U.S. Ends Strong, Finishes 3rd

Germany Shuts Out Brazil, Is First Team to Repeat as World Cup Champion: United States 4, Norway 1

SHANGHAI, Sept. 30 -- It was hardly the circumstance the U.S. national soccer team players envisioned three weeks ago for their final day at the Women's World Cup: serving as the opening act in a half-empty stadium, their long unbeaten streak dissolved, their top goalkeeper not even in the arena, their head coach being hammered by public opinion back home.

But here they were Sunday evening, facing Norway in the third-place match, determined to end an otherwise dark chapter in their illustrious history on a bright note.

With Abby Wambach scoring twice and Lori Chalupny and Heather O'Reilly adding goals two minutes apart, the Americans answered their worst-ever loss and the disruption caused by Hope Solo's critical comments with a 4-1 victory.

"This was probably one of the biggest games we've ever played," said goalkeeper Briana Scurry, who again started in place of the banished Solo. "We have always had some adversity, but this is uncharted territory for this team. The way we responded as a unit showed the United States at home, 'Hey, you fall down, you get back up swinging and you do it as a unified group, you can do amazing things.' "

Before Germany defended its championship with a 2-0 victory over Brazil at sold-out Shanghai Hongkou Football Stadium, the Americans restored some respectability with a performance that had been so mysteriously absent from their first five games. They were lively in midfield, took the early initiative and finished off their longtime rival with four goals in a 29-minute span bridging halftime.

It certainly helped to have played a slow, predictable opponent -- in contrast to the fast, imaginative Brazilians, who throttled the United States, 4-0, Thursday -- but the way it was accomplished was encouraging.

"We played looser, we played with more freedom, more creativity," said Wambach, whose six tournament goals left her tied for second behind Brazil's Marta in the scoring race. "I'm really proud of the way the team rebounded after such controversy and after such heartbreak. It shows the character, it shows what we are, who we are."

With her back to the net, Wambach redirected Chalupny's shot to provide a 30th-minute lead. Just after the break, she put away a loose ball created by Cat Whitehill off Stephanie Lopez's corner kick. Chalupny swung her leg in the way of an attempted clearance to score in the 58th and O'Reilly finished a rebound of Lindsay Tarpley's close-in attempt. Ragnhild Gulbrandsen scored her sixth goal of the tournament in the 63rd for Norway.

With this event over, the U.S. team will now head down an uncertain path toward the 2008 Olympics. Greg Ryan's future as coach is very much in doubt not only because of his decision to drop Solo from the lineup before the semifinal, but also because of the team's sluggish play throughout the World Cup. Ryan's contract expires Dec. 31 and U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati plans to evaluate the situation in the coming weeks.

"I don't feel like my job is yet done with this team," Ryan said of a squad that included five regulars in their first major competition.

Meantime, Solo -- who until this past week had been considered the long-term starter -- will have to repair her relationship with both Ryan and her teammates after creating a furor with her comments. With input from the veterans, Ryan decided to leave her off the roster for Sunday's game. Solo did apologize, but did not attend team events the last few days and was not in attendance Sunday.

Asked if Solo had a future with the team, Whitehill said: "It takes time and we're working it out. I've forgiven her and I think all of us have forgiven her. We are going to let her give it a try."

Wambach was not as clear, saying, "I would like to think that I would like to forgive her, but at this point, I want to celebrate this win and move past this."

Another uncertainty is team captain Kristine Lilly, the only woman to appear in five World Cups. Lilly, 36, has not decided whether to remain for the Olympics, though she did say the embarrassing loss to Brazil could draw her back. Leaving to a loud ovation in the 88th minute, Lilly waved to the crowd before embracing her replacement, Natasha Kai. She received a hug from Ryan and then a group cuddle with teammates.

In the championship game, Birgit Prinz and Simone Laudehr scored second-half goals and Germany finished the tournament without conceding a goal. Prinz, the World Cup's all-time leading scorer, got her fifth of this tournament by finishing Sandra Smisek's cross in the 52nd minute.

After Nadine Angerer stopped a poorly placed penalty kick by tournament MVP Marta in the 64th minute, Laudehr's eight-yard header off Renate Lingor's corner kick in the 86th sealed the victory.

"After the penalty save, I felt it was meant to be," Germany Coach Silvia Neid said. "We worked hard for each other. It was a great team performance. It was important to work against Marta, and we did a good job in pushing her to the sidelines."