LOS ANGELES, 23 September 2003 — Sun Wen, the Golden Ball winner and leading scorer of the 1999 Women’s World Cup, picked up where she left off, scoring the lone goal in China’s 1-0 Group D victory over Ghana on Sunday night.
After taking a throw-in on the left side, Bai Jie raced quickly toward the goal line and sent a cross to the far post. As goalkeeper Memunatu Sulemana jumped, the ball sailed beyond her reach and a leaping Sun headed the ball home in the 29th minute.
China, who finished second to the United States four years ago, made sure the goal stood up behind a rock solid defense and goalkeeper Zhao Yan.
Sun, who has said she will retiring from football after the cup, also produced a key defensive play, blocking Alberta Sackey’s free kick with her face in the 57th minute. Sun fell to the ground and laid motionless before quickly getting up and resuming play before a crowd of 10,027 at the Home Depot Center in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson.
China had hoped to be opening their 2003 campaign in front of home fans. But the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) prompted FIFA to move the tournament to the United States.
Instead China will host the 2007 Cup.
In the first game of the Carson doubleheader, Elena Fomina made up for missing a penalty, connecting for the winning goal in the 89th minute to boost Russia to a 2-1 Group D triumph over Australia in a game that could go a long way to determine which country reaches the quarterfinals. Fomina took a penalty kick in the 71st minute that she rattled off the crossbar. She had an opportunity to atone for her mistake as time was running out in regulation, firing home a Galina Komarova feed from 20 yards past a diving goalkeeper Cassandra Kell.
Australia, which has never won a World Cup match, had taken a 1-0 edge as Kelly Golebiowski converted a rebound of Danielle Small’s shot in the 37th minute.
The Russians, however, equalized a minute later on an own goal by Australian defender Dianne Alagich. Russian defender Marian Saenko took a free kick that deflected off the right shin of Alagich past Kell.
In Washington, the United States opened their bid for a third Women’s World Cup title with a 3-1 win over Sweden in Group A.
Mia Hamm, well-known for her scoring abilities, turned playmaker, setting up all three goals for the defending champions.
Hamm sent Kristine Lilly the final pass for the first goal of the match in the 27th minute. She added a pair of corner kicks that were converted via headers by Cindy Parlow in the 36th minute and Shannon Boxx in the 78th minute. Boxx, a defensive midfielder, became the first US player to score in her first three international matches.
Victoria Svensson closed scored Sweden’s lone goal in the 58th minute. In the second game of the doubleheader in Washington, Brazil joined Norway atop the Group B table, shutting down World Cup newcomers South Korea 3-0. Katia, who had a benign tumor removed weeks before the start of the tournament, scored twice within a seven-minute span in the second half to put the game away. Katia beat goalkeeper Kim Jung-Mi in the 55th and 62nd minutes.
