U.S. Women Strike Fast, Let Defense Do the Rest

United States 1, Nigeria 0

SHANGHAI, Sept. 18 -- The match was not even a minute old when Cat Whitehill, who grew up tossing footballs with her dad in their back yard in Alabama, put her shoulders into a throw-in. The target, as it usually is for the U.S. women's national soccer team, was sturdy striker Abby Wambach, who used her head to guide the ball into the heart of the Nigerian penalty area.

Lori Chalupny, a quiet midfielder playing in her first Women's World Cup, settled the ball with her chest and then poked an eight-yard shot off a defender's foot and into the left corner of the net.

One sequence, one goal, one step closer to a third world title.

Chalupny's sudden strike endured 89 minutes, sporadic downpours generated by an approaching typhoon and Nigeria's late pressure Tuesday night as the United States secured a 1-0 victory and a quarterfinal berth.

Coupled with co-leader North Korea's 2-1 loss to Sweden, the top-ranked Americans (2-0-1) conquered Group B -- called the "Group of Death" because of the quality of teams drawn together -- and avoided a showdown with defending champion Germany. Instead, they will face upstart England, the Group A runner-up, on Saturday in Tianjin.

"To get out of a group like this in first place is an amazing achievement," said Chalupny, 23, whose fifth international goal extended the U.S. team's unbeaten streak in regulation play to 50 games before 6,100 spectators at soggy Shanghai Hongkou Football Stadium.

While winning the group was admirable, the manner in which the Americans accomplished it was underwhelming. They had to come from behind in the opener to tie North Korea -- which will face Germany in the quarterfinals -- and needed a world-class finish by Wambach to finish off the Swedes last Friday. In the finale, they missed their chance to pull away just before halftime and then had to survive three quality late bids by a Nigerian squad (0-2-1) that United States had beaten soundly in three previous meetings.

"You have not seen our best soccer yet," said U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo, who has performed well the past two matches after letting a ball slip between her hands against North Korea. "We're not even close to the caliber of team we are. I hope we reach that potential the next game because we don't want to go home."

The Americans have labored with their midfield possession game and failed to generate a consistent supply of scoring opportunities. That, in turn, has made them exceedingly reliant on their back line to extinguish opponents' forays.

"Honestly, they're giving us the chance to win games because we've got to score more goals for them," Coach Greg Ryan said of defenders Whitehill, Kate Markgraf, Christie Rampone and Stephanie Lopez. "Right now they are doing so well. They are allowing us to win games only with one goal."

That one goal Tuesday came shortly after kickoff when Whitehill, a college football junkie whose father played free safety for one year at Virginia Tech, flung her throw-in to Wambach. "He vowed to himself that he would always teach me to throw a ball, whether it was a baseball or football or anything," Whitehill said of her dad, Phil.

Wambach's header set up Chalupny, who said: "Abby just got the perfect flick on it and it just happened to bounce right to me. I was able to get a touch on it and slide it away."

The goal was a surprise, not only because it happened so fast, but because the Americans had made a habit of slow starts in this tournament. They could have had more against Nigeria, but Kristine Lilly's free kicks were a bit off target and Nigeria goalie Precious Dede made a spectacular soaring save on Wambach's header.

Clumsy and tentative before halftime, Nigeria was more confident on the ball in the second half and began to make courageous runs. In the 75th minute, Perpetua Nkwocha's right-side burst ended with an eight-yard shot that skidded fractionally wide of the far post, and 10 minutes later, Solo ended a scramble in the six-yard box by pouncing on the unclaimed ball.

"Apart from the slight mistake in the first minute of the game," Nigeria Coach Ntiero Effiom said, "I thought it could have been another story."

As for the Americans, they will bunker down in their downtown hotel Wednesday while Typhoon Wipha threatens China's financial capital with up to eight inches of rain and 60-mph winds. They are then scheduled to fly 700 miles north to face an England team that has, according to Ryan, "come a long, long way."

While at first glance the Americans seem considerable favorites to advance, their own shortcomings the last week have exposed them to a possible upset.

"Every single game was extremely tough, mentally and physically for us," Solo said of the first round. "We know we have to do better."