ASADENA, Calif. - Although the site of the 2003 World Cup has not yet been determined, Australia is the only bidder. And the Aussies aren't planning for anything close to an American-scale event. Their organizers, who are anticipating crowds averaging only 15,000, have only one facility (Melbourne's Colonial Stadium) seating more than 50,000. The plan is to play in eight cities - Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, Newcastle, and Wollongong.
Unlike the men's Cup champion, yesterday's victor doesn't get a free pass to the next tournament. That means the Americans will have go through regional qualifying for the first time since 1991. Not that it should be a problem. Last time, the Americans beat their five opponents by an aggregate of 49-0.
Guest stars
The American squad that won the inaugural 1991 Cup in China was invited back to watch yesterday's final. ''That's only fitting,'' said US coach Tony DiCicco. ''They were the early pioneers of the game and they probably didn't get their due by a year or two.'' Seven members of the 1991 team were still playing yesterday - Mia Hamm, Michelle Akers, Joy Fawcett, Julie Foudy, Carla Overbeck, Kristine Lilly, and Brandi Chastain... After original concerns that the five-day break between the semifinals and final would cause teams to go stale, it turned out to be a blessing. ''If they'd done it in less, the teams wouldn't have had enough time to recover,'' said DiCicco. ''They needed to have that much time so the game could live up to expectations.'' ... Though yesterday's attendance of 90,185 was a virtual sellout (roughly 2,000 obstructed-view seats were held out), the crowd didn't rank among the all-time top 14 for soccer in the Rose Bowl. The reason? The capacity has been downsized several times since the 1984 Olympics, when the record of 101,799 was set for the France-Brazil men's final ... Next up for the Americans will be the annual US Cup in early October. Teams are undetermined but they're unlikely to include any of the Cup quarterfinalists. Sites are also TBA, but one will be Columbus ... DiCicco's credo for directing the US women (coach them like men, treat them like women) was suggested to him years ago by Hamm. ''What she meant was be demanding of us on the field,'' he said, ''but don't be an in-your-face type of coach.''
Brazil all over again
It was deja vu for the Brazilians in the third-place match, repeating the 1994 Rose Bowl showing of Brazil's men in the 1994 Cup final against Italy by winning on penalty kicks. Six rounds were needed to settle the score after matters were tied, 4-4, after five kicks for each team ... Showing how far the women's game has come, the 1991 Women's World Cup matches lasted only 80 minutes of regulation time. In yesterday's final, China and the US played 120 minutes before going to penalty kicks ... The final was closely called by referee Nicole Mouidi Petignat of Switzerland. Prior to the final, she was best known for not calling a foul in the first-round match between Nigeria and the US. After Hamm and the rest of the Americans were repeatedly fouled hard by the Nigerians, DiCicco voiced his dissatisfaction with the officiating. In the final, Petignat handed out three yellow cards but was loudly booed by the crowd when it thought the home team deserved a free kick ... The closing ceremonies were held between the third-place match and the final, with actress/ singer Jennifer Lopez entertaining the crowd. The national anthem was sung by Hanson. However, the jet fly-by scheduled at the conclusion of the anthem came early. Hanson ended with ''the land of the free ...'' ... It took a little work from President Clinton, but Hamm's husband, Christian Corry, made it to the final. A Marine pilot stationed in Japan, Corry received permission to leave his military training. Clinton also took in the game ... Recently retired hockey star Wayne Gretzky sent the US team a good-luck note Friday night.
Raising the stakes?
Shouldn't the US women get more than a $12,500 individual bonus for winning the World Cup and filling more than 400,000 seats? ''We'll see,'' says US Soccer president Bob Contiguglia, implying yes. How much extra and where the cash would come from Contiguglia wouldn't say, but the answer should come tomorrow. Had the US males won last year's Cup, their payout would have been $380,000, but since the Americans finished last in the 32-team field, it was a low-risk offer ... Akers was so exhausted and dehydrated after coming out of yesterday's match at the end of the regulation that she couldn't come out to collect her gold medal at the post-match ceremony or talk to the media. Akers also took a nasty whack to the back of her head in the scrum during a Chinese corner kick just before overtime and lay flat on the ground next to keeper Briana Scurry for several minutes. ''She got her bell rung big-time,'' said Scurry. Akers, who has battled chronic fatigue for eight years, ended up playing 405 minutes in five matches. She was pulled at halftime of the Nigerian match, since the US was ahead by five goals, and sat out the North Korean match to rest for the quarterfinals ... Natick-born Sara Whalen, who was delighted merely to make the World Cup team, ended up playing the entire 30-minute overtime period after Akers came off. ''I would never have believed it,'' she said. ''I've achieved every goal I set for myself. Making the team. Playing a minute in the World Cup. Starting a match. Now, playing in the final. I was so happy just to be a part of this whole thing.''
