Lilly Blossoms For U.S. In 4-0 Victory Over Japan

The United States is two wins away from repeating as the champion of women’s soccer.

Kristine Lilly scored two first-half goals, one on a spectacular 5-yard free kick, as the United States routed Japan 4-0 Tuesday and advanced to the semifinals of the Women’s World Cup.

Tiffeny Milbrett and Tisha Venturini also scored for the United States, unbeaten in the tournament after going 2-0-1 in the first round.

“Kristine Lilly is having an outstanding championship,” U.S. coach Tony DiCicco said. “She’s playing with a lot of heart and soul. It was great that she bent that first one in. That got us a big lift.”

The Americans will play Norway at Vasteras in Thursday’s semifinals. In the championship match four years ago in China, Michelle Akers scored both goals as the United States beat the Norweigans 2-1.

Norway, the only team to finish the preliminaries 3-0, beat Denmark 3-1 at Karlstad.

The Americans went ahead in the eighth minute when Lilly beat goalkeeper Junko Ozawa, who appeared to be screened. It was easily the best goal in a big-time game for Lilly, one of nine returning members of the 1991 championship team.

“I’ve been practicing and watching Michelle Akers doing them over and over,” said Lilly, playing a record 94th game for the U.S. team.

“To hit one finally, it feels really good… . Once we got the one goal the others started falling in. It was just a matter of us finishing one off because we had the pressure there.”

Lilly scored again in the 42nd minute, her third goal of the tournament. Milbrett, who replaced Akers in the U.S. frontline after Akers was hurt against China, scored her third goal with a left-foot volley in the 45th. Venturini added her second goal of the tournament in the 78th.

Briana Scurry, back in goal after serving a one-game suspension, was seldom tested and got her second shutout.

Norway advanced on goals by Gro Espeseth, Linda Medalen and Hege Riise. Gitte Krogh scored for Denmark.

“We are well prepared to play the U.S. in the semifinals, but we know that it will be a very difficult task,” Norway coach Even Pellerud said. “They have a very strong team. But so have we.”

China beat Sweden 4-3 on penalty kicks after the teams tied 1-1.

The Chinese will play European champion Germany, which beat England 3-0 on goals by Martina Voss, Maren Meinert and Heidi Mohr, in the other semifinal.