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| TICKETS |
VENUES | GAMES
SCHEDULE |
TELEVISION | USA
TEAM SCHEDULE 98/99 | INTERVIEWS | | |
Road to WWCup '99 for U.S. National Team |
U.S. National Team Pre-Cup Match Schedule 1999 | |||||
| Date | Team | Stadium | Kickoff | Tickets | TV |
| 1/27 | Portugal Results |
Orlando | CLOSED DOOR MATCH | ||
| 1/30 | Portugal Results |
Lockhart Stadium, Ft. Lauderdale, FL | 2:00pm ET | 888-FUSION4 | ESPN |
| 2/14 | FIFA All-Stars Results |
Spartan Stadium San Jose, CA |
5:00pm PT | 408-985-GOAL | ESPN2 |
| 2/24 | Finland Results |
Orlando | CLOSED DOOR MATCH | ||
| 2/27 | Finland Results |
Pepin/Rood Stadium Univ. of Tampa |
4:00pm ET | 352-375-4683 | ESPN2 |
| 3/14 Algarve Cup |
Finland vs. Norway Sweden vs. USA Australia vs. Denmark Portugal vs. China Results |
Algarve, Portugal | |||
| 3/16 Algarve Cup |
Norway vs. Sweden Finland vs. USA Portugal vs. Australia China vs. Denmark |
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| 3/18 Algarve Cup |
Norway vs. USA Results Finland vs. Sweden Australia vs. China Portugal vs. Denmark |
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| 3/20 Algarve Cup |
4th Group A vs. 4th Group B -- 7th Place Match 3rd Group A vs. 3rd Group B -- 5th Place Match 2nd Group A vs. 2nd Group B -- 3rd Place Match 1st Group A vs. 1st Group B -- Championship Match Results |
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| 3/28 Nike Road to Pasedena |
Mexico Results |
Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA |
5:00pm | 310/445-1260 | ESPN |
| 4/22 | China Results |
Hershey Park Hershey, PA |
7:00pm | 717/534-8900 | |
| 4/25 | China Results |
Giants Stadium East Rutherford, NJ |
4:30 pm | 201/583-7000 | ESPN2 |
| 4/29 | Japan Results |
Ericsson Stadium Charlotte, N.C. |
7:00 pm | 704/522-6500 | |
| 5/2 | Japan Results |
Dekalb Memorial Stadium Atlanta, GA |
2:00 pm | 404/377-5575 | ESPN2 |
| 5/13 | Holland Results |
Uihlein Soccer Park Milwaukee, WI |
8:00 pm | 414/358-2510 | |
| 5/16 | Holland Results |
Soldier Field Chicago, IL |
2:00 pm | 888/657-3473 | ESPN2 |
| 5/22 | Brazil | Citrus Bowl Orlando, FL |
7:30 pm | 800-297-2694 | ESPN2 |
| 6/6 | Canada Results |
Civic Stadium Portland, OR |
2:00 pm | 503/525-8800 | ABC |
| 6/6 | Brazil v Australia Results |
Civic Stadium Portland, OR |
4:30 pm | 503/525-8800 | |
| 6/19 | 3rd FIFA Women's World Cup begins | ||||
June 6, 1999
USA 4 Canada 2, and Brazil 3 Australia 1
at Civic Stadium
in Oregon
| USA - 4 | Canada - 2 |
|---|---|
| Venue: Civic Stadium, Portland, Oregon | |
| Date: June 6, 1999 | Kickoff: 11:00 AM PDT | Attendance: 23,325 | Weather: 55 degrees F, partly cloudy |
| USA | Canada |
Head Coach:Tony
DiCicco
Scoring: |
Head Coach: Neil Turnball
Scoring: |
Officials: Referee: Ricardo Valenzuela (USA) |
Game report
World class player Charmaine Hooper left her mark on this game with an outstanding
performance in attack and defense as she kept the Canadian squad in the
game for the first 70 minutes.Her two superbly taken goals were quickly
matched by local player Tiffany Milbrett and record scoring Mia Hamm as
the U.S. dominated the game to notch up another win.
