U.S. soccer women want win - and revenge

By SCOTT PITONIAK

Gannett News Service

HERAKLIO, Greece - The Olympic women's soccer semifinal Monday between the United States and Germany does not lack for compelling story lines.

The two teams met in the semifinals of the 2003 World Cup with the Germans emerging victorious on American soil, so there's the revenge angle.

Sentimental sorts want to see the Fab Five - Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Joy Fawcett, Kristine Lilly and Brandi Chastain - go out winners, so there's the last hurrah angle.

There's the matchup between Abby Wambach and Birgit Prinz, two world-class strikers who know a thing or two about scoring goals, so there's the budding rivalry angle.

And there's the sense that these Olympics are unfolding for the Americans like 1995-96 did, so there's the deja-vu angle.

"You have all the ingredients there,'' says veteran U.S. goal keeper Briana Scurry, "for one epic game.''

This is the game the American players wanted. A year later, they still are pained by that 3-0 Cup loss to Germany in a match that was close until the latter minutes.

"They are an incredible team with an incredible amount of talent, but we want revenge,'' says Scurry, who has two shutouts and has yielded just two goals for the 3-0-1 Americans. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want them to feel the same way we felt after they beat us last summer.''

One of the games within the game will involve Wambach and Prinze. In many respects, they are mirror images of one another. Wambach led her team in scoring with three goals and now has 18 in her 19 international matches this year. Prinz has an Olympic-leading six goals, including four in one game.

"With their size and strength, they can take three defenders on at one time,'' Foudy says, comparing the two. "They have great attitudes and great speed. Plus, they have a sixth sense in front of the goal. They know how to score.''

U.S. midfielder Shannon Boxx says she and her teammates will work to deny passes to Prinze.

You are going to have to go up to her and cover her tight and not let her shoot the ball,'' Boxx says.

This will be one of the few matches in years where the U.S. may not be favorites. The underdog status doesn't seem to bother them.

"I think you have to give the Germans the credit they deserve,'' Hamm says. "They are defending World Cup champions, so they are the best team in the world and they proved that to us last year.''