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August 23, 2004 6:00 pm

Column: O’Reilly’s kick was a torch passed

By SCOTT PITONIAK

Gannett News Service

HERAKLIO, Crete — Like most of the younger players on this U.S. Olympic soccer team, Heather O'Reilly was a Mia Maniac many growing up. She tacked posters of Mia Hamm to the walls of her East Brunswick, N.J., home. She was in the stands as a giddy 14-year-old when Hamm and Co. were on their way to winning the World Cup during the summer of 1999.

So, when the subject is broached about making sure Hamm leaves these Olympics with a gold medal draped around her neck, O'Reilly, a fun-loving University of North Carolina sophomore-to-be, grows super serious.

"She gave the game of soccer so much, especially all the young players like me,'' she said. "It's important that we give her something back to say thanks.''

On a hot Monday night in a Pankritio Stadium on the shores of the muggy Mediterranean, O'Reilly gave her idol something she'll definitely remember.

In the 99th minute of an epic match between the U.S. and Germany, O'Reilly banged home a pass from Hamm for the game-winning goal.

It was a classic cross from Hamm that followed some fancy dribbling past two German defenders. And as the ball went from her foot to O'Reilly's you couldn't help but notice the symbolism. This was the passing not only of the ball, but the torch.

"I got credit for the goal, but that was all Mia,'' O'Reilly said. "She set everything up perfectly. All I had to do was finish it.''

U.S. coach April Heinrichs had subbed O'Reilly into the lineup during the 74th minute. It proved to be a brilliant move because the Germans wound up tying the score during injury time, meaning the teams would have to play two additional 15-minute periods to decide the match.

O'Reilly's game is speed, and her fresh legs came in handy during this match of attrition. She wound up drilling a shot off the left post from about 10 yards out just a minute into the first extra session.

"I wanted to kick myself, just like you always do when you get an opportunity you think you should have taken advantage of,'' she said. "But I was feeling it out there. I felt strong and I could see their defenders were really dragging because the game had gone on so long and it was really hot. I thought I'd get another shot.''

And she did.

What made the goal even sweeter is that it came against a German team that had beaten the Americans in last year's World Cup semifinals. O'Reilly was in North Carolina at the time, recuperating from a broken leg.

She has been used primarily as a sub in these Olympics. But she and Abby Wambach are expected to be the 1-2 punch of U.S. women's soccer after Mia and Co. retire following this tournament.

"That's flattering and I hope it comes true because I love the way Abby plays,'' O'Reilly said. "But this isn't the time to look that far ahead.''

Instead, she is concentrating on the short term.

She's thinking about Thursday and about how she would love nothing more than to say thank you to her idol in a golden way.

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