Post game quotes
DiCicco
"It was a very good tune-up game, better than I thought it would be," said U.S. Head Coach Tony DiCicco. "It made us realize that some aspects of our game still need to improve. Our marking wasn't good enough, our heading and closing on defense weren't good enough, but we also played very well in a lot of areas."Mibrett
"The fans are getting geared up for the Women's World Cup. We felt their intensity today," said Milbrett, who scored her 59th career goal. "The World Cup will be our toughest competition ever, but that's what we live for."Lilly
"This was a good game for us," said Lilly, who scored the 74th goal of her international career. "We got caught twice and went a goal down, but that was good for us. Not that we want to be in that situation, but we came back and finished four great goals."
| Brazil - 3 | Australia - 1 |
|---|---|
| Venue: Civic Stadium, Portland, Oregon | |
| Date: June 6, 1999 | Kickoff: 1:30 PM PDT | Attendance: 23,325 | Weather: 58 degrees F, overcast, breezy |
| Brazil | Australia |
Head Coach:Wilson Oliveira Rica
Scoring: Misconduct: |
Head Coach Greg Brown Scoring: Misconduct: |
Officials: Referee: Kari Seitz (USA) |
Game report
In a game where both sides suffered a plethora of unforced errors, the Brazilian
squad showed its native soccer skill by taking advantage of its few scoring
opportunities while Australia was unable to convert their numerous chances.
An immensely improved Australian team played an aggressive, attacking game
controlling more of the match, but a good performance by the Brazilian goalkeeper
coupled with their failure to finish left them losing a game they could
have won.
May 16, 1999
USA 4 Australia 0, and Brazil 4 Canada 2
in "closed door" friendlies
in Oregon
| USA - 4 | Australia - 0 |
|---|---|
| Venue: North Campus Field; NIKE World Headquarters | |
| Date: June 3, 1999 | Kickoff: 3:00 PM PDT | Attendance: CLOSED DOOR | Weather: 75 degrees F |
| USA | Australia |
Head Coach:Tony
DiCicco
Scoring: Misconduct: |
Head Coach: Greg Brown |
Officials: Referee: Mohammad Zarrabi-Kashani (USA) |
| Brazil - 4 | Canada - 2 |
|---|---|
| Venue: NIKE World Headquarters | |
| Date: June 3, 1999 | Kickoff: 1:00 PM PDT | Attendance: CLOSED DOOR | Weather: 70 degrees F |
| Brazil | Canada |
Head Coach:Wilson Rica
Scoring: Misconduct: |
Head Coach Neil Turnbull Scoring: Misconduct: |
Officials: Referee: Mohammad Sagankhaneh (USA) |
May 16, 1999
USA 3 Holland 0 as Mia Hamm ties international scoring record with goal
number 107
| NIKE Road to Pasadena | |
| USA - 3 | Holland - 0 |
|---|---|
| Venue: Soldier Field - Chicago, Illinois | |
| Date: May 16, 1999 | Kickoff: 1:00 PM CDT | Attendance: approximately 20,000 | Weather: Warm, breezy, cloudy -- 72 degrees F |
| USA | Holland |
Head Coach:Tony
DiCicco
Scoring: |
Misconduct: |
Officials: Referee: Rich Grady (USA) |
Game report
It was good to see Hamm score and tie the record so that she can get that
out of the way by World Cup time. The two goals by Chastain were awesome.
After losing their previous game the Holland team played in a defensive
shell for most of the game and we did not see much of the imaginative and
attacking game that they can play. Part of it was because they dared not
open up the game to the U.S. Team who delight in that sort of game, and
would probably rack up 10 or more goals given that sort of opportunity and
their superior ranking. Good game for USA's cup preparation since even teams
like Norway play in defensive shells for part of the their games against
the U.S. since they are well aware of the problems they face when playing
a more open game.
