Fast Break
Soccer
U.S.: “Where’s the love?”
Americans get up for the big events – the Olympics, for instance, or the Super Bowl.
Halfway around the world, 21 soccer players are hoping the three-week women’s World Cup – played in five cities across China – will grab the country’s attention. The top-ranked Americans are favored to win it all, but few back home have seemed to notice.
“It’s really stuck to me, and it’s kind of disappointing to see how America hasn’t taken to us,” said Cat Whitehill (No. 4, above), who will anchor the defense when the United States begins play Tuesday against North Korea. Defending champion Germany opens the tournament facing Argentina on Monday in Shanghai. The tournament wraps up Sept. 30 in Shanghai.
This is the same event that gripped the United States eight years ago when Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy and Brandi Chastain led a team that beat China on penalty kicks to give USA the last of its two World Cup titles.
Most of those celebrated names left after winning Olympic gold in 2004. What remains is a younger – perhaps better – team looking for an identity.
“I played on the team with Mia and saw how America took to her,” Whitehill said. “And because we don’t have Mia, we are kind of left in the dust.”
College football
Streak snapped
Heidelberg snapped a 36-game losing streak with a 37-26 victory over Oberlin on Saturday at Tiffin, Ohio.
Division III Heidelberg (1-0) had not won since beating Marietta 21-13 on Oct. 4, 2003.
Heidelberg rolled to a 24-7 first-half lead.
Jamar Lewis scored on runs of 3, 1 and 8 yards and finished with 53 yards on 14 carries. Kenny Sims led Heidelberg with 97 yards on 12 rushes. Steve West completed 15 of 18 passes for 210 yards, including a 12-yard scoring pass to Aaron Jonhenry in the first quarter.
Oberlin dropped to 0-2.
Gymnastics
Heroic Hawkeyes
It’s not so easy to get top billing in Iowa these days.
The Hawkeye state has two champions to celebrate. Gymnast Shawn Johnson won the world all-around title Friday at Stuttgart, Germany, to join Masters champion Zach Johnson as the second Iowan to make it big in sports this year.
Much as Zach Johnson – who calls Cedar Rapids home – did after his surprising win at Augusta, Shawn Johnson can count on receiving a hearty welcome when she returns to West Des Moines.
She’ll be starting 10th grade at Valley High School. She said reports of how she was doing in the all-around were piped over the intercom at her school about every half-hour Friday.
“They told me everyone in the office was crying,” she said. “I wish I could be there. But I’d rather be here.”
Johnson has two more chances to win medals today, in beam and floor finals.