Women blank Norway

The U.S. soccer team kicks off the Games with 2-0 win.

By JOHN ROMANO

SYDNEY, Australia -- They were strangely quiet about the draw. The U.S. women's soccer team had every right to gripe about its plight when the Olympic schedule was announced, but the players kept their feelings to themselves.

Perhaps they knew something we didn't. Like, maybe, it doesn't matter who you play when you're the world's best.

The United States opened defense of its gold medal Friday by dominating Norway for a 2-0 opening round victory at Melbourne.

"I told the team that was the best performance against the best opponent in the first round of any major world championship," coach April Heinrichs said. "I also reminded them it's not where you start, it's where you finish."

That was the problem for the U.S. The way the IOC drew up the field, the start could have been the finish for the Americans.

The U.S. was placed in a pool that included Norway, Nigeria and China. The U.S. played 33 games this year and lost only four. Norway accounted for three and China was responsible for the other. Nigeria, the weakest team in the pool, was a World Cup quarterfinalist.

By comparison, the pool with Australia was ridiculously weak. Some suggested the IOC was trying extra hard to help the host team survive long enough to reach the quarterfinals.

"It's going to be difficult, but that's the way we want it," Mia Hamm said.

If the U.S. was feeling slighted as the defending Olympic and World Cup champion, it got over the insult quickly. Tiffeny Milbrett scored 18 minutes into the game, and Hamm followed with another goal six minutes later.

It was a first-round game, but it may have set the gold standard.

"Norway is still one of the best teams in the world," Heinrichs said. "And I have a feeling we're on a collision course with them somewhere down the line."

Getting past Norway in the first game was critical because it eases pressure on the U.S. in Sunday's game against China, which was the runner-up against the Americans in the '96 Olympics and '98 World Cup.

The victory was also affirmation that the U.S. is the team to beat, despite undergoing some changes. Since their World Cup victory, Heinrichs has taken over as coach from Tony DiCicco, Michelle Akers has retired and Siri Mullinix has replaced Briana Scurry in goal.

And, unlike the last Olympics and World Cup, this tournament is not in the United States. With that in mind, the team played more than half of its games this year in Australia and Europe to get accustomed to travel and unfriendly fans.

"The year has been long and difficult, but maybe it's a blessing in disguise," Julie Foudy said. "We feel we're peaking at the right time."

-- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.