Post game comments
Mia Hamm
"Whenever the record goal comes, it will be special," said Hamm. "But as I've said for the last couple weeks, I want it to come in a winning cause. If I score on next weekend against Brazil, that would be wonderful, but if it comes in the World Cup and we win, that'll be great too."Brandy Chastain
"This match was great training for the World Cup," said Chastain. "We don't know what we will face in Nigeria and North Korea, but if they bunker and play defense, we'll know how to solve it and hopefully we can put in a few more set plays."Head Coach Tony DiCicco
"I'm very excited about how Brandi is going after it this year," said U.S. Head Coach Tony DiCicco. "She is really picking up her game and has a good nose for the goal. Her versatility is a great benefit to the team."
May 13, 1999
USA 5 Holland 0 before record crowd at Uihlein Soccer Park, Milwaukee,
Wisconson on Thursday, May 13, 1999
| NIKE Road to Pasadena | |
| USA - 5 | Holland - 0 |
|---|---|
| Venue: Uihlein Soccer Park - Milwaukee, Wisc. | |
| Date: May 13, 1999 | Kickoff: 7:00 PM CDT | Attendance: 6,767 -- Uihlein Soccer Park Record |
| USA | Holland |
Head Coach:Tony
DiCicco
Scoring: |
Misconduct : Koster (caution) 70th minute |
Officials: Referee: Kari Seitz (USA) |
Game report
Milbrett dismantled the Dutch team with one goal and three assists, as her
accurate passing made life easier for the U.S. Scorers. Hamm scored her
106th goal much to the delight of the packed stadium. Webber whose mother
is Dutch picked up the shutout.
Quotes
U.S. Head Coach
"Tiffeny Milbrett was the show tonight," said DiCicco. "She almost single-handily dismantled their defense. Not only was she a threat to score every time she touched the ball, but she made some of the best passes of her career. Overall, it was a great performance. We were solid in the back, the substitutes played very well and we our finishing in the second half showed me that we are getting close to where we want to be."Tiffeny Milbrett
"I was impressed with Holland," said Milbrett. "They've improved a lot since we played them three years ago. They have good ball movement and very good players. I know the game on Sunday will be much more difficult."Mia Hamm
"I did some good things tonight, but I would like to do more," said Hamm, whose goal delighted the Uihlein Soccer Park record crowd of 6,767 fans. "It was a good result because the Dutch have played some quality games against World Cup teams recently. We're excited about where we are, but it was nice to see the players off the bench play so well because to win this summer, it will take all of us."
May 2, 1999
14,652 fans cheer U.S. Team players on to 7-0 victory over Japan as Hamm
breaks
her scoring fast with 105th. International goal in Atlanta, Georgia
| NIKE Road to Pasadena | |
| USA - 7 | Japan - 0 |
|---|---|
| Venue: Dekalb Memorial Stadium - Atlanta, Georgia | |
| Date: May 2, 1999 | Kickoff: 2:00 PM EDT | Attendance: 14,652 (15,000 capacity) | Weather: Sunny,warm 80 degrees F |
| USA | Japan |
Head Coach:Tony
DiCicco
Scoring: |
Head Coach: Satoshi Miyauchi Misconduct : Otake (caution) 85th minute. |
Officials: Referee: Tim Weyland (USA) |
Game report
Quotes
Mia Hamm
In front of a noisy, appreciative crowd the U.S. Team rewarded its legions
of young adoring fans, girls and boys, with an energetic, fast moving dismantling
of a physically under matched Japanese team. To the relief of everybody,
particularly Mia Hamm, she halted her eight game scoring drought with one
of her trademark 20 yard bending and bouncing shots that made it 2-0 with
just18 minutes gone in the game. Head Coach Tony DiCicco used the game to
give some playing time for some of the players trying to clinch a spot on
the final roster, and their superlative play in the second half probably
made his decision making more difficult. With the Japanese players withering
from the heat and the pressure put on them by the U.S. Team from the beginning
whistle, the substituted U.S. players exploded in the second half with 5
goals.
