By Brian Trusdell
Associated Press
Saturday, June 19, 1999; 7:54 p.m. EDT

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey – Pretinha and Sissi each scored three times and Brazil lived up to its reputation as the best non-seeded team at the Women's World Cup on Saturday with a 7-1 rout of Mexico.

Katia added a penalty kick goal as Mexico couldn't stay with Brazil.

Pretinha took only 130 seconds to score and put her side ahead 2-0 after only 12 minutes. Sissi added two first-half goals in the final 22 minutes as Brazil put Mexico on the defensive almost from the start.

Played as the second game of the opening-day doubleheader after the United States beat Denmark 3-0, many in the record crowd of 78,792 at Giants Stadium had left by the start of the second half.

Brazil, considered by many the fifth best team in the world behind the United States, Norway, China and Germany, moved forward from the opening kickoff.

Pretinha sent a left-footed blast past Linnea Quinones in the third minute. Maribel Dominguez tied it seven minutes later, sending a shot from 30 yards just past the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Maravilha and barely inside the far post.

It was the only shot on goal Mexico would get all half.

Pretinha restored the lead two minutes later and Sissi signaled the start of the rout by bending a free kick from just outside the penalty area in the 29th. She scored on another free kick in the 50th minute.

Pretinha matched Sissi's hat trick by getting her head onto a cross from Marisa in the 90th minute.