FOXBOROUGH - There were two fireworks displays at Foxboro Stadium Sunday night, the postmatch holiday celebration that entertained the fans who had come to watch the Women's World Cup semifinal between China and defending champion Norway and the offensive pyrotechnics provided on the field by the Chinese.
The next time China takes the field will be Saturday at the Rose Bowl against the United States, a team it defeated, 2-1, April 25 in New Jersey, ending a 50-match US winning streak on American soil. And based on Sunday's dominating, precise, and spirited 5-0 romp over Norway, the US will have to be at the top of its game to avert another defeat.
''There's no doubt that China will be the favorite for me,'' said Norwegian coach Per-Mathias Hogmo. ''But they will face a very enthusiastic US team. The most important issue will be the speed of both teams. We looked at China for the last three matches and were a little shellshocked. They have really strong players. Their defense is so strong, and the way they attack through the midfield is very impressive.''
Chinese keeper Gao Hong, through an interpreter provided by World Cup officials, remarked after her team's semifinal win that she wasn't surprised at the outcome but was surprised at how quickly her team scored. ''That I did not expect,'' she said. Hong was never really pressured during the match, in which China scored in the third and 14th minutes while torching Norway's defense in the transition game and taking advantage of its free kicks and corner kicks. Four of its goals came off set plays.
That was the lament of Norway's captain and defender Linda Medalen.
''Our defense was never in control,'' she said. ''They were very good at free kicks and corner kicks, and I think the US team should watch out for them in those situations.''
Medalen said that even if Norway had been able to score the first goal, the outcome probably would have been the same. ''They were just very tough on the ball. They did a great job. We had no possibility to show our best today. They were much better than us.''
That wasn't the case earlier in the decade. After a disappointing loss to Sweden in the quarterfinals of the inaugural 1991 World Cup (won by the US), the Chinese shut down their women's national team program for two years. There has been a steady climb to the top echelon of international women's soccer since the program was revamped. China rebounded to advance to the semifinals of the 1995 World Cup. It also made it to the gold medal match of the '96 Olympics, losing to the Americans, 2-1, and it defeated the US in two of three matches this year.
Medalen, like her coach, feels the United States will face a hard test Saturday. ''It's the two best teams in the final. No doubt about that. The Chinese team we saw today was the best I've seen them.''
Lack of scoring had been a weakness in China's game, but no longer, thanks to the presence of talented veterans like Liu Ailing and captain Sun Wen (each of whom scored twice against Norway) and the speedy and elusive Zhao Lihong, who made life miserable along the flanks for Norway.
''I just think their passing and discipline are top-notch,'' said Boston University men's soccer coach Neil Roberts, who has watched the World Cup games and been impressed with the Chinese style of play. ''They never lose their shape. They're never out of position. They counterattack well, but when they lose possession, it seems they always get players back. They're an attacking team, but they never seem to get exposed.''
That isn't always the case with the Americans, Roberts analyzed.
''The difference may be that the US team, when it attacks, gets exposed defensively on occasion,'' he said. ''The Chinese haven't done that yet, from what I've seen.''
Indeed, despite their high-pressure offense, the Chinese did not allow a shot on goal in the first half. On more than one occasion, when a Norwegian attacker found a little breathing room, she was quickly marked by two or three defenders. Anticipation and team play were key components of China's game, described by its keeper as ''spiritual.''
''They don't seem to have that one dominant physical player, like Hamm or Lilly. They're just collectively very good,'' added Roberts. ''I was talking recently to a soccer official who has been to China, and he said they have an academy where they have trained their national teams and they are bringing in players as young as 6 years old for 10 months at a time for schooling and physical training.''
So what can we expect from the United States in the wake of China's rapid improvement and its demolition of Norway?
''Tony [DiCicco] is obviously a great coach, and they know all about China,'' said Roberts. ''The US women will be playing in front of 90,000 people, and I expect they'll do what they always do: go out and attack and try to score goals. They're not going to overestimate or underestimate them. They will respect them, but they won't fear them.''
Physically, said Roberts, China may find it difficult matching up to the US, especially on re-starts or corner kicks. ''The US team has been close to perfect in their set plays,'' he said. ''They've worked too hard and put too much on the line to be afraid of anybody. But what would concern me if I were in the US camp is the quick counterattack by the Chinese. They find the open lanes very easily - at least they did against Norway.''
