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USA 2
Kiwi Improvements Hidden By Gulf In Experience
by Jeremy Ruane
Three rapid-fire two-goal salvos - one in the first half, two in the second - saw Team USA overcome New Zealand 6-0 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati on Monday morning, NZ time, as women’s soccer’s 2004 Olympic gold medallists emphasised the gulf in experience that exists between themselves and their Kiwi counterparts for the second time in eight days.
Having gone down 5-0 to their hosts in Portland, Oregon, a week ago, the New Zealand squad was hoping to improve on that result, but it wasn’t to be, with Mia Hamm and Kristine Lilly scoring a goal apiece in a three-minute spell just after the half-way point in the first half to secure the Americans a 2-0 half-time advantage, in front of the biggest crowd to witness the home team all year - 18,806 spectators.
Until this point, New Zealand had provided stubborn resistance, but the most potent goalscorer in world soccer - who is now just six games away from hanging up her boots for the final time - wasn’t to be denied, and after opening the scoring in the 25th minute, set up fellow legend Lilly for her second goal in as many games against the Kiwis, although this time the match wasn’t held up for a special presentation!
Two goals in four minutes inside the first ten minutes of the second spell doubled the USA’s advantage, with classy playmaker Aly Wagner curling home a gem of a twenty-yard free-kick in the 51st minute, before US captain Julie Foudy took centre-stage with a twenty-seven yard left-foot screamer which cannoned in off the post to make it 4-0.
New Zealand’s despair wasn’t yet over, as Hamm’s half-time replacement, Cindy Parlow, stepped up to the plate with goals in the 66th and 77th minutes to wrap up the scoring, her first being deflected home via the foot of New Zealand captain, Rebecca Smith.
"It was a great challenge for Maia Jackman and I, in the centre of defence", said the captain the following morning. "We held out their best players (Hamm, Parlow, Abby Wambach) for as long as we could, but they’re just such a good team - the best in the world.
"Why that is is partly because they get the opportunity to play so often, certainly in comparison to us. But if we get more opportunities like this in the future, and maximise our time together as we have on this occasion, we’ll make huge strides - that’s something which really excites me for 2007 and beyond".
Reaching the 2007 Women’s World Cup Finals in China is one of the long-term goals which New Zealand’s women hold dear. And in that regard, "this tour was hugely beneficial", enthuses Smith. "We were really focused, knew what we wanted to accomplish, and gelled so well as a team - it was really exciting to see that and be a part of it.
"While we didn’t improve results-wise from game one to game two, we improved in other areas, particularly with regard to our use of the ball. In the first game,
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when we got it, we were surprised by the fact, to some extent, and tended to waste it. This time, we played with it a lot more, which was really encouraging for us, given the calibre of who we were up against".
Nicky Smith, Amber Hearn, Simone Carmichael and Priscilla Duncan were the other New Zealand players to impress their captain in the second game, but Smith couldn’t help but be impressed by another significant factor on the day.
"When we did something good, just like the Americans, we’d get a reaction from the biggest crowd in the history of soccer in Cincinnati! It was unbelievable playing in those conditions. Normally I shut out the crowd noise when playing, but it simply wasn’t possible this time - you could hear the cheering!!
"Seeing some Kiwi flags flying in the crowd was great, too. All in all, it was unforgettable - a tremendous experience, especially for the youngsters".
"I'm proud of Cincinnati for getting such a great crowd", said USA defender and Cincinnati native Heather Mitts on www.ussoccer.com. "This tour is partly about saying goodbye to some of our veterans players and a great way to do that is in front of a crowd like this".
Her thoughts were echoed on that website by USA captain, Julie Foudy. "It was great that we could put on a good show for the fans. They were great today".
The USA’s ‘Fan Celebration Tour’ continues on, with six matches still scheduled before Hamm, Foudy and Joy Fawcett bid their final goodbyes to the stage which they have graced for so long.
For the New Zealand squad, having spent the bulk of the past twelve days eating, sleeping and breathing football, it’s back to their homeland for most, and the harsh reality of weekly action in the National Women’s Soccer League for the next couple of months.
And while they still have much to do to be considered truly competitive against Team USA and the other elite nations in women’s soccer, you can guarantee that having had the experience of extending themselves against the code’s standard-setters, every member of the New Zealand squad will be determined to do all they can to savour that experience once more, ideally during their ultimate target - the 2007 Women’s World Cup Finals.
USA: Scurry (Luckenbill, 46); Reddick (Rampone, 46), Chastain, Mitts, Markgraf; Wagner, Boxx (Hucles, 46), Foudy, Lilly; Hamm (Parlow, 46), Wambach.
New Zealand: Yates; J. Simpson (Ray, 46), Jackman, R. Smith, Cogle (R. Simpson, 71); Yallop (Duncan, 63), Carmichael, Moorwood, N. Smith (Keinzley, 63), Humby (Meo, 46); Hearn (Ormrod, 63)
Referee: Jennifer Bennett
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