Game

A shaky start for the USA with Solo saving a breakaway from Merete Pedersen in the third minute, Jensen hitting the crossbar in the fourth.   Wilson got her first career start for the National Team and created MacMillan's first goal in the 29th minute by sending a high cross that keeper Cederkvist misjudged and MacMillanput it away with a first time volley. Four minutes later she took a pass from Fotopoulos and cannoned it in. Solo booming punts kept Denmark on its heels, but often reached the opposing keeper. The USA let Denmark back in the game with less than two minutes gone in the second half. Substitute Madsen crossed to Jensen who lifted a header over Solo who had come out. With renewed hope Denmark battled for an equalizer, but MacMillan¹s corner kick was headed back out to her and she crossed it into the middle where Hawkins passed to Bivens who bent another high cross to the opposite post where MacMillan jumped above a defender and headed in to complete her hat-trick.   Both teams had chances in the final 20 minutes but the sole goal came from Denmark when Terp headed in to close the gap.  

Post game quotes

U.S. Head Coach Heinrichs    

We saw a lot of good things out there. It was a very, very small field and that doesn't favor the U.S. team. But the bright spots were that Joy Fawcett is stepping up her leadership for us and we were able to play some younger player and invest in their development. We were able to play some players to help us evaluate them for the long term and find out which ones will be able to help us in 2003 and which ones are continuing to grow.   Without Parlow and Hamm, it is difficult for us to score and Mac stepped up to score seven goals in the tournament. That boosts her confidence and she is reaching a new level for us where she is scoring, making space for us, holding possession and creating chances.   The most important thing is that individuals get playing time and experience and grow. Our Norway loss really exposed a lot of our weaknesses, and they don't get exposed as much back in the WUSA, or playing for their college team or their U-21 team or when we are playing a team that isn't in the top-5 in the world as we don't get stretched as much. We did a lot of self-evaluation and players know where they stand and what they need to work on over the next two to three months. The big picture is that it's more important to build on these performances and how to play out of multiple formations against different conditions to develop players and the team over the long haul.  

Other     

The game was played on a postage stamp-sized field, measuring 64 by 106 yards.     

MacMillan  

She scored seven of the USA's eight goals in the tournament, taking her 2002 total to 10 and her career international goals to 45. She has now scored in five consecutive matches for the USA, dating back to the game vs. China on January 27, 2002. She moved past Tisha Venturini into seventh place on the all-time U.S. scoring list, and is one goal short of Cindy Parlow, who is in 6th place.   

Fair & Hawkins  

The ball winning of Fair and Hawkins was a key to the USA's ability to hold the one goal lead. Hawkins made her first start of the tournament and went the 90 minutes.

Sobrero started in the center of the defense in the tournament for the first time, and displayed her usual rock solid play next to Fawcett, who captained the team. Jena Kluegel also played a tough 90 minutes at left back. Midfielder Aly Wagner was once again the USA's creative force, as she played 90 minutes for the second time in the tournament.     

Heinrichs gave the day off to Kristine Lilly, Tiffeny Milbrett, Julie Foudy and Cindy Parlow, who together have 726 caps for the USA, but the performances of Under-19 National Team stalwarts O'Reilly and Wilson bode well for the future.  

Team players return home to their WUSA training camps and will not be together again until the end of April, when they will regroup in San Jose, Calif. to face Finland on April 27 at Spartan Stadium as part of a doubleheader with the WUSA champion CyberRays.