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Canada
edged in women's soccer
July
3 , 2001
The
U.S. women's soccer team treated
Tuesday's match against Canada
as a lot more than just another
exhibition. Tiffeny Milbrett's
goal in the 77th minute gave
the defending World Cup champions
and Olympic silver medallists
a 1-0 victory and ended their
four-game winless streak against
Canada. "My emotions and arousal
level were as high today as
they were for any game in the
Olympics," U.S. coach April
Heinrichs said. "We don't want
any team to believe they can
consistently beat us."
The Canadians and Americans
tied 2-2 on Saturday night in
Toronto in the opener of the
two-game Independence Day series
as Canada improved to 2-2-0
in their last four games against
the U.S. Still,
the United States now lead the
overall series 23-3-2. |
Christine
Latham (left), of Calgary,
and Michelle French, of
the U.S., battle for the
ball in the first half of
the first ever Independence
Day Series in Blaine, Minn.,
on Tuesday. The U.S. stopped
a four-game winless streak
against Canada with a 1-0
victory.
Photo: Andy King/AP Associated
Press Blaine, Minn.
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"I expected
an even tougher game today," Canadian
coach Even Pellerud said. "It has
to be frustrating for them to lose
to and tie Canada. "They played
a good game, and yet it was an absolutely
even game. It could have gone both
ways. The performance itself was
the big thing for me."
Milbrett
beat goalkeeper Nicci Wright with
a rebound of her own shot following
a free kick by Mia Hamm. Hamm had
attacked the ball from 35 yards
out as though she was going to take
a shot, then chipped it over the
Canadian wall. "After the first
shot got blocked," Milbrett said,
"the ball popped out, and I got
a shot." The Americans were looking
for a rebound on the play. "We had
so many bodies crashing on that
shot, because we were so darned
determined to make sure that ball
cracked the goal," Heinrichs said.
Heinrichs
said she thought the Canadians'
"sit back and stop the bleeding"
defensive style indicated the Americans
were the better team Tuesday.
The
Americans attempted 12 shots on
goal while Canada had two. Yet,
U.S. goalkeeper Siri Mullinix had
to make a diving save of Vancouver
native Sharolta Nonen's shot in
the final minute to preserve the
win.
The
United States improved to 2-5-2
this year as Heinrichs has experimented
with a young roster. Most of the
scoreless first half was spent in
the United States' half of the field.
American forward Shannon MacMillan
missed three chances within the
penalty area, including one that
forced Wright to make a diving save.
Canadian
defender Isabelle Morneau of Greenfield
Park, Que., cleared an open-net
shot by Milbrett in the sixth minute.
Cindy Parlow, 23, became the youngest
U.S. player in history to earn 100
caps. She served as the Americans'
captain.
Canadian
captain Amy Walsh did not play after
twisting her right ankle in an awkward
lunging tackle in the seventh minute
on Saturday. She was carried off
on a stretcher.
Goalkeeper
Karina LeBlanc, of Maple Ridge,
B.C., was also out with a badly
sprained ankle. A crowd of 15,614
attended on a beautiful, 26 C day,
setting a National Sports Center
attendance record.
reprinted
with permission
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