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Wambach Sews Up Win For U.S.

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By STEPHEN WADE, The Associated Press

Published: September 15, 2007

CHENGDU, China - Kristine Lilly glanced up, catching sight of Abby Wambach 25 yards ahead racing down the left side toward Sweden's goal. She reacted instinctively, lofting a soaring ball for Wambach to run under.

Wambach did just that, settled it off her chest, and lashed a left-footed half-volley from 15 yards that ripped into the net behind goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl.

It was Wambach's second of the game and her third in two games in China. It was classic Lilly-Wambach in the 58th minute of Friday women's World Cup Group B game - America's top strikers linking up to seal a 2-0 victory over Sweden and move the No. 1-ranked Americans into a perfect spot to reach the quarterfinals.

'If you like football, you like to see a goal like Abby Wambach's goal today,' Sweden coach Thomas Dennerby said. 'But for us, it was in the wrong match.'

Playing with 11 stitches in her head, picked up in a 2-2 draw with North Korea earlier in the week - and a sore toe that is numbed before she plays - Wambach also converted a penalty in the 34th minute after Lori Chalupny was taken down in the area.

She has scored 80 goals in 98 games for the U.S. national team, which is trying to win the World Cup to go with titles in 1991 and '99.

There was more classic Lilly-Wambach. They gave each other the credit.

'She saw me making a run, and she basically did all the rest,' Wambach said. 'She put an amazing ball on my chest between the two defenders. I took a decent touch off my chest and was able to half-volley it.'

Said Lilly: 'It was a good ball in, but to deal with it, to bring it down and get the volley off, it was a world-class goal.'

The two strikers have been playing together for years, and Wambach has learned to anticipate the intense Lilly who, at 36, is the last link to the '91 championship team.

'You have to know with Kristine,' Wambach said. 'Sometimes in the course of a game she can get pretty much inside herself. When she gets inside herself, I know something good is about to happen.'

The victory boosted the United States to four points atop Group B - the same as North Korea - with a final group game Tuesday against Nigeria. A draw will be enough to get the United States to the quarterfinals, although a victory might guarantee first place and a quarterfinal against Japan or England. If the U.S. finishes second it will have a tougher time against defending champion Germany.

'We knew that this was potentially an elimination match with Sweden,' said American coach Greg Ryan, whose team is undefeated in 48 games since he took over 2 1/2 years ago. 'Big players win championships, and you saw what happened here tonight.'

Group B is by far the most difficult of the 16-team tournament, and Ryan described the first two games and nearly 'semifinals and finals.' The other side of the bracket is much weaker, with China, Norway and Brazil among the favorites to reach the final eight.

The United States was pressed hard early Friday, but the Americans took control after Wambach's penalty.

Defender Kate Markgraf started the first scoring play, sending in a long, soaring ball that was badly misjudged by Lindahl, who allowed it to bounce over her head. Racing to put in the loose ball, Chalupny was taken down in the area by Swedish defender Stina Segerstrom.

Whenever the United States couldn't find an open player, it launched long shots at Lindahl.

'I think every time you play in a high-pressure situation, you want to test the goalkeeper,' Markgraf said. 'We just kept hitting balls at her.

'She kind of got rattled and we kind of knew it.'

The penalty wasn't clear-cut. Ryan said it looked like a good call, and Dennerby said: 'I think it was a tough one, but that's the Swedish way to see it.'

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