WOMEN’S SOCCER: U.S. 2 – Brazil 1
ATHENS – The scene outside of the Karaiskaki Olympic Soccer Stadium last night told you just how far the Fab Five has taken U.S. women’s soccer.
More than an hour after winning Olympic gold with a dramatic 2-1, overtime victory over Brazil, more than 100 U.S. journalists remained crammed against a fence, waiting for the U.S. players to enter the mixed zone for interviews.
When some of these same women won the World Cup in 1991, a grand total of one reporter met them at the airport. They had to fax home results of their matches because few papers were carrying the scores.
“I think what we have done over the last 18 years is bring soccer to another level,” said Kristine Lilly, who set up the winning goal with a perfect corner kick that Abby Wambach headed off a Brazilian defender and into the net. “It has been amazing to be there from the beginning where no one knew we won the world cup in ’91 until now.
“After 1999, 2003, you guys are surrounding us wondering what is going on,” Lilly said. “To see that progression is probably the greatest thing in my career so far.”
Lilly and her teammates experienced what probably was one last moment of greatness for what we have to come know as the face of women’s soccer in this nation. Mia Hamm already announced she would retire after the Olympics. The other members of the Fab Five – Brandi Chastain, Joy Fawcett, Lilly and captain Julie Foudy, who played last night despite a badly sprained ankle – probably will follow Hamm’s lead.
“If only you knew how my body feels right now,” Hamm said. “There’s only a few times in your life when you can write the final chapter the way you want to. A lot of us got to do that tonight.”
The U.S. women’s soccer team gave us much more than two World Cup championships (1991 and 1999) and two Olympic gold medals (1996 and 2004). They taught a nation a woman could be an athlete, too.
“Our effect on the world and on little girls and boys has gone far beyond the scope that any of us has ever imagined it could be,” said goalie Brianna Scurry, who kept the U.S. in this game with some remarkable saves. “I think for us to win would be great, but we don’t have to win to see and feel the legacy that we have left because it is already well established.”
The USA has become the benchmark for women’s soccer worldwide. Brazil, and countries such as China and Germany want to measure up.
That’s the legacy the Fab Five has left. More than medals, the U.S. women have spread soccer not just around the U.S. but also around the globe.
“I think we are a better team,” Hamm said. “But I think everyone else is better and that is why you might not see that big of a gap.”
Brazil clearly has narrowed the gap. It outshot the U.S. 17-10 and had better scoring chances. Brazil rallied to tie it 1-1 in the 73rd minute and almost won it when Pretinha put a shot off the post in the 88th minute.
The game remained tied through the first 15 minutes of overtime. Finally, in the 112th minute, Lilly put her left foot into a corner kick and Wambach rose above a trio of Brazilian defenders to give the Fab Five another moment of glory.
“We couldn’t have scripted it any better,” Hamm said.
