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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Soccer’s ‘Fab Five’ go out with the gold


 Abby Wambach, right, and Heather O'Reilly of the Team USA women's soccer team celebrate after beating Brazil in the gold medal match Thursday in Athens. Wambach's goal in extra time gave the U.S. a 2-1 victory.
 (Reuters / The Spokesman-Review)
George Diaz Orlando Sentinel

ATHENS – The long goodbye ended fittingly, with tears, embraces, and gold medals draped around their necks.

Young and old formed a circle for a big group hug in the locker room, a convergence of generations that defines the power of the United States women’s soccer team.

Persevering against a younger and faster opponent in the Olympic gold medal game that stretched into overtime, the U.S. defeated Brazil, 2-1, before 10,416 fans at Karaiskaki Stadium Thursday night.

It scripts a perfect ending for the “Fab Five” of this game, who first danced together in 1991, and have played in 1,230 international matches.

“There are few times in your life that you get to write the final chapter the way you want to,” said Mia Hamm “I think a lot of us did that today and feel good about it.”

Hamm, Julie Foudy and Joy Fawcett are retiring from the national team, leaving Kristine Lilly and Brandi Chastain as the leaders of a team that had struggled to reclaim national dominance in recent years.

After losing to Norway in the Sydney Olympics, and losing the World Cup to Germany on U.S. soil last year, the old and the new came together for the United States to piece together one final run at brilliance.

Abby Wambach scored the winning goal in the 112th minute on a 10-yard header off a corner kick from Kristine Lilly, securing Olympic gold and holding off a team that was clearly the aggressor.

Brazil more than doubled the shots on goal (9 to 4), forcing Briana Scurry into playing pingpong – bouncing from one corner of the goal to another trying to secure another save.

Only one would get by her. Marta fought through two U.S. defenders, taking a shot that glanced off the hands of Scurry after a save. Pretihna picked it off and scored a gimme goal, in the 73rd minute. The Brazilians would hit the post twice again in regulation.

Until the tying score, the U.S. was trying to pack its defense and hang on to a 1-0 lead. The U.S. scored the first goal after Lindsay Tarpley scored in the 39th minute, on an assist from Chastain, who could have been called for a hand ball seconds before making the pass.

“Futbol is the No. 1 sport in the world,” said Brazil Coach Rene Simoes. “I think one of the reasons for that is what happened today here. The better team did not win again.”

The Fab Five won’t quibble with semantics.

Women’s soccer wasn’t in the natural pecking order of sports when they started their run by wining the World Cup. A group that included Michelle Akers of the University of Central Florida would win again in ‘99, forever book-marked by Chastain’s rip-of-the-shirt exuberance after a penalty kick that sparked a national debate over sports and sex.

As the uproar subsided, so did the international domination of the U.S. women.

“I don’t take losing well,” Foudy said. “I know that whole thing about you got to enjoy the process and giving it your all. I just felt like the last two events (World Cup and Olympics), we’ve just gotten out heart wrenched. I feel good that we played hard, but we need to have a big gold necklace this time around.”

They would celebrate by singing the National Anthem off key on the podium and posing for pictures with swimmer Michel Phelps, the poster boy for these Olympics.

But undoubtedly, the soccer chicks are still cool. They’re likely to get another Letterman minute, and some more prime-time adulation before all the formal goodbyes.

There will be other legacies for other players. Wambach, 24, scored four goals in the Olympics and 18 in her last 20 games. Tarpley is one of two college players on the team.

The younger generation will have to wait for another day. This story belongs to the women whose journey is ending, only to embrace other possibilities.

Hamm, a veteran of 17 years, wants to start a family with her husband, Chicago Cubs shortstop Nomar Garciaparra. Foudy is expecting to remain active in social and political issues, although having children will soon become a priority. Fawcett has three children who need her nurturing touch.

“They get harder and harder, and this one was definitely the sweetest,” Foudy said. “Three of us are retiring, and maybe the number is growing after this game.”