2004 Olympics: Soccer

09:09 PM CDT on Thursday, August 26, 2004

By JEFF MILLER / The Dallas Morning News

ATHENS, Greece – The simplistic explanation would be that the Mia Hamm & Friends Farewell Tour just wouldn't leave the stage, desperate to squeeze in an extra 30 minutes of Olympic soccer.

But the U.S. women's soccer team actually was given all it could handle by Brazil in Thursday night's gold-medal game. The Americans finally rose above their worthy opposition on a deflected header off the noggin of Abby Wambach seven minutes into the second 15-minute extra period and held on for a 2-1 victory.

So this U.S. team led by Hamm, Julie Foudy, Joy Fawcett, Kristine Lilly and Brandi Chastain is again the heavyweight champion of the women's game. And it has the bruises to prove it. The United States was outshot ,17-10, and matched Brazil's physical play in a foul-filled affair.

Wambach's winner came off a corner kick from one of the Golden Oldies, Lilly. The ball floated into the middle of the box. Wambach outjumped a defender and flicked her head to the right, directing the ball toward the net. Goalkeeper Andreia was out of position to stop the ball, but defender Juliana tried to keep it out of the goal with her head. She merely changed the direction of the ball going into the net.

"It was a great cross, a great finish," Wambach said.

When the final whistle blew after 120 minutes, Hamm was fittingly the first to thrust her arms into the air in victory. Goalkeeper Briana Scurry, run ragged across her line and out to the edge of the box all night, used that speed to become the first U.S. player to reach a group of Americans along the grandstand railing near midfield to grab Old Glory.

Players all over the field broke out in tears. The Americans hugged and jumped and screamed. The Brazilians were disconsolate despite their best Olympic finish. Andreia had to be pushed and guided toward the bench by a staff member.

The U.S. players received their gold medals from FIFA president Sepp Blatter and then belted out an inspired but off-key version of the national anthem. The "tour" figures to make some exhibition appearances in the coming months but shouldn't consider a concert run.

The United States won its second gold medal in three Olympic tournaments and has now won four of the seven major international titles since the first Women's World Cup in 1999 – all with Thursday's familiar veterans in the lineup.

The Amerians gained their first major international title since Chastain became a fashion statement after winning the 1999 Women's World Cup at the Rose Bowl. Since then, the Americans failed to win the 2000 Sydney Olympics or last year's Women's World Cup at home.

Thirtysomethings Hamm, Fawcett and captain Foudy had announced their intent to retire following the Athens Games. Lilly and Chastain share the same demographic and also might have appeared for the U.S. team for the last time.

Foudy sprained her right ankle in Monday night's semifinal victory over Germany and spent Tuesday on crutches. She started and didn't appear to show any ill effects from the injury.

Brazil coach Rene Simoes pretty much promised a rough-and-tumble game after saying the Americans played "dirty" in the United States' 2-0 victory over his team in pool play. Brazil certainly came out aggressively and created the majority of scoring chances in the first half. That style also resulted in two yellow cards and six offside calls.

The United States scored the first goal in the 39th minute courtesy of one of the "kids." Midfielder Lindsay Tarpley, who will turn 21 next month, launched a right-footed shot from just outside the box for her first goal of the tournament.

Brazil tied it in the 73rd minute at the end of one of its many assaults. Cristaine took the ball from defender Fawcett outside the box and created an attack. She crossed a left-footed shot that Scurry stopped but couldn't hold. Pretinha, one of Brazil's dependable veterans, was in position to chip the ball into the net for her third goal in Athens.

Brazil nearly won in regulation, but Pretinha hit the post in the 88th minute.

So ends the career of Hamm, who lists Austin as her hometown. Growing up in an Air Force family, she played two years of high school soccer for Wichita Falls Notre Dame High School. As Mrs. Nomar Garciaparra, she will become a "free-agent spouse" in November.

Asked how she felt walking off the field for the last time for the national team, Hamm, holding up a medal, said, "I feel great. There's something about this. I think the medal represents everything we worked for."

E-mail jmiller@dallasnews.com