Milbrett’s Second-Half Goal Leads U.S. Over Norway, 1-0

Tiffeny Milbrett scored 14 minutes into the second half, and the U.S. women’s team defeated Norway, 1-0, Sunday in the opening game of the DFB Jubilee Tournament.

Milbrett, who scored the winning goal against Brazil on July 3 in the championship of the first CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup, took a pass about 40 yards from the goal. After briefly letting the ball get away, she won it on a tackle, raced around a defender and scored from 12 yards out.

The U.S. team has won two in a row over Norway after losing twice to the Norwegians in February. Norway leads the all-time series against the U.S., 13-12, with one tie. The teams meet Sept. 14 at Melbourne, Australia, in the first round of the Olympics.

“To win against Norway is always a good thing for the United States,” U.S. Coach April Heinrichs said. “But we lacked the intensity today that we had in the Gold Cup final. For as many road trips that we’ve had and hotels we’ve stayed in, for us to have a lack of intensity and still win, is a really great thing for us.”

Forward Mia Hamm played her 200th international game, joining teammate Kristine Lilly as the only two players, men or women, with 200 international appearances.

The U.S. women play China on Wednesday at Goettingen.