U.S. Returns to Form for Third-Place Finish : Women’s soccer: Americans dominate China, 2-0, but it’s a disappointing ending for defending champions.

Forty-eight hours too late, the United States rediscovered how to play soccer, defeating China, 2-0, Saturday to earn the bronze medal in the second FIFA Women’s World Championship.

Had the defending world champions played as well against Norway in Thursday’s semifinal, they would be challenging for the gold medal today in Stockholm. However, a 1-0 loss to the Norwegians consigned the Americans to the third-place game, leaving Norway to play Germany in this evening’s final.

But the U.S. team went out in style, playing its customary attacking brand of soccer, moving the ball around with ease and dominating the Chinese on both ends of the field.

A headed goal by Tisha Venturini off a corner kick by Mia Hamm in the 24th minute gave the United States a 1-0 lead. Ten minutes into the second half, Hamm scored an excellent solo goal, taking the ball near the halfway line, dribbling past two defenders at high speed and tucking the ball into the lower left corner of the net.

Briana Scurry, the U.S. goalkeeper, enjoyed a spectacular match, time and again denying the Chinese forwards with some sparkling saves.

Carin Gabarra, the most valuable player of the first world championship in China, said Thursday’s semifinal loss provided a hard lesson.

“I think we all want to remember the feeling we had when we lost to Norway,” she said. “It was the worst feeling any of us have ever had in our lives, definitely in our soccer careers.

“That’s the kind of feeling we have to keep inside every day we train, every time we step on the field, every time we’re together. That’s the kind of feeling we’ve got to carry with us so that we win a gold medal in the ’96 Olympics.”

U.S. forward Michelle Akers, the top goal scorer in the ’91 tournament, did not play but said she was “very, very proud of the team for taking a hard loss to Norway and playing with a lot of pride.”

“We look forward to the next world championship in 1999,” she said.

Asked Friday night what chance the United States has of staging that tournament, U.S. Soccer President Alan Rothenberg said: “It’s ours to lose.”

Chile is the only other candidate to hold the event.