U.S. Women Lose In Soccer Semifinals

Anson Dorrance’s grandfather would have appreciated Thursday’s turn of events that resulted in a 1-0 victory by Norway over the U.S. women’s soccer team.

In 1991, after his U.S. soccer team had beaten Norway, 2-1, in the final of the first FIFA Women’s World Championship in Guangzhou, China, Dorrance, the U.S. coach, said: “To be completely frank, the United States is very lucky right now to be the world champion. The 2-1 margin was the result of a mistake… .

“I think it fitting to quote a slogan my grandfather told me: ‘Luck is better than skill.’ The final was an even game. Norway had the run of play, but we got the break.”

But if world championships can be won on luck, they can be lost that way too. Even to the same team.

Here on Thursday at Arosvallen Stadium, the U.S. team found that out the hard way in the semifinals of the second FIFA Women’s World Championship.

In the 11th minute of their game against Norway, the Americans yielded a corner kick. Defender Gro Espeseth took it, floating the ball into the goal mouth, where teammate Ann Kristin Aarones awaited, hoping to head the ball into the net.

“I stood all alone and jumped and hoped for the best,” Aarones, a 20-year-old student, said. “I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, I saw the ball go inside (the net).

Aarones’ goal was the only one the Norwegians needed to defeat the defending champions and advance to Sunday’s final in Stockholm against Germany, a 1-0 winner over China in Thursday’s other semifinal.

“Getting to the final was most important, but of course it’s wonderful to beat the United States,” said Aarones, who, like all Norwegians, had been bitterly disappointed to lose the 1991 final on a goal by Michelle Akers 3 minutes before the final whistle.

Thursday, Akers was back on the field, but playing at what coach Tony DiCicco said afterward was “only 70 percent.” Injuries she suffered in the opening game against China had been too much to overcome.

Akers voiced the feelings of many of her red-eyed teammates.

“It’s like your guts are kicked out of you,” Akers said.