China Ties U.S. in Soccer Opener; Akers Injured
Unpredictability, the hallmark of women’s soccer, is what makes the sport so fascinating.
On Monday, for example, the first two games in the second FIFA Women’s World Championship produced only two goals. On Tuesday, four games brought an astonishing 24.
The United States and China tied, 3-3, to achieve the average of six a game. After taking leads of 2-0 and 3-1 at the Stromvallen Stadium, the defending world champion Americans had to settle for the tie.
And at that, they could count themselves lucky.
It was the first time in 16 world championship qualifying and tournament matches that the U.S. team has failed to win.
Worse, the Americans lost Michelle Akers, who suffered a mild concussion in a bumping of heads with Chinese defender Fan Yunjie and left the game in the 21st minute. She is questionable for Thursday’s game against Denmark.
In the tournament opener for both teams, the United States attacked from the first whistle, with the forward line of Akers, Carin Gabarra and Mia Hamm taking the game to the Chinese.
In the seventh minute, however, China earned a corner kick and Akers received a bad bump and cut on the back of her head defending on the play. She was led off the field, blood spotting her white jersey, and the U.S. team played short-handed for the next 13 minutes.
Akers, the top goal scorer at the first Women’s World Championship in China in 1991, returned in the 20th minute but left again almost immediately, complaining of dizziness.
American spirits sagged, but only briefly. A headed goal by midfielder Tisha Venturini of Modesto signaled the beginning of a period of dominance by the U.S. team, which increased its lead to 2-0 in the 35th minute when Tiffeny Milbrett, who had come on in place of Akers, scored. A free kick by Kristine Lilly was palmed onto the post by Chinese goalkeeper Zhong Honglian and Milbrett fired in the rebound.
Six minutes later, China cut the lead to 2-1 on a goal by Wang Liping, but after Hamm had restored the Americans’ two-goal advantage in the 51st minute, slotting home a perfect pass from Gabarra, the United States appeared in control.
China fought back, however, and as the Americans tired, goals by Wei Heiying in the 75th minute and Wan Sun in the 79th gave the Chinese a share of the spoils.
“It was exciting, wasn’t it?” U.S. Coach Tony DiCicco said. “We need to become more sophisticated at holding a lead. I thought China played a very good game and deserved to tie.
“It was difficult for us to play down a player for as long as we did and I think it took a little bit out of us.”
The loss of Akers, he said, was a major factor in the outcome.
“Having said that, I’m proud of the way our team played without her,” DiCicco added. “I know they’re a bit disappointed now. Any time you’re leading by two goals with 15 or 20 minutes to go, you expect to win. We certainly did.”
The U.S. players, especially the defenders, reacted angrily after the game, believing they had thrown away a sure victory. Later, however, they recognized that China had earned its point.
“Let me sulk for an hour, then I’ll be OK,” goalkeeper Briana Scurry said.
“We’ve always had trouble holding a lead,” captain Carla Overbeck said. “We don’t know how to sit back and just play defense.”
Because of that, an expected victory turned into an unexpected tie.
The unpredictable had happened again.
Soccer Notes
Norway’s 23-year-old striker, Kristin Sandberg, scored the first hat trick of the tournament, netting three goals in the Norwegians’ 8-0 rout of Nigeria in Karlstad. . . . Denmark also won in lopsided fashion, shutting out Australia, 5-0, in Vasteras. The Australians were a player short for the last hour after midfielder Sonia Gegenhuber earned the tournament’s first red card.
In Helsingborg, England scored twice on penalty kicks in a 3-2 victory over Canada that led to a jab at the officiating by Canadian Coach Sylvie Beliveau: “It was bad luck for us that the referee [Eva Oedlund of Sweden] didn’t realize that diving [faking being fouled] now is an important part of women’s football too.” . . . Today, Sweden plays Germany in Helsingborg and Brazil plays Japan in Karlstad.
