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U.S. Women Blank England, Advance To World Cup Semis

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By STEPHEN WADE, The Associated Press

Published: September 23, 2007

TIANJIN, China - Abby Wambach and Kristine Lilly held a players meeting in their hotel room a day before the United States played England in the quarterfinals of the Women's World Cup.

All meetings should be so productive.

Having aired any grievances, the U.S. went on to defeat England 3-0 Saturday on second-half goals from Wambach, Shannon Boxx and Lilly during a 12-minute span.

'We came together and we said: 'Everybody get off your shoulders what you want to say,'' defender Cat Whitehill said. 'It was just kind of an open forum for us. Just to say this is what I think is working, and this is what I think isn't working. I think it really helped us.'

The No. 1-ranked Americans advanced to Thursday's semifinal in Hangzhou. The final is Sept. 30 in Shanghai, with the U.S. seeking a third title to go with the ones from 1991 and '99.

The Americans will meet the winner of today's Brazil-Australia quarterfinal in Tianjin, with the South Americans heavily favored. In Saturday's other semifinal in Wuhan, Germany defeated North Korea 3-0.

After a scoreless first half, Wambach banged in a header in the 48th minute, directing home a corner kick from Lilly before a crowd listed at 29,000, although far fewer fans seemed to be in 60,000-seat Olympic Center Stadium. It was her fourth goal of the tournament and her 81st for the national team in 100 appearances.

'The first goal is always critical in a match,' American coach Greg Ryan said. 'It was difficult for England to get their game going again after that. They lost the momentum, and we kept pressing, going after them.'

Lilly, the 36-year-old captain, is playing in an unprecedented fifth Women's World Cup. She and Wambach are almost psychic in anticipating each other's moves.

'She looks up; I look at her,' Wambach said. 'We make eye contact and she just puts a perfect ball on the back post. I run in and put my head on the ball and it goes into the goal. No matter how far apart we can be distance-wise on the field we're always connected.'

Boxx made it 2-0 in the 57th after Whitehill stripped the ball from England's Jill Scott near midfield. The ball fell to Boxx, who scored on a low, long shot that went in off the fingertips of surprised England goalkeeper Rachel Brown.

'The first goal is always the hardest,' Boxx said. 'Once you get one, you can continue to get more and that's what happened.'

In the 60th minute, Lilly finally broke through with her first goal of this tournament and her eighth in World Cup play. A long ball from Whitehill from across midfield bounced high and fooled Brown, who went far from the net. She leaped and could only tip it, with Lilly running in behind to knock it home.

GERMANY 3, NORTH KOREA 0: Defending champion Germany was too strong for North Korea. Germany recorded its fourth straight shutout.

Kerstin Garefrekes, Renate Lingor and Annike Krahn scored as Germany wore down North Korea and booked a match with the winner of today's Norway-China quarterfinal.

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