The first four-figure home crowds in U.S. Women’s National Team history witnessed previews of the inaugural Women’s World Championship final matchup. [Read more…] about Sept. 1, 1991 – U.S. 1:2 Norway, NE Sports Museum Challenge Cup at Tufts University Ellis Oval, Medford, Mass. (Att.: 4,752)
Norway had the edge on the U.S. in the New England Sports Museum Challenge Cup, winning both editions of the tournament. Mia Hamm scored for the U.S. Women’s National Team, then sustained a knee injury in the second game, two days later. [Read more…] about Aug. 14, 1992 – U.S. 1:3 Norway, New England Sports Museum Challenge Cup at Ellis Oval, Medford, Mass.
Mia Hamm scored twice and Michelle Akers-Stahl provided a dominating performance off the bench before a record crowd for a U.S. Women’s National Team match. The U.S. won the Chiquita Cup tournament under the guidance of Tony DiCicco, in his first games since taking over from Anson Dorrance as head coach. The U.S. goalkeeper was former UMass star Briana Scurry, who made her international debut in a 5-0 win over Portugal on March 16, 1994. [Read more…] about Aug. 7, 1994 – U.S. 4:1 Norway, Chiquita Cup at Fitton Field, Worcester (Att.: 6,511)
Kristine Lilly made her international debut as a 16-year-old junior at Wilton (Conn.) High School, along with Mia Hamm (15 years, 140 days). Just more than a week later, Lilly scored her first goal. This was a two-game visit to China – Lilly played her first game in the U.S. in 1990 and her first match in New England in 1991. [Read more…] about Aug. 3, 1987 – Kristine Lilly (b. July 22, 1971) earns first cap
This was the first title for the U.S. Women’s National Team in a fully-sanctioned FIFA tournament. The 1991 WWC was considered a “World Championship” (not World Cup) and games were played with 40-minute halves. The success of the ’91 event paved the way for the ’95 WWC in Sweden (won by Norway) and inclusion of the women’s game in the Olympics. Women’s football exploded as a spectator sport in the ’96 Games, 16 matches drawing total crowds of nearly 700,000 (64,196 for the semifinals). [Read more…] about Aug. 1, 1996 – U.S. 2:1 China, Olympic Games final at Athens, Ga. (Att.: 76,489)
Kristine Lilly set up Dagney Mellgren for goals in the 25th and 44th minutes as the Breakers (6W-9L-3D, 21 points) pulled within two points of a playoff berth before a capacity crowd. The match had been sold out for a month, partly because of the arrival of the Freedom’s Mia Hamm, whose future husband, Nomar Garciaparra, would hit a home run in a 4-3 Red Sox win over the Chicago White Sox in a game played simultaneously just down Commonwealth Avenue at Fenway Park. [Read more…] about July 29, 2001 – Boston Breakers 2:1 Washington Freedom, WUSA game at Nickerson Field (Att.: 11,681)
Jose Soroa’s eighth-minute finish over Tony DiCicco made the difference as the Astros (6W-2L-1D, 13 points) pulled within three points of the first-place Wildcats (7W-2L-2D, 16 points). [Read more…] about July 28, 1973 – Boston Astros 1:0 Connecticut Wildcats, ASL game at Boston College Alumni Stadium (Att.: 6,414)
Kristine Lilly cleared a 100th-minute Fan Yunjie header off the line and converted the go-ahead penalty kick for the U.S. After Carla Overbeck and Joy Fawcett scored for the U.S. and Xie Huilin and Qui Haiyan for China, Liu Ying’s shot was saved by former UMass goalkeeper Briana Scurry and Lilly’s PK gave the U.S. a 3-2 advantage. [Read more…] about July 10, 1999 – U.S. 0:0 (5:4 PKs) WWC final at Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif. (Att.: 90,185)
Shannon MacMillan opened the scoring in the 56th minute and Tisha Venturini converted twice as the U.S. blanked North Korea, 3-0, to finish in first place in Group A of the 1999 Women’s World Cup.
The U.S. then edged Germany (3-2) in Landover, Md., and defeated Brazil (2-0) in Palo Alto, Calif., before capturing the title with a penalty kicks victory over China after a 0-0 draw before 90,185 at the Rose Bowl July 10, 1999. [Read more…] about June 27, 1999 – Largest crowd (50,484) for women’s sporting event in New England
Spectators for the Boston Breakers’ home-opener at Nickerson Field included Mayor Menino, the Boston Red Sox’ Nomar Garciaparra and Lou Merloni, former New England Patriot John Hannah, plus Olympian Joan Benoit Samuelson. Homare Sawa scored past Tracy Ducar (Lawrence/North Andover) in the 62nd minute for the Atlanta Beat, which would go on to play in the WUSA final before a 21,078 crowd at Foxboro Stadium Aug. 25, 2001. The Breakers finished in sixth place in their first two seasons, then won the 2003 regular-season title under coach Pia Sundhage before the league folded.