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U.S. women move to Algarve final
Posted: Thursday March 16, 2000 08:20 PM
LISBON, Portugal (AP) -- Mia Hamm, in a rare role of substitute, scored in the 65th minute Thursday as the United States beat Sweden 1-0 and advanced to the championship of the prestigious Algarve Cup. The Americans, the Women's World Cup champion in 1991 and 1999, will play Norway in Saturday's final at Loule. The Norwegians beat the Americans twice in exhibition games in January. Norway beat China 3-0 Thursday behind three goals from Dagny Mellgren. The Chinese lost to the United States in the World Cup final last July. Hamm connected for her 116th career international goal after entering the game in the second half. Shannon MacMillan, who has had a strong tournament, ran down a long pass from Julie Foudy on the right wing. MacMillan moved around Sweden's Kristin Bengtsson and, from just inside the penalty box, send a hard pass along the ground to Hamm. The star forward sent a low shot into the left corner of the net from 5 yards to win it. "Even though I came on at the half, I think the transition was easier, because I watched the commitment of everyone in the first half," said Hamm, who nearly got a goal just two minutes into the second period. On that threat, she shot just wide after outrunning the Swedish defense. "You couldn't help but get excited or motivated with everyone working so hard." The Americans were outplayed early and forward Cindy Parlow had to head-clear a shot off the goal line off a Swedish corner kick. But the United States, which never has won the prestigious Algarve Cup, began getting more organized as the game proceeded. "Sweden is a very industrious team," assistant coach John Ellis said. "They work very hard, are condensed on defense and attack in numbers. They are the type of team where it takes a lot of creativity to break them down." Coach April Heinrichs went with 10 World Cup veterans as starters, even though Hamm was on the bench. The only woman to start Thursday who was not on the World Cup squad was goalkeeper Siri Mullinix, who made five saves for her second shutout of the tournament. Denmark beat Portugal 2-0 and Canada defeated Finland 2-1 in other games. Sweden and China play in the third-place game, while Denmark and Canada play for fifth place, and Finland and Portugal meet for seventh. China beat the United States in last year's final.
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