NOTES

With European champion Germany standing smack in its path, and with South American champion Brazil and either China or Norway probably just around the corner, the United States has a long way to go before it can call itself world champion.

But one man, at least, likes the U.S.’s chances as the Women’s World Cup moves into the quarterfinal stage.

“Germany is a little bit more balanced, but individually Brazil is very dangerous,” said Leonardo Cuellar, Mexico’s coach, who nevertheless picks the home team to win it all.

“I believe the United States is carrying some good momentum,” he said. “I think the team is way above every other team in the competition. I think the way [the U.S. players] have responded to the pressure is very nice. I think this team has been well prepared psychologically, physically and technically, and is ready for the challenge.

“I don’t say it’s going to be easy. I think there are going to be some very difficult moments against whoever they play in the next matches, but they have everything [needed] to win the Cup.”

Carlo Facchin, who coached Italy to a 1-1 tie against Germany in the first round, agreed, but cautiously.

“I think the U.S. will have difficulty with Germany,” he said. “[The Germans] know how to keep the level of the game controlled. I think if the U.S. can raise the level of the match with speed, it is going to win the game.”

*

If Cuellar is confident, U.S. Coach Tony DiCicco is only slightly less so.

“I think we’re playing pretty well,” he said. “I think we had a pretty good game defensively [in Sunday’s 3-0 victory over North Korea] but we still had a couple of breakdowns.

“The whole thing for us is to keep improving. Every game, we need to pick up something that we can improve and then work on that and keep evolving our game so that the team you saw June 19 hopefully will be a much better and different team July 10.

“We’re hoping to be there [at the final in the Rose Bowl]. We’re pleased where we are right now, but we definitely have to improve going into the second round.

“The stakes are higher now. It’s more demanding. We’re playing better teams and we have to make fewer mistakes, for sure. We’re never going to be mistake-free, that’s just not the nature of soccer. I mean, a lot of what you do fails, so you just keep on trying to do it better and better until you can break through.”

*

Mia Hamm as the tournament’s most valuable player?

It’s far too early to make that decision, but Cuellar thinks the U.S. forward will have some competition.

“Sissi is obviously one of those players who already is ahead of some others to be the MVP of the Cup,” he said. “I think the same way Mia’s talent is recognized all over the world, now Sissi is starting to make a name in this tournament.”

The striker’s tournament-high six goals will do that for her. But unless Brazil wins the Cup, Sissi might have to be content with the golden boot as top scorer, rather than the golden ball as most valuable player.

*

The U.S. players all are university educated, but that doesn’t mean they want to start debating foreign policy in the middle of the World Cup.

As a result, two of them managed to dodge political questions thrown at them after the U.S.-North Korea game.

“As far as the political side of sport, we’re more concerned about putting the ball in the back of the net,” said goalkeeper Briana Scurry, who is usually more concerned about keeping it out.

“I don’t really know the ramifications of the politics between North Korea and the United States, but I do know the politics on the field, and we got it done today.”

Added Shannon MacMillan, “I don’t know much about the politics there, but once that whistle’s blown, all of us on the field and on the bench are out there for the same thing: We want to win.”

*

Australia has spoiled things by failing to be one of the eight teams to reach the quarterfinals.

Now, one of the eight that did make it will not be going to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. The soccer tournament in the Summer Games is an eight-team event, with Australia automatically in as host nation.

That means only the top seven World Cup ’99 teams will qualify. The one that doesn’t will be the quarterfinalist that loses by the biggest margin.