US Beats Australia 14-8 to Win World Cup

July 14, 2001
High Wycombe, England
The USA came from behind to defeat Australia 14-8 and claim their fourth consecutive world title today. Cherie Greer, the USA captain, had three ground balls, three draw controls, and two caused turnovers to go along with one goal to earn player of the match honors. The USA, who had never trailed in the championships, fell behind 2-0 five minutes into the match, but scored seven of the next nine goals to take a 7-4 lead and the USA never looked back and won their twelfth consecutive game in World Cup competition, continuing a record. Sue Stahl, the head coach of the American side, has won every championship in which she has been the head coach, becoming the first person to win four world titles. In the 1997 final, the Americans also spotted the Aussies a 2-0 lead but came back to win the championship 3-2 in triple overtime.

Kelly Amonte won the opening draw but an American turnover gave the ball over to the Australians. Sarah Nelson caused a turnover and Greer scooped up the ground ball and the Americans set their offense. An Amonte shot was saved and the Aussies controlled the ground ball and took it down to their offensive arc. A misthrow was picked up by Greer and the USA started a fast break. Michele Uhfelder's shot hit the pipe and the Australians picked up the loose ball and started their offense. A feed to the middle of the arc from behind resulted in the first goal of the match, which went to the Aussies 4:14 into the game.

Bonnie Rosen won the ensuing draw and worked a give-and-go into the arc, but her shot was saved and the Aussies went on a fast break. A long lead pass into the arc resulted in the second goal for the Australians just over a minute later.

Australia won the next draw but as they were setting their offense, they charged into Jojo Connelly and turned the ball back over to the Americans. But the Stars and Stripes threw the ball away while trying to set the offense, and the Australians controlled. In the American defensive arc, Sommar controlled a loose ball and the USA got the ball to Greer, who took off downfield and forced a shooting space violation on the Aussies. A pass to Uhlfelder resulted in a wide shot, but Erin Brown jumped on the loose ball. As the Americans worked their offense, they lost the ball again and the Aussies took it back downfield. Sommar knocked the ball loose as the Aussies set their offense and Rosen picked it up for the Americans. Sommar controlled it and ran into the arc where she was fouled and placed on the 11. On the restart, she passed to Sarah Nelson who fired the ball into the cage for the USA's first goal which came 9:42 into the game and cut the deficit to one.

Australia controlled the draw but as they tried to pass it forward, it was intercepted by Rosen and the Americans went on the attack. Again Sommar drove to the cage, and this time drew the double and dumped the ball to Quinn Carney who was alone in the arc. Carney's goal exactly two minutes after Nelson's tied the game at 2-2 with 18:18 to play.

Sommar won the next draw and again the Americans drew a free position shot as a result of an Australian foul in the arc. But the Americans turned it over and the Aussies brought the ball down and drove the right side of the fan for a goal, putting them up by one yet again halfway through the period.

Amonte won control of the draw and Gallagher drove to the cage. She was fouled, putting her on the 11. A second drive by the Americans, this time by Connelly, also resulted in an 11 for the Stars and Stripes but the Americans pulled out to reset. The Aussies took the ball away and worked around for a shot, but it went wide and they regained control. A second shot also went wide but again the Aussies controlled the ground ball. A third shot landed in the back of the net, but a crease violation was ruled and the ball went to Sue Heether, the American keeper. Heether threw a long clear down the left side of the pitch to Nelson, who took the ball from midfield and ran it straight into the fan and scored, levelling the match at 3-3 with 10:50 to play.

Again Amonte won control of the draw and the Americans set their attack. An off ball foul on Amonte on the left wing gave her an 11-meter mark on the wide hash, and she ran it into the center of the fan and scored, putting the Americans up for the first time less than a minute after Nelson's second goal.

The Australians won the next draw but turned it over on a failed lead pass and Sommar picked up the ground ball. The Aussies took the ball away in the midfield and reset their offense, which was completed as Jen Adams rolled the crease and tied the game at 4-4 with eight minutes to go in the half.

Amonte won yet another draw for the Americans and the Stars and Stripes set the offense again. After working it around, Crista Samaras threw and opposite post feed to Randall Flynn, who quick-sticked the ball into the back of the net for the Americans' second lead of the match at 5-4 with 6:57 to play.

