SOCCER’S SWEET 16
The scene was the tunnel outside the locker rooms at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
The United States had just been beaten, 2-1, on an injury-time goal by China and Tony DiCicco, the American coach, was been hounded by a particularly persistent, some would say obnoxious, reporter.
The exchange grew a little heated.
Did this defeat, in April following an earlier loss to China in March, signal a shift in the balance of power in women’s soccer, DiCicco was asked. Was China now to be considered ahead of all 15 other teams preparing for the third FIFA Women’s World Cup?
“I think we’re the best team in the world,” he replied, “but I’m sure their coach is going to feel his team is the best in the world. I’ll leave that up to you guys [the media] to decide.”
But excepting the U.S., is China the best?
“There’s a lot more parity in the women’s game now. Certainly, China is one of the best teams in the world, but that isn’t anything new. They were silver medalists in the ’96 Olympics. They were silver medalists in the Goodwill Games. They came in fourth in the ’95 World Cup.
“They’re an elite team. They’re one of the seeded teams this summer. That isn’t a new situation for them. They’re one of the best. China, Brazil, Norway and some of the other teams that are dangerous, like Denmark or Sweden, all have the potential to win this summer.”
But China has the momentum right now, so among all those teams is it the best?
“OK. Do you want me to say yes?”
No, said the reporter, adding that he would, however, like something a little more than the standard answer.
“I’m sorry,” said DiCicco, refusing to have words put into his mouth. “There are a lot of good teams out there. Norway is certainly every bit as good as China. Germany beat China two weeks ago. Do you get the drift of it? China is a very, very good team, you saw that out there today, but there are other teams that are equally as dangerous.”
The point of all this, of course, is to show that no one, least of all a coach, wants to go out on a limb and predict what might happen in this World Cup. Once the first round is over and the field of 16 has been halved, it’s anyone’s championship to win or lose.
What follows is a brief look at each of the 16 teams by their first-round groups, listing the teams in what logic would suggest is likely to be their order of finish. Logic, however, might be shut out once the players step on the field.
GROUP A
UNITED STATES
Coach: Tony DiCicco.
World Cup Overall Record: 10-1-1; champion in 1991, third place in 1995.
Players to Watch: Michelle Akers, Mia Hamm, Tiffeny Milbrett.
Outlook: The scenario WWC99 organizers yearn for is an easy passage through the first round, a victory over Germany in the quarterfinals, a star-spangled July 4 win over Brazil in the semifinals in Palo Alto (a mirror of the men’s July 4 game against Brazil in the 1994 World Cup) and a close but climactic victory over China in front of a sold-out Rose Bowl on July 10. It could happen, but everything will have to go just right. The slightest hiccup after the first round could derail the dream. Remember, China has beaten the U.S. twice this year.
*
DENMARK
Coach: Jorgen Hvidemose.
World Cup Overall Record: 2-5-1; seventh in 1991, sixth in 1995.
Players to Watch: Dorthe Larsen, Lene Terpe, Gitte Krogh, Christina Petersen Bendt.
Outlook: Saturday’s opener against the U.S. at Giants Stadium will be the largest crowd the stylish Danes have ever played in front of, so nerves will be a factor. Fortunately, they have a rock-solid goalkeeper in Larsen and Terpe is one of the best defenders in women’s soccer. Bendt is a useful passer of the ball and Krogh often has demonstrated her finishing ability. The quarterfinals and the Olympic berth that go with it are Denmark’s goals and are certainly attainable. The Danes matched world champion Norway stride for stride at the Algarve Cup in Portugal in March.
*
NORTH KOREA
Coach: Pak Jong Jin.
World Cup Overall Record: Debut.
Players to Watch: Kim Sun Hui, Kim Kum Sil.
Outlook: The Koreans come into the World Cup as virtually an unknown quantity and very likely will leave the same way, given their reluctance to deal with the media. What is known is that they are a physically tough team, not afraid of hard tackling, and that they pushed China to the limit in the finals of both the Asian Cup and the Asian Games, losing both by 1-0 scores. The team is being sheltered from the distractions of the U.S. and has the talent, but perhaps not the temperament, to spring a surprise. The June 24 game against Denmark in Portland is the key.
*
NIGERIA
Coach: Ismaila Mabo.
World Cup Overall Record: 0-5-1; 10th in 1991, 11th in 1995.
Players to Watch: Mercy Akide, Florence Omagbemi.
