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August 26, 2004 8:34 pm

Architects of women's soccer movement treated to fitting farewell

By BRYCE MILLER

Gannett News Service

ATHENS, Greece - As NBC television cameras gathered in front of the U.S. women's soccer team after beating Brazil for the gold medal on Thursday, the woman who scored the game-winner playfully jumped in the back row to get noticed.

Abby Wambach's time will come.

On Thursday, at the Olympics, the lights had to shine brightest on the core of the American women's soccer movement.

``This is the only way it would've been right for them to leave this game,'' Wambach said.

Wambach, the 24-year-old Rochester, N.Y., star of tomorrow was the star of today with a gold-deciding header off of a pass from Kristine Lilly in the 112th minute as the United States held off Brazil, 2-1 at Karaiskaki Stadium.

The overtime thriller paid fitting tribute to the architects of a national program that produced two golds medals, one silver and a sport-changing World Cup title in 1999.

Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Joy Fawcett and Lilly revolutionized soccer in the United States with a win five years ago against China at the Rose Bowl.

The group passed the torch on Thursday - Hamm, Fawcett and Foudy have said they will walk away after Athens - as the younger players moved to the forefront. Wambach and Lindsay Tarpley scored against Brazil, one round after Heather O'Reilly booted the semifinal winner against Germany.

``It's just going to get stronger,'' Hamm said. ``The future is bright - and it needs to be.''

Brazil trailed 1-0 before Pretinha scored in the 73rd minute to force overtime.

Lilly found Wambach on a corner kick about 22 minutes into the overtime, and Wambach outjumped a Brazilian defender to head the ball into the goal.

``I knew I hit it all right, but then it got a little phoofey - it kind of hung up there,'' Lilly said. ``And I was like, `Oh, shoot, maybe it's going to go too far.' But Abby timed it perfectly.''

The ``Fab Five'' of American soccer built the sport from the ground up with a gold medal at Atlanta, silver in Sydney, and the 1999 World Cup win that caused girls to chase soccer balls all across the country.

When Tarpley, 20, hammered in a kick from 23 yards out in the 39th minute of the match, it appeared the United States would continue its dominance.

The Americans had outscored its opponents 10-3 entering the final match - including a 2-1 win against Brazil earlier in the Olympics - and owns an 18-1-2 record all-time against the Brazilians.

But the Brazilians forced the pace and just missed winning the match with a pair of shots that hit the post in the final 15 minutes of regulation.``We didn't think we were going to come in here and kill Brazil, obviously,'' Wambach said.

The team lingered in the locker room long after the match - not wanting it to end - as player after player talked about the success of the past, and the promise of tomorrow.

``It was crazy,'' said Briana Scurry, the U.S. goalkeeper. ``A bunch of I-love-yous, then we were hugging and crying - it was awesome.''

Hamm, the 5-4, 134-pound women's soccer public relations machine, talked about the talent and potential of up-and-comers in U.S. women's soccer.

She also talked about the bond of five women who helped dent a national sports conscience filled with footballs, baseballs and basketballs.

``We're the best of friends,'' Hamm said. ``What I love about this group is that they embraced and understood the responsibility that they had.

``And there was never one moment where they didn't want it.''

Wambach, who jumped to the front of women's soccer on Thursday before being forced to the back when the TV cameras rolled, marveled at the icons in cleats who helped make it all happen.

``They put women's soccer on the map,'' Wambach said. ``They put female sports, in a lot of ways, on the map.''

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