A draw control by Greer was taken right to the cage, and the Australians were whistled for a hard foul on Sommar who was placed on the 11. Sommar took two steps and rocketed the shot to the cage, putting the USA up by two for the first time just 45 seconds after Flynn's goal.

Connelly won the next draw and a shot by Greer was saved, but Uhlfelder controlled the ground ball. An American turnover gave the ball back to the Aussies, but the Australians gave it right back as Amonte picked up an errant throw. Again the Americans turned the ball over and the Aussies set their offense, but another errant throw was controlled by the Stars and Stripes as Connelly scooped up the ground ball, getting it to Heether.

Heether threw a long clear to Greer, who ran it into the fan and dumped it to Nelson on the right wing. Nelson threw the ball to Uhlfelder, who was alone on the left side of the fan, and Uhlfelder scored, putting the USA up by three at 7-4 with 2:34 to play.

Carney won the draw but the Aussies stripped the ball away and it seemed as if they would have a fast break, but an errant clear was picked up by Connelly and the Americans took it back upfield. A Uhlfelder shot was wide and Jenkins controlled it, but the Yanks turned the ball back over and the Aussies had a fast break which was converted by Sarah Forbes with 1:05 to play and put the Australians down by two going into the break.

Flynn controlled the opening draw of the second half and the Americans started right away as Amonte rolled the crease and dumped the ball to Dani Gallagher on the crease, who converted the pass for a goal just 31 seconds into the period.

Australia won the ensuing draw and took it downfield, but lost the ball in their offensive arc and Sommar controlled it. The Americans took it right upfield and Amonte again assisted on the goal, finding Uhlfelder on the crease for a quickstick goal 1:43 into the second half.

Australia again won the draw but on their attack, Jess Wilk picked off a pass from behind and the Americans took the ball back upfield. A Gallagher shot was saved and the Aussies controlled the ball. Jenkins fouled one of the Aussies in the arc but Australia drew out of the 11-meter and reset their offense. Again Wilk intercepted a pass and the Americans went on a fast break as Wilk found Nelson, who saw Ariza, who fed Flynn who passed the ball to Greer who was driving to the arc. An Aussie foul put Greer on the 11-meter mark, but the Americans pulled out and tried to reset their offense. The Americans lost the ball and the Aussies went on a fast break, scoring to pull within three at 9-6.

The Aussies won the draw but Gallagher chased the Australians down and stripped the ball away in the Aussie offensive zone. The Americans went on a fast break of their own but were unable to convert it before losing the ball back to the Aussies. The Aussies in turn lost the ball on the clear and Connelly picked the ball up at midfield.

The Americans worked the ball around to Greer, who was high on the left wing. She raced in 30 yards and threw the ball into the back of the net eight minutes into the half, putting the USA up 10-6.

Australia controlled the draw and took it downfield, but Carney knocked the ball loose and Kara Ariza pounced on it. An American turnover in the offensive arc gave the ball back to the Aussies, but Greer raced down the Australian and stripped the ball in the Australian offensive zone, giving control back to the Yanks. A Flynn shot was saved as the Americans reset their offense, but an Australian turnover gave the ball back to the Stars and Stripes as Ariza controlled the loose ball.

Ariza tossed the ball to Amonte, who fed Flynn cutting to the cage. A shooting space foul put Flynn on the center hash at the 11, and she fed Gallagher on the right wing who took a hop, step and a jump and buried the ball in the back of the net for an 11-6 lead with 19 minutes to play. After Gallagher's goal the Aussies took their timeout in the second half.

Australia won the draw but Nelson picked off the advancing pass and the Americans worked their offense. A Sommar shot was saved and the Australians brought the ball back down to their offensive end. Wilk was called for a foul right outside the crease on the goal line. The Aussies were not able to convert on the open cage, but they retained possession and a shot from the 11 by Forbes was saved by Wilk and the Americans controlled. Ariza's shot was saved and again the Aussies worked to set up their offense. Another Aussie shot was saved by Wilk and the Americans brought the ball back upfield. Nelson's shot went wide and Amonte controlled for the Americans. An Aussie foul put the USA on the 11, but the Yanks pulled out and then lost the ball behind the cage.

On their attack, the Aussies found Craddock alone in the arc and she scored with 9:13 to play, cutting the deficit to 11-7.

