U.S. Women Net Few Goals on China Trip
What in the world is going on?
The fact that the United States men’s national team is finding it difficult to score goals is nothing new.
But why are the defending world champion U.S. women suddenly unable to find the back of the net? Why have Tiffeny Milbrett, Shannon MacMillan, Cindy Parlow and company been shut out in consecutive matches in the last week?
With the men’s World Cup in Japan and South Korea only four months away, scant attention is being paid to the women’s team. But there seems to be increasing reason for concern about the once all-powerful squad which dominated the world under former coaches Anson Dorrance and Tony DiCicco.
On Wednesday, the U.S. women lost, 1-0, to Norway, the same team that beat them in the gold medal game of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
On Friday, the U.S. was held to a 0-0 tie by Germany, winner of the last three European championships.
Today, the U.S. women play China in the final game of the Four Nations Tournament in Guangzhou, China. The event so far has been a huge letdown for Coach April Heinrichs’ team.
Before the trip, the Americans had an enviable record on the Chinese mainland, where they won the inaugural Women’s World Cup in 1991.
They were 11-3-7 in games played in China.
But Wednesday’s loss to the Norwegians in Huadu put a quick end to the notion that the U.S. is a lock to retain its title when the fourth Women’s World Cup is played in China next year. That event, scheduled Sept. 28 to Oct. 16 in the cities of Shanghai, Hangzhou, Wuhan and Chengdu, should be wide open.
Norway probably should be considered the favorite. The Americans outshot the Norwegians, 17-7, but could not beat goalkeeper Astrid Johannessen.
“We are very disappointed in the loss and very disappointed in our performance in the first 20 minutes,” Heinrichs said. “We were dominant in the air and outshot them by a wide margin, yet we were down, 1-0. Norway is a great team and they play smart. They simplify the game and stick to their game plan.”
Norway scored in the fifth minute when forward Dagny Mellgren, who plays for the Boston Breakers in the Women’s United Soccer Assn., assisted on a goal by Unni Lehn, who beat U.S. goalkeeper Lakeysia Beene.
“Norway is too good a team and too organized for us to give up an early goal,” U.S captain Julie Foudy said.
“We came out a bit flat and paid for it.”
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Wry But No Hamm
It wasn’t as if the Americans took an understrength squad on the trip.
The 18-player roster includes nine members of the 1999 world championship-winning team: Foudy, MacMillan, Milbrett, Parlow, Brandi Chastain, Lorrie Fair, Joy Fawcett, Kristine Lilly and Kate Sobrero.
Notable by her absence, however, was Mia Hamm, the world’s all-time leading goal scorer. Hamm is said to be recuperating from a leg injury.
On Friday, the U.S. again struggled to score and had to share the points with Germany at Yingdong stadium in Panyu, while Norway was rolling over China, 3-0. Germany had been beaten, 2-1, by China on Wednesday.
“The USA looks at a tie as a loss,” Heinrichs said. “We don’t sit back and wait for ties, we always go forward to win.”
The U.S. outshot Germany, 9-3, but were blanked by goalkeeper Silke Rottenberg.
“Scoring goals is the most difficult part of the game,” said Heinrichs, who scored 38 in 47 appearances for the U.S., a scoring average second only to Michelle Akers. “You can’t take two months off and expect that scoring touch to be there. It’s something that has to be worked on and from that work and repetition, scoring confidence will come.
“We played some good soccer, and if soccer was voted on like gymnastics or figure skating, we’d probably be voted the winner of both games. But soccer is not just an artistic game, it’s about results and you have to come to win.”
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Sobrero Nears Record
If she plays against China today and fails to score a goal, Sobrero will set a record.
In the 17-year history of the women’s national team, no field player has played more games without scoring than Sobrero, a defender who has been shut out in 70 international appearances.
To be fair to the former Notre Dame standout, her job is to prevent goals, not score them. Then again, even 1991 world championship team member Linda Hamilton, also a defender, managed one goal in her 71 games for the U.S. between 1987-95.
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Julie Who?
Foudy of Mission Viejo, a self-described “6-foot-1, blue-eyed blond and former runway model,” might be a two-time world champion and an Olympic gold and silver medalist, but that doesn’t mean she is recognized everywhere she goes.
On a flight to Washington, D.C., from Charleston, S.C., where the U.S. trounced Mexico, 7-0, on Jan. 12, Foudy was busily working on her laptop computer when a flight attendant approached her.
“So, are you the team manager or something?” he asked.
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Mexico Gets a Lesson
Although it struggles to score against top-flight teams, the U.S. can still rout lesser opposition. MacMillan recorded a hat trick in the victory over Mexico, which was the first game of the year.
That pushed her goal total to 38 and put her in a tie with Foudy for eighth place on the all time U.S. scoring list.
