U.S. on Track for Its Goals

To Shannon MacMillan, it was a matter of releasing some energy, or “fury” as she called it.

To her coach, April Heinrichs, it was a question of building confidence.

To the Mexico women’s national soccer team that was on the receiving end of Friday night’s 8-0 drubbing by the United States, it was just plain embarrassing.

But Heinrichs, whose U.S. squad plays Canada today in the championship game of the seventh Nike U.S. Women’s Cup tournament, was pleased. She made no apologies for her team’s lopsided victory.

“I think you get something from every game as long as you go out there and play hard soccer,” she said. “There are confidence builders when you beat Norway in the Algarve Cup final and there are confidence builders when you beat Mexico on a night like this.

“It wasn’t like Mexico rolled over and died. It wasn’t like there were soft goals. Every goal was dynamic and bordered on spectacular. So it was a great confidence booster for our team even though it was 8-0.”

MacMillan scored two goals and said the U.S. team was ready for a real game after three weeks of hard work at its Olympic training camp in Chula Vista.

“Coming off the Iceland game [a disappointing 0-0 tie one month ago in Charlotte, N.C.], we had some fury in us,” the striker said. “We wanted to come after them, and we kept the rhythm of the game going. The dynamic pace that we set, we definitely got a lot out of it.”

Canada, which defeated South Korea, 1-0, in Friday night’s other game, will be a more difficult opponent today at Civic Stadium in Portland, Ore.

The fact that the U.S. has won all six previous tournaments and has outscored its opponents by a combined 87-8 margin will not be lost on the Canadians.

However, for them, as for the Americans, it’s just another step on the road to Sydney, when a far greater prize will be at stake.