The Aussies controlled the draw but had a long pass to the arc go astray and Wilk controlled from behind. The Americans brought the ball upfield and Uhlfelder's shot was saved and the Aussies controlled. On the clear, an errant throw was picked up by Amonte and the Americans reset their offense, controlling the play for a good five minutes. Carney was fouled off the ball and was placed on the 11. She ran it in and scored, putting the Yanks back up by six at 12-7 with 6:18 to play.

Flynn controlled the draw and again the Americans ran a patient offense, but turned the ball over on the left wing and the Aussies brought the ball downfield quickly. An American foul placed the Australians on the 11, and two consecutive fouls moved the Aussies to the center hash. A shot hit the pipe and came back out to the field of play where it was battered around. An American stick popped it up, and it landed in the crosse of the Australian Michelle Lincoln, who scored to cut the deficit to 12-8 with 3:59 to play.

Ariza controlled the draw but the Americans lost the ball and the Aussies regained possession. Again Greer chased down the player and knocked the ball loose where it was picked up by Connelly, who got the ball to Wilk in the crease. Wilk threw a long clear to Nelson, who ran into the arc and dumped the ball to Carney, who scored for the USA with 2:24 to go in the match and the Yanks up by five at 13-8.

Australia won the draw and brought the ball down to the USA cage, but a shot was saved by Wilk and the Americans attempted a clear. They lost the ball and also fouled the Australians as they drove to the cage, putting them on the 11. Again Wilk saved a shot and the Americans again ran a patient offense. A Jenkins shot was wide but Samaras controlled the ground ball and the Americans reset. A pair of fouls placed the Yanks on the 11, and Nelson passed the ball on the reset to Samaras on the crease, who stuck the ball in the cage with 20 seconds to play and the USA up 14-8.

Greer controlled the draw and the Americans had time for a shot by Nelson that was saved, but that would be it and the United States repeated as world champions with a 14-8 triumph.

Cherie Greer, the USA Captain, was also awarded the inaugural Wes Patterson Award, which goes to that person in the championships who best exemplifies the ideals of the game in sportsmanship and fair play.

The United States has now won five of the six World Cup competitions, and are 24-2 in their last 26 matches, including 12 consecutive. The 2005 World Cup will be held in the United States.

Linescore
AUS 5-3=8
USA 7-7=14

Scoring summary:
25:46 AUS Lincoln 0-1
24:41 AUS Robb 0-2
20:18 USA Nelson (Sommar) 1-2
18:18 USA Carney (Sommar) 2-2
14:24 AUS Aston 2-3
10:50 USA Nelson 3-3
9:41 USA Amonte (FP) 4-3
8:01 AUS Adams 4-4
6:57 USA Flynn (Samaras) 5-4
6:12 USA Sommar (FP) 6-4
2:34 USA Uhlfelder (Nelson) 7-4
1:05 AUS Forbes 7-5
29:29 USA Gallagher (Amonte) 8-5
28:17 USA Uhlfelder (Amonte) 9-5
23:32 AUS Lincoln 9-6
22:07 USA Greer 10-6
19:02 USA Gallagher (Flynn) 11-6
9:13 AUS Craddock 11-7
6:18 USA Carney (FP) 12-7
3:59 AUS Lincoln 12-8
2:24 USA Carney (Nelson) 13-8
0:40 USA Samaras (Nelson) 14-8

Goals: USA: Carney 3, Nelson 2, Uhlfelder 2, Gallagher 2, Sommar, Samaras, Flynn, Greer, Amonte
AUS: Lincoln 3, Robb, Aston, Adams, Forbes, Craddock

Assists: USA: Nelson 3, Sommar 2, Amonte 2, Samaras, Flynn

Goalies: USA: Heether (30 mins, 0 saves, 5 GA)
Wilk (30 mins, 3 saves, 3 GA)
AUS: McSolvin (60 mins, 9 saves, 14 GA)

Ground balls: USA 24, AUS 25
Caused turnovers: USA 11, AUS 9
Turnovers: USA 18, AUS 23
Draws: USA 14, AUS 10
Fouls: USA 16, AUS 21
Shots: USA 29, AUS 15
Free position attempts: USA 10, AUS 5
Free position shots: USA 3, AUS 4