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Prepping for Sydney World-class field to play in Women's Gold Cup
Posted: Thursday April 13, 2000 01:27 PM
NEW YORK (AP) -- The world champion U.S. women will be joined by powerful China and Brazil in the eight-team Women's Gold Cup this summer. The inaugural event, the biggest women's tournament ever staged in the United States outside of last year's World Cup, will be held in Hershey, Pa.; Foxboro, Mass.; and Louisville, Ky., from June 23-July 3. The final will be in Louisville. Also invited to the tournament, which will serve as an important warmup for the Sydney Olympics, were Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago, and Costa Rica. First-round games will be played at Hersheypark Stadium on Friday, June 23 and Monday, June 26. The Foxboro Stadium games are Saturday, June 24 and Tuesday, June 27. Matches at Cardinal Stadium in Louisville are set for Sunday, June 25 and Wednesday, June 28. The top two teams in each group of four advance to the semifinals on July 1 in Louisville. The final will be in Foxboro on July 3. The Americans will play in a first-round group with Brazil, Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago. The United States opens vs. Trinidad and Tobago at Hershey on June 23, then plays Costa Rica in Louisville on June 25 and Brazil -- which the Americans beat in the World Cup semifinals -- on June 27 at Foxboro. "We have been busier this year in the sense of traveling abroad," said U.S. midfielder Kristine Lilly. "Last year, the Algarve Cup in Portugal was our only trip. When we do not host a future tournament, we usually have to travel to play top competition." The Gold Cup gives the Americans a chance to sharpen their game at home.
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