Outlook: The Falcons come in as the champions of Africa, having not lost to a continental rival in 10 years, but will have difficulty making a positive impression in a group this strong. They will be worth watching, however, if only for the explosive talents of “Marvelous” Mercy Akide, who scored 10 of Nigeria’s 28 goals in the qualifying campaign. The defense, anchored by goalkeeper Ann Agumanu Chiejine, did not allow a goal. That will change very soon and Nigeria, in its third appearance on this stage, is likely to still be looking for its first World Cup victory when 2003 rolls around.
GROUP B
GERMANY
Coach: Tina Theune-Meyer.
World Cup Overall Record: 8-4-0; fourth in 1991, runner-up in 1995.
Players to Watch: Martina Voss, Doris Fitschen, Bettina Weigmann, Birgit Prinz.
Outlook: Close in 1991 and closer in 1995, the reigning European champion is a technically sound, well-organized team that could come out of nowhere, upset the United States and go on to win the title. The outcome of the Germany-Brazil match on June 27 will likely determine which team wins the group and thereby avoids the Americans in the quarterfinals. Goalkeeper Silke Rottenborg backstops a defense that is one of the best in the world. The Germans were trounced, 5-2, by the U.S. in the ’91 semifinals, adding spice to a possible rematch.
*
BRAZIL
Coach: Wilson De Oliveira Rica.
World Cup Overall Record: 2-4-0; ninth in 1991, ninth in 1995.
Players to Watch: Elane, Sissi, Prentinha, Katia.
Outlook: Yes, the Brazilian women also go by one name. They also play with the same fluency, verve and enjoyment as their male counterparts. Regarded as the most improved team in the world over the past four years, Brazil upset Sweden in the 1995 opening match in Helsingborg and has since added a victory over the U.S. to its accomplishments. It stormed through qualifying play, outscoring its opponents, 48-1, to become South American champion. The loss of striker Roseli to a knee injury is a minus, but Pretinha is just as lethal a weapon. The semifinals are a realistic goal.
*
ITALY
Coach: Carlo Facchin.
World Cup Overall Record: 2-2-0; sixth in 1991.
Players to Watch: Daniela Tavalazzi, Antonella Carta, Patrizia Panico.
Outlook: Although Italy has slipped a little since its overtime loss to Norway in the 1991 quarterfinals, it remains an accomplished team, disciplined and with no small degree of creativity. The retirement of forwards Elisabetta Vignotto and Carolina Morace, each with more than 100 goals, left a void that has not yet been filled. Midfielder Carta has become the focal point offensively and defensively and Panico is proving to be a striker who knows how to find the back of the net. Italy’s main problem is a lack of public support back home, where the women’s game is not taken seriously and suffers as a consequence.
*
MEXICO
Coach: Leonardo Cuellar.
World Cup Overall Record: Debut.
Players to Watch: Maribel Dominguez, Laurie Hill, Andrea Rodebaugh.
Outlook: Every World Cup has its so-called “group of death” and the Mexicans unfortunately find themselves as the lightweight team in the heavyweight group this time. Bolstered by the influx of Mexican-American players who learned their soccer on U.S. college campuses, Mexico is an up-and-coming team. Dominguez is a fine striker, Rodebaugh is a true leader and Hill is the personality on the team, but 1999 is going to be a learning experience, nothing more. Having 1978 World Cup player and Cal State Los Angeles Coach Leonardo Cuellar at the helm adds stability and direction to an improving team. This challenge is too steep, though.
GROUP C
NORWAY
Coach: Per-Mathias Hogmo.
World Cup Overall Record: 10-2-0; runner-up in 1991, champion in 1995.
Players to Watch: Bente Nordby, Marianne Pettersen, Ann Kristin Aarones, Hege Riise, Linda Medalen, Dagny Mellgren.
Outlook: The reigning world champions are said to be going off the boil. It didn’t help that they recently lost world-class defender Gro Espeseth to a torn knee ligament. Still, they play a solid 4-4-2 formation, with Pettersen circling the opponent’s goal area like a shark, supported by the 6-foot-1 Aarones, who is deadly in the air and was the tournament’s top goal scorer when Norway won the Cup four years ago. Riise handles the play-making, while Medalen, a converted striker, anchors the defense in front of the reliable Nordby.
*
CANADA
Coach: Neil Turnbull.
World Cup Overall Record: 0-2-1; 10th in 1995.
Players to Watch: Charmaine Hooper, Karina LeBlanc, Silvana Burtini.
