Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada • Page 49

Reno Gazette-Journal Sunday, July 11,1999 5D U.S. victory caps historic sports moment SIOBHAN lJ- scoreless soccer. Thousands of these people, these kids, had been here for eight hours before they finally saw an American goal. During the shootout, my attention was divided, partly on the drama on the field, partly on a father down the way, his young son asleep in his arms, worn out by the sun and the hours. As Brandi Chastain drilled the last goal home for the U.S.

and the Rose Bowl shook and thousands of flags waved and Beijing mourned. The father tried to clap as best he could, the little boy slept through it all. But he was here. This rare day in a football stadium. Not a Super Bowl.

Just an afternoon with fathers and mothers and sons and daughters and lemonade and painted faces and innocent excitement we see too little of at our sports events. I just hope none of the girls got lost. Mike Lopresti is a columnist for the Gannett News Service. PASADENA, Calif. The little boy in front of me in section 10 wore a flag bandanna on his head and his arms never got tired.

He ceaselessly waved the sign, "USA Chicks Rule." The man next to me, maybe 50, had come from Jamaica for this, bringing his daughter, to root for the United States. He blew a horn for two solid hours. She cooled herself with ice down her back. The girl in the row behind me, 12 years old I'd guess, had her face and hair and arms painted red, white and blue. She held one poster all this long, hot, loud afternoon.

"Mia," it said, "you are my hero." I came to see the Super Bowl of soccer here Saturday. But this was hardly a Super Bowl. Not with more minivans than limos. Not when the lines for the beer were short, the lines for ice cream bars were long, and the lines for frozen lemonade crossed time zones. Not when so many of the fans would reach no higher than the WORLD CUP NOTES Akers again inspires Mostly adult affairs.

When the high rollers stop by to be seen, and so many of the tickets go to VIPs, the place feels like one big luxury box. Not here. Not Saturday. Saturday was getting to the stadium at 8 a.m., five hours before the game, to find fathers kicking around soccer balls with daughters in the parking lot. Saturday was seeing a half dozen kids lined up to get their hair sprayed in colors, while breakfast sat on the portable table.

The last one in line was a 5-year-old boy, who would have no spray until his sister covered his ears and his eyes. Last 1 saw of him, he was at the table, in Technicolor hair, shoving a pancake in his mouth. Saturday was a soccer team of 9-year-old girls, all with painted faces, piling out of an Isuzu and Jeep, playing hide and seek while waiting for the gates to the Rose Bowl to open. Dave is their coach. "They have been up," he sighed, "since 4 a.m." teammates BIO IN BRAZIL, TOO: The success of the World Cup hasn't had an impact on the sport in just the United States.

Brazil's Nene said the media coverage in her country "will be a great motivation for young people. They will enter more leagues and be inspired to play." Brazil, which has won a record four men's World Cups, only recently has become a power in women's competition. SHORT SHOTS; Among those sending good luck telegrams to the U.S. team was hockey star Wayne Each member of the 1991 World Cup championship American squad was invited to the game, but officials weren't sure how many Mia Hamm's husband, Marine captain Christian Corry, was given permission by the corps to return from Japan and was at the The pop group Hanson performed the U.S. national anthem, while China's anthem was sung by Lin Liu, a 24-year-old Between the third-place and championship games, pop star Jennifer Lopez performed two songs: "If You Had My Love," and "Let's Get Loud." when she played, she dominated the midfield, never allowing Sun to threaten.

China's brilliant midfielder, Yan Jin, finally got going when Akers left. She created several chances in the extra periods, when China had a big edge. Clearly the two best teams in the tournament China outscored opponents 19-2 and the United States had an 18-3 margin these teams have created a scintillating rivalry. The Americans beat the Chinese 2-1 for the 1996 Olympics gold medal and 2-0 for the '98 Goodwill Games Saturday was a father, black lines tainted on his face to make him ook like a soccer ball, tenderly applying the last dabs of blue to his teenage daughter's forehead. Saturday was thousands of small soccer shirts on small bodies, nearly all of them No.

