U.S. Set for Another Shot at Brazil in Gold Cup Final

Before the Women’s Gold Cup soccer tournament began, U.S. Coach April Heinrichs said she had a little gardening to take care of during the eight-nation event.

Heinrichs said she would be “mixing up the starting lineups and systems of play, not for the sake of throwing off our opponents or keeping them guessing, but because we want to make sure that all the tools in the shed are sharp and ready to go.”

For Sydney 2000, that is.

The Americans’ game apparently has been honed to a fine edge for the Olympic Games because they trounced Trinidad and Tobago, 11-0; crushed Costa Rica, 8-0; were held to a 0-0 tie by Brazil, then defeated Canada, 4-1, in Saturday’s semifinal at Louisville, Ky.

That carried them into tonight’s championship game against Brazil in Foxboro, Mass. The Brazilians upset China, 3-2, in overtime in the other semifinal to earn a rematch with the U.S.

“Any time you walk away from a game like that, that is mentally and physically exhausting, you want another chance,” said U.S. team captain Julie Foudy of Mission Viejo. “A 0-0 tie for us is really a loss, and we’re looking forward to meeting them again.”

Victory today would bring Heinrichs her fourth consecutive tournament title since being named national team coach in March. Already this year, the U.S. has won the Algarve Cup in Portugal, the Nike U.S. Cup at home and the Pacific Cup in Australia.

The fact that some of the Americans’ Gold Cup opponents have been weak has not bothered Heinrichs.

“We are never focused on the just the product, we’re focused on the process,” she said. “Whether we score two goals or eight goals, we just want to win and play well doing it. For us, that process is so much more important than the final score.”

The U.S. faces a huge challenge in the Olympics because it is in the same first-round group as China, Nigeria and Norway. The Nigerians can be discounted, but the Chinese were silver medalists in 1996 and runners-up to the U.S. in last year’s Women’s World Cup. The Norwegians, 1995 world champions, are the only team to hold a winning record against the U.S.

Nigeria won’t survive the first round, but then neither will one of the three world powers.

That’s why Heinrichs is so focused on preparation.

After the Gold Cup, the U.S. plays Italy at Central Islip, N.Y., on Friday, but the players on the Gold Cup roster can take it easy since they won’t be going to Long Island.

With the exception of World Cup ’99 veterans Sara Whalen and Christie Pearce and experienced defender Michelle French, Heinrichs has selected basically an under-21 team in order to take a look at the next generation of players.

The U.S. roster for the Italy game includes two Southern California players: goalkeeper Jen Branam, 19, of Placentia and midfielder Veronica Zepeda, 18, of Riverside.

The full national team comes together again later this month for a five-game trip to Germany and Norway. It will play three games against Norway and one each against Germany and China.

Heinrichs will select the Olympic squad in early August, after which the team will have three “send-off” games in the U.S.--against Russia at the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, Md., on Aug. 13; against Canada at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Aug. 20; and against today’s opponent, Brazil, at Spartan Stadium in San Jose on Sept. 1.

After that, the world champions leave for Sydney to defend the gold medal they won in 1996.

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Women’s Gold Cup Final

* Who: United States vs. Brazil.

* When: Tonight, 6 PDT.

* Where: Foxboro, Mass.

* Television: ESPN2.