Outlook: If the Canadians can make the best possible use of their one true star, Hooper, who has been drafted into the midfield but prefers being up front, they might sneak into second place in the group. Hooper has scored 34 goals in 56 international games and will be closely marked wherever she plays. Goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc from the University of Nebraska was a revelation in the recent 4-2 loss to the U.S., making some remarkable saves. That ability will come in handy because the reigning CONCACAF champion’s defense is woefully slow. USC forward Isabelle Harvey could see some playing time.
*
RUSSIA
Coach: Yurii Bystritskii.
World Cup Overall Record: Debut.
Players to Watch: Irina Grigorieva, Tatiana Egorova.
Outlook: The qualification of Russia for its first world championship means the absence of one of the sport’s finest players from the World Cup--Anne Makinen of Notre Dame and Finland, not necessarily in that order. The Russians, inspired by midfielders Grigorieva and Egorova, defeated the Finns in a two-game playoff for the final European berth at USA ’99. The team is physically powerful, features some talented players and has the potential to finish ahead of Canada if the ball runs its way. The Russians finished third in the U.S. Women’s Cup last fall, tying Brazil and beating Mexico but losing to the U.S.
*
JAPAN
Coach: Miyauchi Satoshi.
World Cup Overall Record: 1-6-0; 12th in 1991, eighth in 1995.
Players to Watch: Homare Sawa.
Outlook: After being destroyed, 9-0 and 7-0, in consecutive games by the U.S. this spring, Japanese confidence will not be especially high. The roster includes eight players from one club, NTV Beleza, including midfielder Homare Sawa, Japan’s recognized standout and a player whose dribbling skills tore holes in the American defense at the USA-FIFA World All-Star game in February. Japan needed two goals from Sawa to beat Taiwan and qualify for the tournament as Asia’s third representative. Despite speed and pluck, its World Cup prospects do not look good.
GROUP D
CHINA
Coach: Ma Yuanan.
World Cup Overall Record: 4-3-2; fifth as host in 1991, fourth in 1995.
Players to Watch: Gao Hong, Sun Wen, Jin Yan.
Outlook: The U.S. won its world championship in China eight years ago and the Chinese would like nothing more than to return the favor by winning theirs in the U.S. The team’s speed and technical skill make it a dangerous opponent and China should have no trouble in the first round. Gao is one of the world’s top goalkeepers and Sun is a playmaker with superb free-kick ability. Two victories over the U.S. this spring will have bolstered the confidence of the 1996 Olympic silver medalists. The Rose Bowl beckons for a team that has won six Asian championships in a row.
*
SWEDEN
Coach: Marika Domanski Lyfors.
World Cup Overall Record: 6-3-1; third in 1991, fifth as host in 1995.
Players to Watch: Ulrika Karlsson, Malin Andersson, Kristin Bengtsson.
Outlook: The Swedes were quite pleased to be drawn into this group and might even consider themselves favorites to win it. They should have no trouble with the Australians or Ghanaians, and their history against the Chinese shows the teams about even. In the 1991 world championship, Sweden edged China, 1-0, in the quarterfinals. In the ’95 quarterfinals, the teams played to a 1-1 tie after overtime before China advanced on penalty kicks, 4-3. Goalkeeper Karlsson is among the world’s top three, while Andersson and Bengtsson run the show from midfield.
*
AUSTRALIA
Coach: Greg Brown.
World Cup Overall Record: 0-3-0; 12th in 1995.
Players to Watch: Julie Murray, Lisa Casagrande.
Outlook: They’re called the Matildas, but the waltz has gone out of them of late. Consecutive losses to the U.S. and Brazil this month exposed several weaknesses. The most obvious is the lack of cohesion and of sufficient players of true quality. Murray works harder than anyone and midfielder Casagrande has some exceptional skills, but the rest of the team is ordinary. The fact that Australia qualifies automatically for the 2000 Sydney Olympics takes away any real incentive and it shows. Still, three 17-year-olds on the roster suggest promise for the future and Aussie fighting spirit should produce at least one good result in group play.
*
GHANA
Coach: Emmanuel Kwame Afranie.
World Cup Overall Record: Debut.
Players to Watch: Vivian Mensah, Nana Gyamfua.
Outlook: Ghana’s coach claims his team is being taken too lightly, that it will show its true greatness in the coming weeks. Yes, well, but unless the Black Queens, as the team is known, can clone forward Mensah in a hurry, there’s no chance of it showing much of anything. She is the quality player in the Africans’ 3-5-2 formation, usually paired up front with Gyamfua. Ghana arrived in the U.S. early and has been training in Minnesota, of all places, but a lack of experience at this level and at least two formidable opponents virtually guarantees it an early flight home.
