No love lost: the Norway-United States rivalry has no historical or social roots, but it is the most competitive contest in women's sports

ONLY MOMENTS AFTER HER team eliminated the United States in the semifinals of the 1995 Women's World Cup, former Norweigan captain and defender Linda Medalen couldn't help but gloat "We were so happy when we saw the disappointment in the Americans' eyes," She says. "It was like, god, they couldn't believe it was true. Seeing how disappointed they were gave us the spirit to win the final. It gave us a lift."

Let's face it. These two teams don't exactly like each other.

"These girls are nice outside of the game, but between the lines we hate them and we are going to beat them," says Medalen, who retired from international soccer in 1999. "On the field, we just don't like them at all."

Not surprisingly, the feeling is mutual. "We definitely get pumped up every single time we play them," says U.S. defender Joy Fawcett. It's a very difficult game to play. To me, personally, those air balls and facing 8'0" women is very tough. We hate to lose to them."

Welcome to US. vs. Norway, the fiercest rivalry in women's soccer, if not all of women's international sports. "Both teams hate to lose and do everything to win," says Medalen.

That's because both countries have hogged the spotlight at the five major women's international soccer tournaments over the past dozen years. Either the U.S. or Norway has taken the victory lap in the finals of the three World Cups and two Olympics in which women's soccer have been contested.

The U.S. has lost only twice at those two events--both times to Norway. The Norwegians have lost only four times---three times to the Americans. That has intensified the rivalry because so much is stake whenever they clash.

It seems that every time these two great soccer powers meet in either the Women's World Cup or Olympics, another chapter in the history books is written. In the past, those classics included everything from drama to fabulous goals to great saves to lead changes to last-minute heroics by both sides.

Take, for example, what transpired in the first WWC championship game in 1991, when the Americans edged their foes, 2-1, on a Michelle Akers goal with two minutes to spare in a hotly contested battle in China.

Then-U.S. coach Anson Dorrance was spent after the match, remaining on the bench while his players celebrated. "I was just incredibly relieved," he says. "I wasn't happy. I wasn't excited. I was relieved that I hadn't let my country down. Isn't that a horrible feeling after you win a world championship? I didn't celebrate until I got back to the United States."

In the second Cup, in Sweden in 1995, Norway held off a late American charge in a 1-0 semifinal win. Norway went on to win the world championship.

In the 1996 Olympics semifinals, the U.S. needed an extra-time goal by second-half substitute Shannon MacMillan to secure a dramatic 2-1 victory en route to earning the first gold medal in women's soccer. "Since June 17, 1995, we have been working on ways to beat Norway," U.S. coach Tony DiCicco said at the time, remembering that awful feeling of elimination the previous year. "It's still not easy. This team has been trained."

As it turned out, DiCicco felt the same way Dorrance had. "I felt some relief," he says. "Any time you play Norway and are victorious, you have to be relieved. They work so hard and they put it all out there."

In that match, Akers converted the equalizer on a penalty kick. After the goal, Akers was so pumped up and happy that she jumped up and down as though the U.S. had won the game--a rather uncharacteristic and unusual celebration for a spot kick.

"What I respect about Norway is their mentality," says Akers. "Every time we play them, we are tested on how bad we want to win. To win at all cost--that raised the bar."

U.S. defender Christie Pearce agrees. "The games are very, very competitive," she says. "We're so familiar with each other, playing so many times with the girls here in the WUSA. Whenever we go out there, it's a competitive battle. Whoever shows up to play and puts more intensity into the game is usually the one who comes out on top."

Pearce played in the 2000 gold-medal match at the Sydney Olympics. In that game, Norway avenged a 2-0 first-round defeat and earned the victory. (A game that might be best remembered by a unique hat-trick by Tiffeny Milbrett, who hit the right and left posts and the crossbar before scoring a goal.)

In the game for the gold, the U.S. forced extra time late in the match Milbrett found the back of the net on a headed goal with about 30 seconds remaining in stoppage time. Milbrett and her U.S. teammates, however, could not find the magic in overtime as Dagny Mellgren--yes, the Boston Breakers forward--got a half step on U.S. defender Joy Fawcett and beat goalkeeper Siri Mullinix. "It's numbing," said Milbrett at the time. "Both sides gave everything ... We played the game of our lives."

Norway's European dominance and worldwide reputation cannot be understated. The Norwegians are the only team that enjoys a winning record against the U.S. (18-16-12). "Norway, they just know how to beat Us," says Milbrett. "They just have our number."

Well, not always. The last time these two superpowers met--at the Algarve Cup in Portugal in March--the U.S. prevailed, 1-0, on a goal by MacMillan. It was the first time the U.S. had beaten Norway three consecutive times in 36 games. It wasn't the World Cup, but it certainly was intense. "It was a full-on, 90-minute committed and concentrated game for us," says U.S. coach April Heinrichs.

The rivalry was forged during the formative years of international women's soccer. The two countries first knocked heads in Blaine, Minn., on July 5, 1987, with the U.S. prevailing, 30, in only the American women's 12th international match. "We're probably the first two countries to reach a high level of women's soccer," says Norway midfielder Anita Rapp, a member of the 2000 gold-medal team who plays for the New York Power. "It's been a rivalry for so long. You never know what the outcome will be."

Dorrance knows about winning and losing to Norway, having coached in several early confrontations. "We were training partners," says Dorrance. "At first, we were just trying to compete with them. When we first started the team, we weren't in their league. Then, all of a sudden, one day we beat them. We didn't just beat them, we crushed them, something like 3-0 or 4-0."

For the record, the Americans defeated Norway, 4-0 and 4-2 during a five-day period in late July 1988, in Winnipeg. "One of the people in this sport I most respect is that Norway coach," Dorrance says of Even Pellerud, who will lead Canada at the 2003 Women's World Cup. "I respect him for the way he accepted the defeat. Most coaches whine and give 60,000 excuses about why they lost in order to protect their own egos. He came up to me after the game and said, 'You guys were absolutely marvelous.' He pointed out all of the different ways we were so good.

"I was afraid of him because when someone comes up to you without fear and tells you how he was beat without excuses, he's telling me he's going to figure out a way to win [the next time]. And sure enough, it's been ragtag ever since. It's like he's beaten us and we've been them. It's been back and forth and back and forth."

If you think the rivalry has softened just because several Norwegian players have performed in the WUSA the past three seasons, think again. "It's a love-hate feeling," says Rapp of her relationship with the U.S. "I went to college in the U.S. This is my second season professionally here. I have so many friends here. I know people on the U.S. national team. I really care about them. I love American soccer. But I also want to keep beating them. I'm Norwegian. So when I step onto that field as a Norwegian, I want to beat them."

Who knows? Rapp and her teammates just might get another opportunity in October. Seeded and placed in different groups, it's stir possible that Norway and the U.S. will meet in this year's Women's World Cup. There are three potential situations in which that would occur: in the quarterfinals if one country finishes first and the other second in their respective opening-round groups, in the championship match--which would be the ultimate confrontation---or in the third-place game,, the least attractive encounter.

Regardless of where or when Norway and the U.S. play, expect drama and more memorable moments.

All-Time Series Results

Team            W     L     GF    GA

Norway          18    16    53    62
United States   16    18    62    53

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