"I always want to score goals, but the most important thing is that
we win," said Hamm. "We've got so many players that can score,
and I think you saw that today. If I'm not putting the ball in the net,
someone will step up to get the job done."
April 30, 1999
Milbrett scores 4 goals as U.S. overwhelms Japan 9-0
| NIKE Road to Pasadena | |
| USA - 9 | Japan - 0 |
|---|---|
| Venue: Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte, N.C. | |
| Date: April 29, 1999 | Kickoff: 7:00 PM EDT | Attendance: 10,119 | Weather: Steady Rain, 48 degrees F |
| USA | Japan |
Head Coach:Tony
DiCicco
Scoring:
|
|
Officials: Referee: Nancy Ley (USA) |
Post game quotes
Dicicco
"Japan is a better team than the score indicates, and that's one of the reasons it was a great win," said DiCicco. "We showed power and flare and a commitment to the game, which is the U.S. team at its best. The challenge now is to duplicate this every match."
Milbrett
"I felt we really got into the match in the second half," said Milbrett. "We found our legs, space opened up and my teammates found me. It was an exciting night and the fans that braved this weather were awesome. We can definitely feel the excitement building towards the World Cup."
Hamm
"We always talk about effort and what we put in the game," said Hamm, who failed to score in her 8th straight game, but terrorized the Japanese defense all night and created three goals. "We felt a few steps behind China last week, but as a team, we vowed to play harder tonight and let the effort determine the outcome."
April 25, 1999
China's turn to score 90th minute goal as they beat USA 2-1 Sunday, April 25, 1999
NIKE Road to Pasadena USA - 1 China - 2 Venue: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ Date: April 25, 1999 Attendance: 23,765 USA China
- 1 - Scurry, Briana
- 14 - Fawcett, Joy
- 4 - Overbeck, Carla
- 20 - Sobrero, Kate
(5 - Roberts, Tiffany 46)- 6 - Chastain, Brandi
(3 - Pearce, Christie 77)- 10 - Akers, Michelle
- 11 - Foudy, Julie
(15 - Venturini, Tisha 90)- 13 - Lilly, Kristine
- 16 - Milbrett, Tiffeny
(22 - Fotopolous, Danielle 79)- 12 - Parlow, Cindy
(8 - MacMillan, Shannon 68)- 9 - Hamm, Mia
Head Coach:Tony DiCicco
Asst. Coach: Lauren Gregg
Scoring:
Julie Foudy (Cindy Parlow) 58Misconduct:
Michelle Akers (caution) 34.
- 18 Goa Hong
- 3 Fan Yunjie
- 12 Wen Lirong
- 5 Xie Huilin
- 6 Zhao Lihong
- 2 Wang Liping
- 10 Liu Ailing
- 13 Liu Ying (17 Pu Wei, 54)
- 22 Bai Jie
- 9 Sun Wen
- 14 Jin Yan (7 Zhang Ouying, 82)
Head Coach: Ma Yuanan
Scoring: Sun Wen (Liu Ailing) 14th minute.
Zhang Ouying (Bai Jie) 90Misconduct
Sun Wen (caution) 4th minute.
Liu Aling (caution) 45.
Bai Jie (caution) 78.
Officials:
Referee: Kari Seitz (USA)
Assistant Referee: Sharon Wheeler (USA)
Assistant Referee: Robert Fereday (USA)
4th Official: Brenda Wright (USA)Game report
We have seen this kind of battle at the Olympics '96, and it seems that every time the U.S. Team plays China we are to be rewarded with a match full of skill, energy and the very essence of pure soccer. Because of the similarity of game styles of China and the USA this rivalry produces a more attractive game than the matches between the U.S. Team and their longtime rival Norway.