9, in tribute to Mia 1 lamm, not Ted Williams or Roger Maris. Saturday was for signs and slogans. "Even Chairman Mao loves Mia," said one. "They will call us Mini-Mias," said another. Saturday was a young girl with a flag on her head, Mia written on her cheek, wearing a Mickey Mouse shirt, walking hand in hand with her father.

Perfect. Or this, a statement I have never heard at any Super Bowl, from a mother headed for the main gate with her young daughter and a gaggle of her friends. "Now where do we meet," the mother said, "if someone gets lost?" And Saturday was this. A shootout after 120 minutes of Associated Press THE HARDWARE: U.S. captain Carla Overbeck, center, FIFA President Sepp Blatter, left, and other members of the U.S.

team celebrate with the trophy after defeating China in the Women's World Cup Final at the Rose Bowl Saturday. crown. China had won two of three this year, including the championship of the prestigious Algarve Cup. But the big one went to the Americans, and the series now stands 12-5-5 forthe United States, which also won the first World Cup in China in 1 99 1 The fans arrived early and ready. By halftime of the third-place game, won by Brazil on penalty kicks, the stands were nearly filled.

Just about everywhere youngsters with red-white-and-blue painted faces waved American flags. Chants of "U-S-A, U-S-A" began even as Norway and Brazil were playing. 4riMii I MIKE MOPRESTI waist of your typical account executive who comes to the Super Bowl to schmooze, party, and perhaps even see the game. Saturday was the zenith of an unexpected holiday, and that the home girls won, all the better. A soccer game, at its core.

Not a particularly thrilling soccer game until the very end, when it was settled by a shootout, womano a womano. But more than that, it was a sport moment the likes of which this country has never quite seen. Not in scope, with 90,000 people at a sun-scorched women's soccer game. And not in flavor. We are familiar with the lavish events aren't we? The World Series.

The Derby. The Super Bowl. leaving it all on the field, playing for her teammates," U.S. coach Tony DiCicco said. "Michelle Akers inspires me and I know she does her teammates." Goalkeeper Briana Scurry, whose save in the shootout led to the American victory, said Akers was dominant in regulation.

"Every time a ball went up in the air, she was finishing it with her head, just basically taking over the entire midfield singlehandedly," Scurry said. "She had her bell rung and had some dizziness, but she wanted to stay in there." Akers led the Americans to the title in the first Women's World Cup, in China in 1 99 1 when she was the tournament's leading scorer. She also provided a sign of things to come when she became the first American woman soccer player to sign a shoe endorsement deal, also in 1991. lowing two hours of exhausting soccer and the tension-filled shootout. After they received their championship medals, they jogged around the field carrying three huge American flags as the fans roared and chanted "U-S-A, U-S-A." A cloudburst of confetti littered the field as Scurry ran to the stands to slap hands with fans.

She then got down on both knees and saluted the crowd, which was chanting "Scurry, Scurry." Both teams stood hand-in-hand for photos after sharing one of the most intense experiences in sports a shootout to decide a World Cup crown. Coincidentally, the men's World Cup final in 1994 at the Rose Bowl ended in a shootout after a 00 tie, with Brazil beating Italy. China shot first and Xie Huilin hit the left corner of the net. Co-captain Carla Overbeck matched the goal to a huge cheer from the crowd. Qiu Haiyan barely got the ball past the outstretched hands of a diving Scurry, and Joy Fawcett made no mistake with her shot for 2-2.

Liu's shot was in the middle of the net and Scurry got her hands on it to send it wide. Lilly then almost nonchalantly put hers in. Zhang Ouying beat Scurry, but Mia Hamm scored. That brought Sun Wen, the tournament's leading scorer, to the spot with the crowd in a frenzy. Sun put her shot to the left ofScurryfor4-4.

Then came Chastain. "Dave Letterman told me to have her take one," DiCicco said. Another star was Michelle Akers, at 33 the oldest of the Americans. She left the game with an injury in the final moments of regulation. But PASADENA, Calif.

