tied it with a spectacular free kick in the 67th. Both teams are 1-0-1 in first-round play, their hopes of making the semifinals hinging on their final group games Wednesday. The United States plays Nigeria on Wednesday, while China faces Norway.
First daughter Chelsea Clinton and Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala were at the game, but any cheering from the official U.S. box was drowned out by a sea of thousands of Chinese fans waving flags and chanting ``Chi-na'' at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Gao's save looked much like Scurry's leaping stop in the World Cup final at the Rose Bowl, except that Gao dived right instead of left. The penalty was awarded when defender Fan Yunjie's left hand blocked Tiffeny Milbrett's cross in the left side of the penalty box.
Gao not only blocked Lilly's kick, but then also knocked away Cindy Parlow's follow-up as the Americans charged the net.
Sun tied the game with a 33-yard free kick after a foul by Mia Hamm in the 67th minute. Sun placed the ball in the upper left hand corner of the net, and all goalkeeper Siri Mullinix could do was deflect it off the underside of the crossbar.
Foudy's goal was set up by a 35-yard volley from Milbrett that Gao leaped to push over the crossbar. Shannon MacMillan then struck a perfect corner kick that sailed just beyond Gao's swinging right hand and onto the head of Foudy, who put the ball in the net for the captain's 38th international goal.
China, playing its usual precision possession game, had two good scoring chances in the first half. Jin Yan was free on a breakaway 30 yards from the net in the 11th minute with only Mullinix to beat. But she slowed and defenders Kate Sobrero and Brandi Chastain chased her down before she could shoot.
In the 18th minute, Pu Wei passed to Liu Ying in the penalty box. Liu advanced and was upended as Mullinix dived for the ball. China appealed for a penalty kick, but Swiss referee Nicole Petignat, the same referee who officiated the World Cup final, waved play on and the ball was cleared by Christie Pearce.
China started the same 11 players as in the World Cup final, while four new starters have emerged in the U.S. lineup since that game.
The U.S team had the last good chance to score, but Milbrett's close-range header was easily handled by Gao in injury time. AP
Five Chinese players sign with WUSA (2000-12-01)Sun: Best footballer in the past century (2000-11-30)Women's Soccer: China 1, United States 1 (2000-09-17)Sun Wen is first woman to be nominated for Asian soccer award (2000-03-21)Coach: China Still the Better Team (1999-07-11)
