MacMillan Sets Up Easy U.S. Win

Don’t look for Shannon MacMillan’s name among the goal scorers this morning.

The former University of Portland winger from Escondido wasn’t one of the four players who scored for the United States as it overpowered Australia, 4-0, Thursday afternoon in its next-to-last match before the third FIFA Women’s World Cup soccer tournament.

But MacMillan’s speed down the right flank and her suddenly rediscovered mastery at providing pinpoint passes for her teammates had everything to do with the U.S. victory.

MacMillan, whose “golden goal” in overtime in the 1996 Olympic semifinal sank world champion Norway and who scored the first goal in the Americans’ 2-1 victory over China in the gold-medal match, is back at the top of her game.

Just in time for the June 19-July 20 world championship.

“I struggled a lot because of my injuries and knee surgery and whatnot,” she said Thursday evening on the Nike campus here, where Brazil defeated Canada, 4-2, in an earlier warmup game between World Cup ’99 teams. “It’s just a tribute to my teammates. They’ve been there for me through it all and they kept telling me, ‘We need you. Stay strong.’ It’s been awesome because they’re all behind me. It’s just taken time.”

Coach Tony DiCicco elected to start only three of his usual starters--Tiffeny Milbrett, Kristine Lilly and Brandi Chastain--giving his reserves some much-needed playing time. It didn’t take long to pay off as Danielle Fotopoulos gave the U.S. the lead after only 27 seconds when the Australians failed to clear a Milbrett cross from the left.

In the second half, DiCicco sent his first team in--except for Mia Hamm, Carla Overbeck and Briana Scurry--and the Matildas, as the Australian team is known, crumbled.

A corner kick by MacMillan in the 68th minute led to a Lilly shot that was saved by Australian goalkeeper Tracey Wheeler, but Cindy Parlow pounced on the rebound to head home her 21st international goal.

Barely three minutes later, MacMillan’s work down the right wing created the third goal, her pass hitting Lilly in stride for the midfielder to score her 73rd goal for the U.S.

Milbrett completed the rout in the 85th minute, taking a pass from Parlow and lifting a shot over Wheeler from about 10 yards to the delight of the 1,500 fans on hand.