PORTLAND, Ore. -- Canada playing the USA in the last weekend of the World Cup?
Who'd have thunk it?
For 14 minutes there it looked like Canada was going to be in the World Cup final and the USA wasn't. What odds would Las Vegas have given you for that proposition two weeks ago?
As it is, Mia Hamm and the Americans are going for bronze. And 16-year-old Kara Lang is going for bronze against her.
The Oakville, Ont., teenager dialed long distance for Canada in the Portland Beavers ball park, driving a 90-foot free kick home in the 65th minute to break a scoreless tie and create belief that Canada was going to the final. For the next 14 minutes you could dare dream. But then ...
PLAYING FOR BRONZE
It'll be Canada vs. the U.S. in the bronze medal game and Germany vs. Sweden in the World Cup final next weekend in Carson, California.
"We were 15 minutes away,'' said Canadian coach Even Pellerud of the 2-1 loss to Sweden. "In the end we were not as sharp as we were against China. I didn't think we were as sharp in the brain or in the feet. We reacted slower. In the end they were able to penetrate our defence.
"But we were 15 minutes away. We played pretty even with a great team. I'm very proud of this team. We have taken strides.''
Lang, who broke Hamm's record for being the youngest player ever to score an international goal as a 15-year-old last year, was presented with the free kick that looked like it was going to do the job when Jane Toernqvist hauled down Christine Latham.
Lang, who scored her first World Cup goal to put away a 3-1 win over Japan to win the trip to Portland for the playoffs, drilled the shot off the outstretched arm of keeper Caroline Joensson and the post. She had Canada in the lead until Malin Mostroem finally got to Calgary keeper Taryn Swiatek to tie the game 1-1. Six minutes later sub Josefine Oeqvist chipped one off the post for the winner.
There were no lack of chances at both ends as soccer definitely won the day. But it was Swiatek having to star for Canada and eventually the Swedes did what the Chinese couldn't do and broke through for two.
The Swedes were worthy winners. They outshot the Canadians 17-6 including 7-4 on goal and 8-3 on corner kicks with a 54% edge in possession.
Canada losing in the World Cup final with a team aged less than 23 years old is one thing.
But the USA?
The game they'll be talking about around the world will be the first one of this $170 US-a-ticket semifinal doubleheader before a sellout crowd of 27,623.
"It's the way the game is meant to be played. It was attacking, positive soccer. That's how we can deal with this loss. That was, perhaps, the greatest women's soccer game ever played,'' said U.S. coach April Heinrichs.
"It hurts when you lose. But because of the way they played that game, I'm as proud of them as before the opening kickoff,'' she added of the defending World Cup champions who had won 11 games in a row after winning the bronze medal game in '95.
In four World Cups this was only the second game the Americans had ever lost.
"I don't think you get over this one,'' she said. "But I wouldn't want to lose any other way.''
It was a classic. And while the Canadians and Swedes went from one end to the other, too, and had their share of highlights, the game looked almost plodding by comparison.
"It was a great game and awesome atmosphere,'' said German coach Tina Theune-Meyer.
The atmosphere was indeed memorable, especially in the 57th minute when two bare naked, er, ladies carrying "boycott Adidas'' signs, streaked the pitch.
Hey, it's women's soccer. You've gotta use women as streakers, just like the refs, right?
Kerstin Garefrekes scored for Germany in the 15th minute heading a corner kick off the crossbar and down across the line.
"That was the exact same play on which we lost the 1995 World Cup,'' said Heinrichs of the goal on the only German shot of the first half. They went until three minutes of referees time was added at the end and the Americans brought everybody up.
LATE GERMAN GOALS
Maren Meinert scored in the 91st minute and Birgit Prinz scored in the 93rd minute.
It was hardly a 3-0 game. The shots were 15-13, shots on goal 6-5 and corner kicks 10-5, all in favour of the U.S. with the Americans holding a 54% edge in territorial play.
"When you gear up as much as we have for the last 12 months with one thing in mind, it'll be difficult to get it together again,'' said Heinrichs. "We'll take a few days off. Then we'll come back with the same pride and go out and play the same phenomenal match with gusto and enthusiasm and attacking game we played today. And I told Tina, the German coach, 'Go win it.' That's one of the best teams I've seen in years.''