In the first half the Chinese team played the sort of fast, aggressive game that we usually expect to see from the home team, and they were often half a stride ahead of the opposition. Their first goal was another world class goal by their captain Sun Wen as they caught the USA defense off balance with a short corner and a perfect finish. The home team seemed unable to maintain a consistent rhythm in the first half but came our on fire in the second half with Cindy Parlow showing how she can be so valuable for setting up scoring opportunities for her team mates. Julie Foudy put away the second of one those assists from Parlow to even the score. Unfortunately after a wonderful first 25 minutes of the second half when the U.S. team dominated the play and looked like they might run away with the match, Parlow was substituted and the level of play declined and the team rhythm disappeared. Although continuing to attack the the home team was never able to capture that quality of play again.
They had pushed forward in the last minute of play when they were caught out of position on a counter attack by China and a brilliantly taken goal between two U.S. defenders to gain revenge for the visiting side.
The only mar to the game was the neglect, in an otherwise well officiated game, to red card a late and vicious foul on Michelle Akers as she was going to goal with the ball just a meter outside the box.
April 22, 1999
Akers scores her 101st goal as USA beats China 2-1 on late goal by Venturini
in front of record crowd at Hershey Park, Pensylvania
| NIKE Road to Pasadena | ||
| USA - 2 | China - 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Venue: Hersheypark Stadium - Hershey, Pa. | ||
| Date: April 22, 1999 | Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. ET | |
| Attendance: 15,257 | Weather: Cool, breezy,-- 65 degrees F | |
| USA | China | |
Head Coach:Tony
DiCicco
Scoring:
Misconduct:
|
Head Coach: Ma Yuanan
Misconduct | |
Officials: Referee: Nancy Ley (USA) |
Game Report
The U.S. Team dominated the first half with Akers converting a penalty kick given when Hamm was fouled in the box by Wen Lirong. In a closely competed game China tied the game up early in the second half when a superbly taken free kick by Sun Wen from 30 yards curled past the wall and into the top corner of the goal. Three U.S. players were substituted in the last twelve minutes and the Tisha Venturini was last one to enter the game two minutes into extra time. Her first and last touch on the ball was to slide onto a rebound by Chinese goalkeeper Han Wenxia and put the ball in the net from 6 meters to win the game.
Comments
Coach DiCicco
"We beat a very, very good China team tonight," said U.S. Head Coach Tony DiCicco. "The first half was among the best we have played in a long time. We can gain so much for this kind of game, not only because of the quality of the opponent, but because of how well our reserves played and the quality minutes we got from the starters. Mia created both goals with spectacular runs and overall I'm very happy with our performance," added DiCicco. "But that will last about a day and we've got to re-energize and focus for the match on Sunday at Giants Stadium."Players
Tisha Venturini
"Tonight's crowd was awesome and while we were on the bench, we enjoyed the show," said Venturini, who scored her 39th international goal. "Every day we are getting better and each practice is like a war. The excitement is definitely building and we know the crowds will be three times this big this summer. We're going to ready to explode in June. We better hurry up and get to the World Cup before we kill each other in training."
March 28, 1999
USA 3 Mexico 0 at Rose Bowl, Pasedena on Sunday
| USA - 3 | Mexico - 0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Venue: The Rose Bowl -- Pasadena, Calif. | ||
| Date: March 28, 1999 -- Kickoff: 2:00 p.m. PT | ||
| Attendance: 21,000 | Weather: Hazy,-- 75 degrees F | |
| USA | Mexico | |
Head Coach:Tony
DiCicco
Scoring:
|
| |
Officials: Referee: Kevin Stott (USA) |
Coach comments
"Give Mexico credit," said U.S. Head Coach Tony DiCicco. "They defended well and their goalkeeper played a wonderful match. We had a lot of good shots, and although two goals came at the end, I think it was a deserved result. I've said it before, but we're going to see teams bunker on us in the World Cup and we have to to be effective attacking the defense and breaking it down. We did a good job today, but we must get better."
March 14, 1999
U.S. U-21 National Team and U-18 National Team win remaining games on
tour
U.S. Under-21 National Team wins second game with 5-3 Victory Over
Denmark in Copenhagen. March 13,1999.
