Germany dethrones U.S.A. with 3-0 victory
(Associated Press)
06 OCTOBER 2003

PORTLAND, OR - The stars who nurtured U.S. women's soccer and made
it the best in the world will not win another World Cup. That goal
vanished in a 3-0 loss to Germany in the semifinals Sunday night.

from news group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/2003_FIFA_World_Cup

"It's the end of an era, a chapter in a book," U.S. goalkeeper Briana
Scurry said.

Mia Hamm already has said she will retire after next year's Olympics,
and many others on the team will not be playing the game when the
next World Cup is held four years from now.

Tears streamed down Hamm's face as she hugged teammates at the
finish.

"I've loved every minute of it," Hamm said. "I wouldn't change one
minute. Even in defeat, this is one of my favorite teams that I've
been a part of."

Germany, with a solid defense and spectacular play by goalkeeper
Silke Rottenberg, will play Sweden for the World Cup title in Carson,
Calif., next Sunday. Sweden rallied to defeat Canada 2-1 on Sunday
night to earn its first finals berth.

The United States and Canada will meet next Saturday in Carson for
third place.

Canada, ranked 12th in the world at the start of the tournament and a
surprise winner over China in the quarterfinals, led 1-0 on Kara
Lang's free-kick goal in the 65th minute.

"We got a little stressed, but we felt we were so much better and had
so many more chances," Sweden's Anna Sjoestroem said.

Sweden tied it minutes later when Malin Mostroem caught the Canadians
flat-footed for a goal, then Josefine Oeqvist glanced one off the
post and into the net for the winner in the 86th minute.

The Americans mounted repeated attacks against the Germans only to
see them thwarted or misfire.

"We had opportunities, but it's one thing to create them, it's
another to finish them," Hamm said.

Rottenberg blocked everything that came her way, and even made a
diving grab of the ball off Hamm's feet during a breakaway threat.

"This was one of my best games," Rottenberg said. "Now I'm in the
final and want to be world champion."

The scene had been set for an emotional U.S. victory. Flag salesman
were doing a brisk outside the stadium. Face painters drew U.S. flags
on the cheeks of youngsters.

But Germany scored an early goal on a brilliantly executed header by
Kerstin Garefrekes from a corner kick by Renate Lingor, then held off
repeated attacks before sealing it with goals in the final two
minutes by Maren Meinert and Birgit Prinz, who has scored seven of
Germany's 23 World Cup goals.

"Honestly, I was disappointed," Garefrekes said of the Americans'
effort. "They didn't play their offensive game. It was not really
organized and they missed many opportunities."

It was the second World Cup loss ever for the United States. The
other came in the semifinals against Norway in 1995. The Norwegians
went on to beat Germany for the championship.

The capacity crowd of more than 27,623 in cozy but raucous PGE Park _
many of them youngsters wearing No. 9 jerseys with the name "Hamm" on
the back _ chanted "USA! USA!" to the finish and then after the game
ended.

"All those girls in the stands, that's the legacy," Hamm said.

Hamm and the rest of the aging core of U.S. players had wanted so
badly to go out with another Cup triumph this year and then Olympic
gold in 2004. Now only the games in Athens provide an attainable
goal. After that, Hamm will retire.

"It was a hard loss because of the way it went down," Scurry
said. "They were bending and bending, but they didn't break."

The tournament was originally scheduled to be held in China, but was
moved to the United States because of a SARS epidemic. The stage
seemed set for a U.S. repeat as the Americans advanced through a
tough group and a difficult 1-0 quarterfinal victory over Norway.

Germany nearly spoiled the U.S. World Cup triumph in 1999, twice
leading its quarterfinal match before the Americans rallied to win 3-
2. There would be no comeback this time against the maddening
efficiency of the Germans.

"That's what they are. They're just soccer machines," American
Tiffeny Milbrett said.

Two naked women ran onto the field in the 57th minute with signs that
read, "Boycot Adidas" and "Adidas Kills Kangaroos."

Both were taken off the field by security. Adidas is the World Cup
sponsor and the protest by a California-based animal rights group was
aimed at the use of kangaroo skin in athletic shoes.