U.S., Mexico Women Renew Soccer Rivalry
North America’s fiercest soccer rivalry--the one between the United States and Mexico--takes a new twist today when the women’s national teams of each nation meet in New England.
The U.S-Mexico match at Foxboro Stadium is the opening game of the four-nation U.S. Women’s Cup ’98 tournament, which also features Brazil and Russia. In another twist, it is also the opening game of a unique doubleheader.
After the reigning Olympic gold medalist U.S. plays at 2 p.m., Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution will face the Columbus Crew at 5 p.m. in a game that marks the home debut of new Coach Walter Zenga.
By Friday, 35,000 tickets had been sold and a sellout crowd was expected. So the question that will be asked today is: Whom did the fans come to see?
Chances are, it will be Mia Hamm and company.
Hamm and teammate Michelle Akers each have scored 97 goals for the U.S. and the race to be the first to score 100 could well be settled in this tournament.
The world record of 108 national team goals was set by Elisabetta “Betti” Vignotta of Italy in the 1970s. The only other player to have more than 100 is Italy’s Carolina Morace, who scored 105.
The U.S. plays Russia on Friday night in Rochester, N.Y., and Brazil, which has qualified for next summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in the United States, next Sunday in Richmond, Va.