Goals By Streiffer, Clemens, Florance, Monroe and Keller.
Head Coach Lauren Gregg comments:
"I was very pleased to win both matches on the tour," said Gregg.
"The quality of the games and the unique challenges these countries
pose to us are invaluable experience for our young players. The games also
provided us with important information for training and preparation to regain
the Nordic Cup this summer."
U.S. Under-18 National Team beat Denmark 2-0 on goals from Welsh and Velasco in their second tour game. The match was the last for U.S. U-18 Head Coach Shannon Cirovski, who leaves the post to take a position as head women's soccer coach at the University of Maryland. The U-21s return to action at Maryland in April in a tournament to benefit breast cancer research that will feature a match against North Carolina
March 12, 1999
U.S. National U-18 Team beats Germany National U-18 1-0, and U.S. National U-20 beats Germany National U-18 3-2 in Ebersberg, Germany Thursday, March 11.
March 9, 1999
Akers leaves with U.S. National Team for Portugal today
Akers was given a medical clearance for travel with US. Team to Portugal today, as DiCicco announced the 18 woman roster.
U.S. National Team Roster
Team Staff
General Manager: Brian Fleming Lake Mary, Fla.
Head Coach: Tony DiCicco Wethersfield, Conn.
Asst. Coach: Lauren Gregg Charlottesville, Va.
Asst. Coach: Jay Hoffman Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Team Administrator: Melissa Pilgrim Lake Mary, Fla.
Trainer: Sue Hammond Lake Mary, Fla.
Equipment Manager: Dainis Kalnins Des Moines, Iowa
Massage Therapist: Clint Wynn Gainesville, Fla.
Press Officer: Aaron Heifetz West Los Angeles, Calif.
February 27, 1999
USA 2 Finland 0 In Dull, Listless Game Marred By Slack Officiating
| USA - 2 | Finland - 0 |
|---|---|
| Venue: Pepin/Rood Stadium, University of Tampa -- Tampa, Fla. | |
| Date: Feb. 27, 1999 -- Kickoff: 4:00 p.m. ET | Attendance: 2,641 |
| Weather: Sunny, breezy - 80 degrees F | |
| USA | Finland |
Head Coach:Tony
DiCicco
Scoring:
Misconduct:
|
Misconduct:
Head Coach: Reimo Koko |
Officials: Referee:Sandra Hunt (USA) Fourth Official: Nancy Lay (USA) |
Game Report
A listless performance both by the U.S.Team and the referees resulted in this being one of the more boring games seen on television, and it will do little to help to raise the ratings as we approach the World Cup this summer.
The number of uncalled fouls, raises the worry of more player injuries if the officials fail to take stricter control of the matches particularly in matches as uneven as this one. They have to override their apparent object of being kind to the weaker visiting teams.
This send off game for the U.S. Team as they prepare for the Algarve Cup in Portugal is probably more of a wake up call than the All-Star Match loss a week ago.
Wednesday, February 24
USA 3 - Finland 1 In Friendly International at the
Seminole County Sports Training Center, Florida
| U.S National Team 3 | Finland National Team 1 |
|---|---|
| Venue: Seminole County Training Center, Sylvan Lake Park -- Orlando, Fla. | |
| Date: February 24, 1999 -- Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. ET | Attendance: CLOSED DOOR |
| Weather: Sunny, windy - 73 degrees F | |
| USA | Finland |
Head Coach:Tony
DiCicco Scoring : Grubb (Unassisted) 5 |
Scoring : Makinen (Saario) 83 |
Game Report
Just 7 minutes into the game Grubb scored her second international goal in 12 matches when she drilled a free kick from 25 yards out that bounced in off the post. Ten minutes later Baggett headed in a corner kick by French form 10 yards out. It was Baggett's first goal in international play and came in just her second game.
