U.S. team gets warm L.A. greeting

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Posted: Tuesday July 06, 1999 12:08 AM

Leanne Segal (center-right) brought her three girls to the arrival of the U.S. team. AP

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Girls cheered and chanted, waved flags and balloons. And that was just a warmup for the hysteria that broke out Monday as the U.S. soccer team arrived for the Women's World Cup final.

Bemused passengers coming off the same flight from San Francisco were applauded as the impatient crowd at Los Angeles International Airport waited for such stars as Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy and Michelle Akers to emerge.

Once they did, the cheering and pushing was incessant.

Players and team personnel walked under an arch of yellow, red, green and white balloons and past a line of young girls barely restrained by black and gray rope. As a steel band played, girls wearing white World Cup T-shirts pressed yellow sunflowers into some players' hands and chanted "U-S-A, U-S-A."

Then the race was on.

The players moved as a group through the United Airlines terminal toward the downstairs baggage claim. Girls dashed after them, bumping into startled travelers and TV camera crews in a mad scramble for autographs and photos.

"Every day has been kind of a surprise at the level of support and notoriety this team is experiencing," U.S. coach Tony DiCicco said. "This was awesome."

Foudy captured it all on her ever-present video camera. Hamm slapped the hands that stretched toward her.

"It was fun," said Stephany Campbell, a 10-year-old soccer player from Long Beach. "I got a signature from the coach. I got to hug Julie and I said good luck."

The Americans take on China for the World Cup championship Saturday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Brazil and Norway will meet for third place.

"I threatened the team that if we didn't make it back here, that it was over," Foudy joked. "I have quite a large hooligan section that is going to be at the game."

The girls, excitedly comparing autographs on their T-shirts, rushed outside for more close-up looks of their favorite players. The U.S. team finally escaped the chaos by boarding its charter bus.

"This is so exciting," said Leanne Segal, a 38-year-old mother of three girls from Pacific Palisades. "They're being celebrated for who they are, which is phenomenal athletes."

Nicole Amador, 10, of Wilmington, gave her sunflower to Hamm.

"She scores a lot of goals and she's fun to watch," Amador said.

DiCicco signed autographs for the youngsters, many of whom play on area teams. He smiled at the whirlwind around him.

"I've never felt like Ricky Martin, but I felt like coach of a very, very successful team," he said. "A team that's won the hearts of America and a team that hopefully, will win the World Cup."

 

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