SPORTS WATCH : U.S. Wins World Cup!

Soccer champions of the world! Unbelievable! In a victory comparable only to the U.S. Olympic hockey team’s legendary victory over the Soviet Union in 1980, the U.S. soccer team defeated Norway last Saturday in a thrilling, down-to-the-final-minutes match before a crowd of 60,000 in Canton, China.

Norway, as expected, dominated the less-experienced Americans in the first half, which ended in a 1-1 tie. But the tough American defense held the Norwegians scoreless in the second half; and in the closing moments an intercepted Norwegian pass led to the history-making victory goal for the United States.

The medal presentation was wonderfully Chinese: fireworks, a dozen motorcyclists with American flags circling the huge stadium and a parade float with a model of the trophy on a lotus base. The U.S. goalie, speaking for the 18-member team, told the New York Times: “We are not a soccer culture in the U.S. We have an inferiority complex, but now we can say we have a team that is the best in the world.”

That goalie was Mary Harvey of Los Altos, and the World Cup she and her teammates won was the World Cup in women’s soccer. Their victory may have won less sports-page space last Sunday than high school football. No matter: The sports future is with them. Soccer is the world’s biggest sport. In the United States 40% of the 6 million who play it are female. And in 1994 the United States is hosting the World Cup competition in men’s soccer. Hats off to the winners of America’s first World Cup! The future is here!