Keller was substituted in the match at the 68th minute and scored seconds later, on her first touch of her first international game, when French caught Finland off-guard with a quickly taken free-kickto Streiffer who fed Keller in the box, to score from six yards out.
Finland's goal came on a breakaway in the 83rd minute when Makinen put her shot into the right corner from 15 yards out.
Comments
Women's soccer got a glimpse into the future as the U.S. Women's National Team, featuring mostly young players defeated Finland. DiCicco will take his veterans to the rematch this Saturday, Feb. 27 at the University of Tampa. ( Kickoff is 4 p.m. ET live on espn2).Six players earned their first cap with the national team and two scored their first international goals. Earning their first caps were Keller, Streiffer,Slaton, Clemens, Mitts, Florance.
"It was a great performance by our young personalities," said U.S. Assistant Coach Lauren Gregg, who also serves as the head coach of the U.S. Under-21 National Team. "They played with the poise and winning mentality that the U.S. women are known for. Our speed of play was outstanding, despite that fact that Finland hung back a bit and played low pressure. "
"Our front line was very dangerous because of our speed, mobility and finishing ability," added Gregg. "Mandy Clemens and Susan Bush both provided constant danger to the Finish defense and the playmaking abilities of Laurie Schwoy and Aly Wagner really maximized our attacking qualities."
Three of Finland's players compete at U.S. colleges. Makinen, a First-Team All-America, is one of college soccer's top players for the Irish. Forward Minna Mustonen plays at Franklin Pierce College and forward Susanna Heikari will attend the University of Portland next season. See our commentary in the Jan/Feb published Edition of WSW
February 14, 1999
FIFA World Stars 2 - USA 1, as Canadian Super Star Charmaine Hooper scores
twice and wins the Bud Light Most Spectacular Player award
The FIFA World Stars upset the USA, 2-1, in front of a crowd of 15,367 at Spartan Stadium on Sunday, February 14 as Charmaine Hooper of Canada scored two goals and earned the Bud Light Most Spectacular Player award. Julie Foudy scored from a beautifully placed cross from Hamm
for the U.S.A. only goal.
January 31, 1999
Akers score her 100th, and Lilly adds another two as USA beats Portugal 6-0
| USA 6 | Portugal 0 |
|---|---|
| Venue: Lockhart Stadium, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | |
| Date: Saturday, January 30, 1999 Kickoff: 2:00 p.m. ET |
Weather: Sunny, windy and hot 80 degrees F |
| USA | Portugal |
Head Coach:Tony
DiCicco Scoring : Lilly 23 minute.
|
Head Coach: Graca Simoes |
Officials: Referee:Nancy Lay (USA) Fourth Official: (USA) |
Game report
As expected considering their previous game Portugal came out with a defensive "bunker style game to counter the heavily favored U.S. Squad.
The home team had some problems sorting out the crowded goal area at the beginning, which coupled with a strong wind prevented them finishing a continuous series of attacking sequences. After 23 minutes of play Lilly broke the game open when she controlled an attempted clearance by Roselini from a Hamm pass into the box, and drove it into the top far corner of the goal. Just 16 minutes later Akers, left unmarked in the box, scored her 100th international goal with a world class volley off a beautifully placed corner by Milbrett.
The U.S. Team began to open the game up with wide wing play crossing into the box, and after making substitutions in the second half continued to dominate and took better control in the box, with Fotopoulos at the far post running on to a ball from Venturini at 51 minutes, Lilly side-footed a driven cross from MacMillan over the keeper into the top left corner of the goal at the 70th minute, followed 2 minutes later with a give and go between Hamm and Venturini off a fine ball from Whalen resulting in a Hamm goal. MacMillan finished the scoring when she ran on to a poorly taken back pass by Bé and beat the goalkeeper for the ball at the 78th minutes mark.
Player Comments
Kristine Lilly
"Its been great to be up front again, and getting used to back to pressure play instead of facing the ball. Mia and Mili( Milbrett) and myself are working well together. As long as we keep training the way we have, things look good for the World Cup."