hamm broke an eight-game scoreless drought and reserves Danielle Fotopolous and Shannon MacMillan each added two goals to lead the U.S. women's soccer team to a 7-0 rout of Japan on Sunday.

The Americans, coming off a 9-0 thrashing of Japan on Thursday, take the next week off, their final break before the World Cup begins in June.

Before a DeKalb Memorial Stadium crowd of 14,652 on Sunday, Japanese goalkeeper Naoko Nishigai was under heavy pressure early. Hamm served up a perfect cross pass to Shannon MacMillan, who knocked home a point-blank shot for the first goal with 17 minutes gone.

Scoring Summary Team 1st 2nd Final U.S. Japan 2 0 5 0 7 0 U.S. -- Shannon MacMillan (Mia Hamm) 17, U.S. -- Mia Hamm (Julie Foudy) 18, U.S. -- Danielle Fotopoulos (Shannon MacMillan) 64, U.S. -- Danielle Fotopoulos (Christie Pearce) 68, U.S. -- Sara Whalen (Unassisted) 81, U.S. -- Shannon MacMillan (Cindy Parlow) 82, U.S. -- Tisha Venturini (Unassisted) 87. Lineups: U.S. -- 1-Briana Scurry (26-Siri Mullinix, 46th), 4-Carla Overbeck (3-Christie Pearce, 46th), 2-Lorrie Fair, 5-Tiffany Roberts, 7-Sara Whalen, 10-Michelle Akers (22-Danielle Fotopoulos, 46th), 11-Julie Foudy (15-Tisha Venturini, 46th), 25-Aly Wagner, 12-Cindy Parlow, 8-Shannon MacMillan, 9-Mia Hamm (13-Kristine Lilly, 46th). Japan -- 21-Naoko Nishigai, 5-Tomoe Sakai (2-Rie Yamaki, 46th), 4-Mai Nakachi (22-Kaoru Nagadome, 46th), 7-Yumi Tomei, 12-Hiromi Isozaki, 13-Miyuki Yanagita (20-Yayoi Kobayashi, 46th; 8-Ayumi Hara, 78th), 14-Tomomi Mitsui, 10-Homare Sawa, 15-Mito Isaka (16-Kazumi Kishi, 88th), 11-Nami Otake, 9-Tamaki Uchiyama.

A minute later, Hamm scored from 25 yards out for her 105th international goal, three shy of the record held by long-retired Elisabetta Vignotto of Italy. Hamm had gone scoreless in eight previous games -- the longest drought of her career since scoring her first international goal in July of 1990 -- before unleashing a bending right-footed shot from just outside the penalty area that skipped into the left corner to make it 2-0 in the 18th minute.

"I always want to score goals, but the most important thing is that we win," said Hamm. "We've got so many players that can score, and I think you saw that today. If I'm not putting the ball in the net, someone will step up to get the job done."

Fotopolous came on as a second-half substitute and knocked home an easy cross from MacMillan in the 64th minute. Fotopolous, who broke Hamm's collegiate goal-scoring record, drilled a header from a perfect corner kick by Christie Pearce four minutes later.

Sara Whalen, MacMillan and Tisha Venturini completed the scoring with goals in the final 10 minutes.

 

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.