U.S. Women Stop Norway in 3-1 Victory
The United States defeated Norway, 3-1, and China and Germany played to a 0-0 tie Thursday in the opening games of the Four Nations Cup women’s tournament in China.
The defending world champions got goals from defender Thori Bryan -- her first in 10 years on the U.S. team -- Tiffeny Milbrett and Heather O’Reilly as they outplayed the Norwegians in front of 27,000 on a cold night in Yiwu, China.
The Americans took the lead in the 24th minute when Bryan leaped to head a corner kick by Aly Wagner down through a knot of players and past Norwegian goalkeeper Ingrid Hjelsmeth.
“I was making a back post run and the ball flew over everyone,” Bryan said. “I headed it down, but it seemed like it took forever to get to the goal, and then I saw it hit the back of the net. To score my first goal with that kind of crowd, against Norway and in this kind of game was awesome.”
Olympic champion Norway, the only team in the world with a winning record against the U.S., came back to tie the score when its lone forward, Dagny Mellgren, took a long pass from veteran Hege Riise and beat American goalkeeper Briana Scurry from close range with three minutes left in the half.
The second 45 minutes saw the U.S. pinned back early on when Norway’s Anita Rapp first hit the right post with a shot and then beat Scurry only to have the goal called back for offside.
The U.S. reclaimed the lead when Milbrett scored her 96th international goal off a deft pass from Wagner in the 64th minute, after which Scurry made two spectacular saves to prevent Mellgren and then Solveig Gulbrandsen from getting the tying goal.
O’Reilly, 18 and playing only her 10th game for the national team, added the third U.S. goal off a Wagner pass in the 87th minute.
“Any time you score three goals against Norway, you know you’ve stepped out on the field prepared to play and you’ve capitalized on the few opportunities you got,” U.S. Coach April Heinrichs said. “We started off well and got better every minute during the course of the game.”
The tournament continues Sunday in Wuhan, where the U.S. plays China and Germany plays Norway.
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Barrett to Denmark
Wade Barrett, the San Jose Earthquake midfielder/defender recently elevated to the U.S. national team, signed a 2 1/2-year contract with AGF Aarhus of the Danish league.
“It gives our game another dimension to have a strong, fast, left-footed player as left back,” AGF Coach Poul Hansen told the UEFA.com Web site. “Wade is strong in the offensive game and can stand on his own in defense if he needs to.”
Barrett, 26, played for five seasons with the Earthquakes and helped them win the MLS title in 2001. He made his U.S. debut against El Salvador in November and he and D.C. United’s Bobby Convey are vying to establish themselves as the starting left back for the U.S. by the time World Cup 2006 qualifying begins.
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U.S.-Portugal
The U.S. under-23 national team tied Portugal, 1-1, and then lost on penalty kicks, 4-2, in the final of the third Vale do Tejo International Tournament in Abrantes, Portugal.
The Americans took the lead in the 74th minute on a goal by Chicago Fire forward Nate Jaqua, but Portugal tied it three minutes later when Joao Paulo scored.
D.C. United forward Alecko Eskandarian and Kansas City Wizard defender Jose Burciaga made their penalty kicks, but Fire defender Kelly Gray and University of Maryland midfielder Seth Stammler’s efforts were saved as Portugal won the tournament.
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MLS Update
Former Ohio State and Green Bay Packer defensive back Gary Berry, who retired from the NFL after injuring his neck five games into his rookie season, has been training with the Columbus Crew. “If he’s serious about playing, he could probably go to the A-League,” Crew Coach Greg Andrulis told the Columbus Dispatch.... U.S. World Cup defender Carlos Llamosa told the Boston Globe that he will not show up when the New England Revolution begins training next week because he is unhappy with the contract being offered by MLS.... Goalkeeper Tim Howard has signed a three-year contract extension with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars that the New York Times reported is worth $300,000 a year to the U.S. national team player.
Colorado Rapid Coach Tim Hankinson is spending a week in London observing Arsenal’s training methods as guest of Arsenal Coach Arsene Wenger. The Rapids recently signed former Arsenal midfielder Gilles Grimandi.... Dwayne DeRosario, the Earthquakes’ Canadian national team striker, has been sidelined for six weeks after breaking a bone in his right foot while training for Canada’s match against the U.S. last weekend in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. ... Forward Jason Thompson, a second-round draft pick by the Dallas Burn last Friday, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee two days after the draft while training with the U.S. under-23 national team in Portugal and will undergo surgery that will sideline him for six months.
