The 2003 Women’s World Cup is coming to the United States, and, if Saturday’s exhibition game in Salt Lake City was any indication of things to come, the U.S. Women’s National Team and its fans are ready for the games to begin.
The U.S. squad, led by a lethal combination of crafty veterans and rising young talent, dominated the Republic of Ireland 5-0 in front of a crowd of 19,584 at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
This was the second meeting between the two teams with the United States winning both games by the same score.
The exhibition game, also known as a “friendly” in soccer lexicon, was meant to be a tune-up match for Americans as they prepare for the World Cup this summer.
From the opening kickoff, the United States looked like a team on a mission: Win the World Cup for the third time and become the first women’s team to win back-to-back championships.
The Americans got on the scoreboard early when they tallied in the second minute on a gutsy goal by 18-year-old Heather O’Reilly. O’Reilly scored on a precision pass from 15-year veteran Julie Foudy, but unfortunately she was injured on the play when she collided with the Ireland goalie. She was forced to leave the field on a stretcher.
“That was a courageous goal,” said Mia Hamm after the game. “She put herself on the line for this team.”
Foudy, captain of the U.S. team, seemed like she was all over the field as she factored in on three of the team’s five goals. She scored a goal and assisted on one of Abby Wambach’s two first half goals.
Wambach, another rising young star, was named the Chevrolet Woman of The Match for her two-goal effort.
“Everything just turned out really well for all of us tonight,” said Wambach. “Right now we have a one-track mind and we’re headed into the World Cup trying to be confident.”
The final highlight of the game came when Mia Hamm, arguably the most popular women’s soccer player in the world, entered the game to a standing ovation from the Utah crowd in the game’s 60th minute.
“We knew when she was going in, in the second half, that they would get excited,” Foudy said about the crowd’s response.
Hamm, the two-time women’s World Player of the Year, is not only the U.S. all-time leading scorer but also the world’s all-time leader in goals.
“Mia Hamm is, in my opinion, one of the greatest soccer players I’ve ever played with,” Wambach said.
Her impact was felt immediately.
Minutes after entering the game, Hamm thrilled the crowd by scoring the 140th goal of her international career to make the score 5-0.
“It was nice,” said Hamm. “We were all excited to play here for the first time, and the fans really came out and supported all of us.”
The fans were so supportive that even the Ireland team acknowledged them with waves of gratitude.
After the game, U.S. head coach April Heinrichs commented on the team’s performance and the upcoming World Cup competition.
“I fell pretty strong about where we are as a team,” Heinrichs said. “We want to be the best offensive team in the world and we want to be the best defensive team.”
Judging by the game stats-the U.S. outshot Ireland 24-0, netting five-the game plan is working.
“The best asset of our team is our versatility,” Heinrichs said.
The World Cup was originally awarded to China, but the outbreak of the SARS virus forced soccer’s governing body, the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA), to change the location.
It was recently announced that the U.S. team will play in the opening game on September 21 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. Their opponent has not been decided yet.
The other venues for the World Cup include Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus,Ohio, and PGE Park in Portland, Ore.
“It’s exciting for us,” said Hamm. “We’re looking to go into the World Cup healthy and relaxed and prepared…the way we feel is that the American public, as you saw tonight, really responds. That’s what we’re looking forward to.”
The U.S. squad is scheduled to take on Brazil in another “friendly” in New Orleans on July 13 that could end up being a preview of a potential World Cup matchup.