Goals achieved as US avoids Brazil

SHENYANG, China - The US women's team finally found its scoring touch at the Olympics.

Heather O'Reilly scored less than a minute into the match yesterday, and Amy Rodriguez, Lindsay Tarpley, and former Boston Breaker Angela Hucles added a goal each to give the United States a 4-0 win over New Zealand and set up a quarterfinal matchup against Canada Friday in Shanghai.

"Scoring four goals is such a special feeling for us," Rodriguez said. "I'm so proud of the goals today and of how we performed out there."

The goals were crucial to help the defending champions finish first in Group G and avoid a match against title contender Brazil. The US and Norway finished with 6 points each atop the group, but the Americans won the tiebreaker on goal difference. Norway fell, 5-1, to Japan in Shanghai.

Six of the last eight US wins had come by 1-0 scores. The team was coming off a 1-0 win over Japan and a 2-0 loss to Norway in the Olympics.

O'Reilly put the Americans on the board 40 seconds into the match, firing a long-range right-footer over New Zealand goalkeeper Jenny Bindon. She controlled the ball just beyond the center circle before advancing and striking a rainbow shot over Bindon, who was off her net and couldn't return in time to make the stop.

The match marked the return of US starting defender Lori Chalupny, who missed the team's match against Japan because of dizziness after a collision with teammate Hope Solo in the opener.

Coach Pia Sundhage, former coach of the Breakers, used Rachel Buehler instead of veteran Kate Markgraf. Markgraf, also a former Breaker, started the first two matches.

The US would have had to face Brazil in the next round if it had finished second, setting up a rematch of the Olympic final from four years ago in Athens. The Brazilians won Group F with a 3-1 win against Nigeria yesterday in Beijing.

In other quarterfinals Friday, Brazil will face Norway, Sweden will take on World Cup champ Germany, and China will meet Japan.