Lilly Ends Goal Drought, but Canada Ties U.S., 1-1

The moment belonged to Kristine Lilly, but the player she beat turned out to be the hero of the game.

Lilly put a penalty kick past Canadian goalkeeper Karina Leblanc for a goal Sunday, breaking a 19-game scoreless streak. But Leblanc made nine saves as Canada salvaged a 1-1 tie with the U.S. women’s soccer team.

“My goal was a shutout, and I thought it was achievable,” said Leblanc, who plays for the University of Nebraska--where midfielder Amy Walsh, who scored the equalizer for Canada, also played. “So to have that ball go in, especially on a penalty shot, that was frustrating.”

It was the first tie of the year against Canada for the U.S., which had won the three previous meetings by a combined score of 17-2.

“I think we have made progress the whole season,” Canada Coach Even Pellerud said. “We are too young, so we need two years more to play even against them. But this was good for the confidence of our team. We know what direction to go.”

Sunday also marked the second consecutive match in which the U.S., tuning up for a defense of its Olympic championship, managed only one goal on a penalty kick.

The U.S. tied Russia, 1-1, Tuesday in a closed-door match at College Park, Md.

The U.S. took a 1-0 lead in the 73rd minute after Cindy Parlow was hauled down by Marie-Claude Dion in the penalty area, setting up Lilly’s goal. Lilly, who missed a penalty kick in a 0-0 tie with Brazil on June 27, put the ball past Leblanc for her first goal since May 5.

But in the 75th minute, Walsh headed Kristina Kiss’ free kick away from U.S. keeper Briana Scurry and into the goal as U.S. defender Kate Sobrero tried to clear it.