(AP) When the World Cup ended, the woman who essentially started it all for the United States in 1 985 had to come out of the locker room to grab her teammates and celebrate. Michelle Akers needed an IV after leaving the game because of heat exhaustion and a slight concussion. Akers, who battles chronic fatigue syndrome and, at 33, is the oldest player on the U.S. squad, helped keep her team in the game with inspired play in the midfield for more than 90 minutes. Then, going up for a corner kick, and had to leave.

A team official said it wasn't necessary to take her to a hospital. Akers' coach and teammates said she was one of the reasons they won the game in the shootout. "The fans were treated to witnessing one of the greatest women athletes in history, a true champion USA From page ID who stopped Liu Yingon the third attempt in the shootout. "I went totally on instinct." The festive gathering in 90-degree heat included President Clinton. The crowd roared when Scurry made the diving save to her left.

Moments later, they roared even louder, their cheers reverberating off the San Gabriel Mountains, as Chastain won it. None of it would have been possible if not for Lilly. She saved her team in the 100th minute during the sudden-death overtime, heading a shot off the goal line. "It's a goal if I'm not there," she said. "After I did it, I wanted to get downfield and score and end the game quickly." No way.

It would go on for 20 more minutes, and then into the shootout. Chastain, who was cut from the national squad in 1 994 and had to work her way back onto it, posed for Gear Magazine in June with nothing but a strategically placed soccer ball hiding her naked body. This time, she revealed a black sports bra as she and her teammates leapt on one another in celebration. "You sawthe courage of the American team," U.S. coach Tony DiCicco said.

"They just fought and fought and fought. There are two champions here today, and only one is taking a trophy home. "When we win, it means all of America wins. They so much epitomize what America is all about." With the game finally over, the U.S. players jumped about with whatever energy they had left fol -ii.

rnmhine A day for fathers and daughters The Women's World Cup Final was a day for dads and daughters. Michelle, 6, and Jessica, 4 both in matching red, white and blue outfits watched Saturday's game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, from the lap and sometimes the shoulders of their dad, Timothy Lamacchia of Miami. A record crowd of 90, 1 8 5 fans watched an event that put women's athletics at a new level. Signs such as, 'I am woman watch me filled the packed Rose Bowl. "I brought my daughters here to show them a good example," Lamacchia said.

Lamacchia did his best to juggle sodas and flags and his daughters while watching some of the game. I Tailgating, a staple at major sporting events, wasn't absent at I the World Cup. As spectators walked from their cars to the sta-I dium, families with picnics par- tied. The Ursi family, from Chicago, spent most of their pregame time making sure they would all see the game. "We have three tickets, but we need one more," Meaghan Ursi, 13, explained as her dad ly wandered the front gates searching for a ticket.

Heather Berry, 1 2, of Long Beach, Calif, wasn't going to waste any time tailgating. She was making a b-line straight for the stadium about 2 miles away even though she was on crutches. "This is a part of history," she said. Inside the stadium gates, teen-; age boys draped in American flags screamed, "We love you, Mia!" Old and young wore red, white and blue and many had their hair and faces painted. The lines for the souvenirs were longer than the lines for the bath-' rooms and the T-shirts sold faster than the beer.

Tom Moriarity and his daugh- ter, Samantha, took turns posing for pictures in front of the en- trance to the Rose Bowl. In her little pink baseball cap, Samantha balanced the camera somewhat I off center as her dad smiled in front of a sign for women's athlet- ics. I The family atmosphere extend-. ed inside the stadium throughout the game. Men didn't have their chests or bellies painted.

Men and women wore sun visors with bows. Dads carried knapsacks with Beanie Baby keychains and one man held a butterfly print purse outside the women's re- stroom. The Chinese fans, armed with bullhorns and drums, chanted "Chi-na" as the U.S. fans waved signs and flags. One young Chi- nese fan, Stephanie Qin of Santa Heights, said she was sim-l ply routing for China because, I know how to speak Chinese." I Dennis Deslatte, of Irvine, Calif, was decked out in a star headband, barrettes, beads and ribbons that his daughter made.

