CHENGDU, China -- Blood streaming from a gash on the top of
her head, Abby Wambach came off the field. For 10 minutes, the
United States played short-handed while she got stitches.
North Korea didn't waste its chance.
The United States allowed a pair of goals while Wambach was off
the field -- one on a blunder by goalkeeper Hope Solo -- then rallied
for a 2-2 tie Tuesday in its opener at the Women's World Cup.
"When they scored right away as I went off I started to get
worried," Wambach said. "So I started to run to the locker room
to get stitches put in."
The top-ranked Americans, trying to regain the title they won in
1991 in China and 1999 at home, extended their unbeaten streak to
47 games. But playing in the toughest of four groups, they put
pressure on themselves heading into games against third-ranked
Sweden on Friday and Nigeria next Tuesday.
"I think the U.S. is the best in the world, but today they
didn't perform to their maximum," North Korea coach said Kim
Kwang-min, coach of the fifth-ranked North Koreans.
Wambach, playing on a sore right toe she injured against Finland
Aug. 26, put the United States ahead in the 50th minute on a rainy
night. She took a pass from captain Kristine Lilly on the right
side of the penalty area and beat Jon Myong-hui with a 13-yard shot
that the goalkeeper got her gloves on but failed to stop.
Five minutes later, Wambach was defending a cross when she
collided with North Korea's Rik Kum Suk. Wambach fell to the
ground, blood pouring from the back of her head onto her face and
jersey.
U.S. coach Greg Ryan decided not to replace Wambach, who has 78
goals in 97 games with the national team.
"It was a very tough call," he said. "The doctors said they
could get her back within just a few minutes. Abby is such an
important player to this team. I though we could withstand playing
11 against 10."
In the 58th, Kil Son-hui hit a twisting, long strike that
slipped through the Solo's hands, tying the score. Kim Yong-ae then
pounced on a rebound in the 62nd and shot it past Solo, who didn't
have a chance.
When the crowd screamed again, Wambach knew North Korea had
taken a 2-1 lead.
"I really had to hurry up the process," she said. "I was
yelling at the doctors to get it done quicker. I cursed some bad
words,and hurried up and got my jersey on and ran as fast as I
could."
Wambach re-entered the game two minutes later, and the United
States tied it in the 69th when Heather O'Reilly scored her 12th
goal -- her first in the World Cup -- taking a ball in the penalty
area that couldn't be cleared and putting it into the roof of the
goal.
"I was just moving around in the box and the ball just
seriously wound up on my feet," O'Reilly said. "I just tried to
get something on it -- to get it on frame. It didn't feel like it
came off my foot very cleanly. I was surprised it was as nice a
goal as it was."
Solo made two saves in injury time to protect the lead, first
sprawling to her right to parry away a shot, then grabbing a drive
without allowing a rebound.
"For the fans and soccer it was great," Lilly said. "People
saw attacking soccer, they saw goals, the teams were combatting to
the very end."
In other games, Sweden tied Nigeria 1-1 in Group B and Japan
tied England 2-2 in Group A.
Despite its usual poise, the U.S. looked unnerved at times
before a crowd of 35,100 at Chengdu Sports Center Stadium in
southwestern China.
North Korea, with many of the players that won last year's
Under-20 Women's World Cup, pressed the Americans. The North
Koreans ganged up at midfield to attack and mixed long balls with
quick triangular passes.
"I would say I have never defended as much," U.S. defender Cat
Whitehill said. "They came at us flying, they came at us with a
ton of numbers. I'm just glad we were able to stop them enough to
get a tie."
Ryan tried to encourage Solo, who rebounded from the bad first
goal with some excellent late play.
"A hundred times Hope is going to save that one shot, but this
is the one time it goes through her hand. It's unlucky," Ryan
said.
Said Solo: "It's a day in the life of a goalkeeper. The
conditions are slick and it is wet out there, but it happens."
In the other games:
-- Victoria Svensson put Sweden ahead in the 50th minute at
Chengdu, but Cynthia Uwak tied the score for Nigeria in the 82nd.
-- Aya Miyama scored on a free kick with five seconds left to
give Japan the tie with England. Miyama put Japan ahead in the
55th, but Kelly Smith scored for England the 81st and 83rd minute
at Shanghai.