WOMEN's WORLD CUP 2003 - USA 3 : 1 Canada

October 11, 2003 - The United States overcame a spirited Canada side to claim third place at the FIFA Women’s World Cup USA 2003 with a 3-1 win over their northern rivals 11 October at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

Shannon Boxx, Kristine Lilly and Tiffeny Milbrett all scored to keep the Americans’ record of claiming a trophy at the FIFA Women’s World Cup intact. The U.S. has taken home the gold twice and now has two bronze medals in their world championship trophy case.

Canada came out blazing to start the match and took advantage of some early poor defending by the U.S. to nearly grab a quick lead. Kara Lang got a back heel on a Charmaine Hooper free kick but knocked it wide (2’). U.S. goalkeeper Briana Scurry just got her fingetips on another Lang shot, knocking the ball out for a corner (3’).

The United States came right back as Mia Hamm drove a ball across the penalty area but it was just beyond Abby Wambach’s reach. Hamm sent in a second cross to Cindy Parlow, but the big forward could not steer it home (6’).

Canada continued to press forward and Lang combined with Christine Latham right at the edge of the U.S. penalty area but her shot dribbled into Scurry’s hands (37’). Lang became the provider two minutes later as she laid off a perfect through ball for Sinclair, who blasted it past Scurry to pull her side level (1-1, 38’).

The Americans put all sorts of pressure on Canada during stoppage time, but Boxx, Lilly, Hamm and Wambach all saw the Canadian defence either block their shot attempts or clear through balls from danger.

The second half opened with both teams jousting once more. Lang went down in a clump at one end while Wambach got sandwiched at the other. Slowly, however, the U.S. restored its dominance on possession and once more pinned the Canadians into their own end.

After several near misses, the U.S. won a corner that Boxx rose up to meet as she put the Americans back on top with a scorching header. Hamm swung her corner in toward the far post and Boxx fought off a defender to head it past Swiatek for her second goal at USA 2003 (2-1, 51’).

The U.S. almost got a third goal as Wambach tried to run onto a Milbrett through ball but Swiatek came off her line well to smother the ball bravely (62’). The Canadians simply could not sort out how to force the Americans out of their possession-oriented game and more and more looked to attack through Lang or Latham and long balls. The two North American rivals also increased the physical side of their play with Hamm and Wambach often on the receiving end of Canadian knocks.

The Canadians dodged a major bullet as Milbrett had a pair of shots saved, one by the post and the other by Swiatek. The speedy U.S. forward blazed in on goal after Lilly started a U.S. counterattack (73’). The Americans had their own heart-stopping moment when Charmaine Hooper drove a corner kick through the box that Sinclair rose up to head right on goal. The shot beat Scurry but caromed off the crossbar (75’).

The United States got the third goal they pressed so hard for when Milbrett simply outran the Canadian defence, tried to cross a ball but saw it get batted back to her. With plenty of space on the right side of the box, she simply banged it into the roof of the net. Milbrett ran onto a Lilly free kick with the Canadians still trying to get back to defend (3-1, 80’).

The two-goal deficit took some of the spring out of Canada, although they continued to look for a way through the U.S. back line. The Americans, however, played with supreme confidence and substitute Shannon MacMillan was unlucky when her shot from a tough angle landed on top of rather than in the net (88’).

Source: FIFAworldcup.com

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