Game report

Italy came out for this game as if they wanted to take their old style bunker defense to a new level for they kept even the lone front runner in their own half. In fact they lplayed very much like their men’s national team. Their sole attack plan seemed to be long balls over the midfield, and hopefully past the U.S. defensive line. It worked in 1985, but it does not work well even in college games in the USA nowadays.

In the next 48 hours U.S. Head Coach Heinrichs is expected to name her eighteen players for the Gold Cup, and it seemed that the pressure of possibly not being chosen affected some of the players in the starting line-up with varying degrees of response. Macmillan, who has always looked better coming off the bench late in a game was a starter, and unfortunately missed two gift goals. In the first half the passing inaccuracy of the players, except for Fair who had another impressive match, was a source of encouragement for the Italian players’ occasional ball possession, but the response was still a long air ball into space somewhere.

U.S. substitutions in the the second half lifted the energy level of the game and Lilly’s header off Foudy’s cross opened the floodgates at the 64 minute mark. Two minutes later seventeen year old O’Reilly was substituted in, and and her goal three minutes later was superbly taken and reminded us all why the U-19 U.S. National Team won the FIFA World Championship recently. She earned Chevrolet Woman of the Match honors. It was also a reminder of the ever growing depth of quality national team women players in the United States. Hamm who had worked hard throughout the game, and was the recipient of many physical take downs by beaten Italians throughout the match, earned her third NIKE U.S. Cup MVP Award, an honor she had won in 1995 and 1997. Two other old timers, Fawcett and Chastain finished off the scoring.

Post game quotes

U.S. National Team Head Coach April Heinrichs

We felt like we created enough chances in the first half to be up 4-0. Both teams played low pressure, but when we won the ball we were getting behind them and creating chances. When you finish, you can jump all over an opponent early. When you don't, you'll have to grind it out over a 90-minute period.

The biggest difference between the first half and second half was that we went out and high-pressured them defensively. Essentially that means the game is going to get stretched out for both teams. But when both teams are stretched out, over a 90-minute game I think the USA can hang with any team in the world.

My feeling is that Mia has the potential to frighten every opponent and any defender. We knew it would be a hot, heavy day and we knew Mia could spark us a bit off the bench, and she did. That's why we made the tactical choice not to start her and ask her to play 45 minutes.

Heather O’Reilly

I've gone into other games and maybe had some chances and didn't put them away, and came away disappointed. It was a great ball from Foudy and I'll had to do was tap it in. It is an awesome feeling. Mia and Lil (Kristine Lilly) and all the others completely paved the path for my generation coming into this national team. And you know what? They're still on top. Lil and Mia are playing the best soccer of their lives and they still deserve all the recognition they get. Mia was my idol growing up and it is awesome to get to play up top with her. She's still my idol.

Mia Hamm

About O'Reilly, who received the game ball after the match signed by all her teammates: She will do absolutely anything to help her team win. If that means sitting on the bench and cheering as loud as she can, she'll do it. But when she comes in, she's a spark for us no doubt.

You want to go after a team, but when you play a team that is content to roll the ball around the back, you just have to maintain the patience and focus. Once we got the first one, the way we were possessing the ball, we felt confident that we could get more.

Other

The U.S. team will regroupon October 21 at the ARCO Olympic Training Center in San Diego, California to prepare for the CONCACAF Gold Cup

Kristine Lilly tied Michelle Akers for second on the USA's all-time scoring list with 247 career points from 89 goals and 69 assists. Lilly is just 11 goals away from becoming just the fifth person in history to score 100 international goals.