"I love to come to soccer games with my dad," his daughter, Ash- ley, said, "because he'll wear all this goofy stuff." Siobhan McAndrew attended the World Cup Finals. She is a clerk at the Reno Gazette-Journal. erica's GoH Storei hetore VOU Sv r- i tiv PULL CARTS ttartingat $2995 MagneticCopper low 3S95 $2995 DRIVING low as. GOLF WATCHES only, 10 Off golf bag over $100 ACUMARK MXO TOUR IMETAL WOODS golf bag over $50 1 Graphite Shaft 59 Grams Oversize Ultraltte i.3.5&7teA95 Lifetime ouaramee ONLY 9ea CUSTOM HTTK with tha Power Match 8175 S. Virginia SL Hours: fU I t- I a KB Bill I 1 GOO GOT AN APPETITE FOR GREAT BASKETBALL? Chastain From page ID she wasn't going to be the last one (to shoot)," Roger said.

"And, of course, she was." It wasn't easy to watch for a couple of nervous grandparents. "I had to hide my eyes," Roger said. "But I peeked and when I saw it go in I exploded." It wasn't long before Roger and Hazel wanted to hide their eyes again. The next thing they saw was their granddaughter ripping off her jersey to show a dark blue sports bra. "It sure didn't take her long to get that shirt off," Roger said.

"I was just glad she had her bra on," Hazel said. There was a time, though, when Brandi forgot her undergarments. The 30-year-old Santa Clara University assistant women's soccer coach posed for a poster recently when all she was wearing was a soccer ball. "I didn't know what to think," Roger said "We have relatives in Oklahoma, Texas and Missouri. And one of them is a minister.

He saw Brandi on the David Letterman show when they showed the poster. And he said, 'Boy, I couldn't get enough of He didn't know what to think either." Roger and Hazel were proud of the entire U.S. team Saturday. "All the girls on that team are a great example for our young girls to look up to," Roger said. "They never give up." Roger and Hazel did see one World Cup game this year at Stanford.

"We talked to her after that game and she came up to me and put my arms around me and said, 'I love you grandpa, even though you can't kick a soccer aooRaoo HOTB. CASINO UNO fli LUOKM.HC ATfiJ SO DOES RICK MAJERUS. 0000 inn locations ,0 mee all at your 8- corf liii SPECIAL PURCHASE. rjj jrLiiML runiinfMt; ihhm Men's Name Brand GOLF SHIRTS The Hottest Styles WHILE QUANTITIES LAST! $1 or 2 tor 3u -LiSd GUARANTEE Complete Set dmOO vi Join Us For The University Of Nevada Wolf Pack 31st Anuual Governor's Dinner With Special Guest University of Utah Head Basketball Coach Rick Majerus Friday, July 16th, 1999 Governor's Mansion, Carson City Hosted Cocktails Hors d'oeuvres 7pm Classic Eldorado Style Dinner Program To Follow Tickets $200 per person (Tables of 8 available for reservation) MRMMBMUHHNk! 8 Irons 3 Zeroize Metal I fin II Ann Vliwlc I Pur UaoHnwon I I I Viial 11 -Golf Bag -Golf Shoes I 3 Jf I II I I DunloD Titanium Golf Towel I 1 Catxelta Leather GOLF GLOVES $895M 2 for $16 Synthetic GKwe $5.95 or 2 for $10 I 1 i i tiAAi i mMMmlWUmBmaMav For tickets call the Athletic Association, University of Nevada at 784-4870 MiMUUiMiUHUV whT golfIMs With Wheels Titanium Cover 3995 12" JR. GOLF SETS 3 Irons, Putter and Driver Ages to 9 or 10 to 14 pmlkW Move Our Computerized Moor Driving and Fitting Range! 1 GOLF USA I 1 Veil Our Complete I 1 en jr.

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