CLAREMONT, Calif. - Some of them had caught televised snippets of the ''other'' World Cup semifinal between snacks and chitchat at their postmatch reception. The rest overheard updates from time to time. One-nil, two-nil, three-nil, etc.
Michelle Akers says only 90 minutes of good soccer will beat China. (AP Photo)
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The US women's soccer team wasn't surprised that the Chinese beat the Norwegians in steamy Foxborough Sunday night. What surprised them, as it did everybody else, was the massive margin. ''A 5-0 score,'' concluded forward Tiffeny Milbrett with cocked eyebrow, ''is very surprising.''
The Americans, who've played the Chinese so often during the past five years that they might as well be the Washington Generals, knew that China was no worse than the second-best team on the planet. And they knew that the rebuilding Norwegians weren't close to the side that knocked the US team out of the Cup in 1995.
''I expected China to win,'' coach Tony DiCicco was saying yesterday, as his squad began preparing here for Saturday's sold-out Rose Bowl showdown. ''I did not expect a 5-0 game. I expected Norway would at least score.''
The Chinese have never scored five goals on the US. Only once have they scored more than two. But their humiliation of the defending champions rang a warning bell that the Yanks were still hearing yesterday.
''The US is going to have to start playing soccer,'' midfielder Michelle Akers said flatly. ''We've played so far on guts and mentality. Our game hasn't been consistent even for 30 minutes at a time. We're going to have to play 90 minutes of good soccer against China.''
A quick glance at the scorebook shows a US team that, with the exception of its quarterfinal struggle with Germany, seems to have cruised to the final on autopilot - 3-0, 7-1, 3-0, 3-2, 2-0. But it hasn't been nearly that easy, and the US team hasn't been nearly that dominant.
The Americans didn't put away the Danes until the 73d minute. They gave up a goal to the Nigerians on their first rush. They put a ball in their own net and fell behind twice to the Germans. They didn't score on the North Koreans until the 56th minute. And their two goals against Brazil came on a keeper giveaway and a penalty kick.
''Our personality players are going to have to start coming up big and start sticking them in the net,'' Akers said. ''Our midfield will have to start possessing the ball. Our defense has done a terrific job for the most part, with the exception of a couple of freakout periods. But we can't have any more freakout periods.''
Or else the Chinese, who've already beaten the US twice this year and ended the Americans' 50-match home unbeaten streak in April, will finish them off and carry off the Cup. The Americans might only have gotten snippets and updates from Foxborough (they'll watch an edited tape this week), but they were able to fill in the rest from memory and imagination.
''We knew even before the media and the public did that there were other teams that could win this Cup, and China has always been one of those teams,'' said DiCicco. ''They're playing with a lot of confidence. And they're obviously on a mission.''
The Chinese lost the bronze medal to the Americans last time by shutout. They lost the Olympic gold medal to them by a goal in 1996. They lost the Goodwill Games to them last summer by shutout. What does it take to stand atop a podium?
''The Chinese must be bitter toward us,'' mused Milbrett. ''Until this year, every major competition since 1995 has always gone our way. They must think, `God, we've got to get this thorn out of our side.'''
The Chinese have been spending so much time in airport departure lounges (while keeping their body clocks set to Pacific Daylight Time) that they haven't had much chance to check out their Yankee tormentors. But they did get to watch some of their match against Brazil before they went out and dismantled the Norwegians. ''The teams were even, but Brazil needed more luck,'' observed coach Ma Yuanan. ''But it was expected that the US would win the game.''
It was expected, too, that the Chinese would win their semi. But not by a walkover. ''Norway looked tired,'' keeper Briana Scurry said. ''I've never seen them so tired.''
The Chinese looked as if they could have played another 90 minutes. Then they boarded another cross-country jet (their fourth), arrived here at dinnertime Monday, and went through a two-hour practice yesterday afternoon in full uniform with long sleeved jerseys in 95-degree heat.
The Chinese asked specifically for the 1 p.m. practice slot all week. ''Because the final is at that time,'' Ma explained yesterday. His women are on a mission - and the Americans hear the mission bell clanging.
