University of Massachusets Athletics
Scurry And Team USA Win Gold Medal
August 27, 2004 | Women's Soccer
Aug. 27, 2004
ATHENS, Greece -- Former University of Massachusetts goalkeeper Briana Scurry and Team USA defeated Brazil, 2-1, in overtime to win the gold medal at the Olympic Games yesterday. Scurry made eight saves in the championship game for the Americans. "We were bending, but we weren't breaking," said Scurry. "They were throwing the kitchen sink at us, but I knew we had the heart to win it." Scurry, while not announcing her retirement, has also said this will be her last Olympics. Her teammates had her to thank for not trailing by a goal at halftime. Scurry dived right, stretching her body as far as it could go, to barely get a piece of Elaine's 19-yard shot in the sixth minute. In the 41st, Scurry somehow pushed away a short drive from Cristiane that deflected off Brandi Chastain, ending a furious sequence that began with an indirect free kick from 10 yards out. The U.S. took the lead in the 39th minute. Chastain won a tackle in the middle of the field and passed to a wide-open Lindsay Tarpley, who took a touch to goal and ripped a shot past goalkeeper Andreia for her eighth international goal. But Brazil kept the pressure on Scurry, especially after halftime. With the United States trying to protect its one-goal lead, Cristiane dribbled by U.S. defender Kate Markgraf to slot it across the goal. Scurry lunged to put a hand on it, but the rebound fell to the feet of Pretinha, who tapped it in to tie the game. In the 112th minute, off a corner kick from Kristine Lilly, Abby Wambach perfectly timed her jump to top her defender and head the ball back across the goal and into the left corner. The game was the second consecutive overtime victory for the Americans, coming three days after the U.S. defeated World Cup champion Germany 2-1 in the semifinals. It proved a fitting farewell for Mia Hamm, Joy Fawcett and Julie Foudy, who have all announced their retirements. Chastain says she would like to reach the prestigious 200-cap mark. Lilly still doesn't know what she wants to do. The gold-medal game was by far the closest and most physical game of the Olympic tournament. Fifty-one fouls were called, and stubborn Brazil nearly spoiled the veterans' golden cap. Scurry has already accumulated extensive National Team experience, as she was the USA's starter in the 1995, 1999 and 2003 Women's World Cups, as well as the 1996 Olympics. She is 108-10-10 in her career, including 69 shutouts, more shutouts than any other goalkeeper has caps in U.S. history. In 1996, she earned two shutouts and allowed just three goals over five games, playing every minute of the Atlanta Games. Scurry was the back-up goalkeeper on the 2000 Olympic Team and did not play in the tournament.She regained the starting spot for the 2003 Women's World Cup and is currently the USA's first-choice keeper. Scurry minded the net for the Minutewomen from 1990-93, where she made 368 career saves and posted 37 career shutouts, both good for second on their respective all-time lists at UMass. She is also fifth all-time at UMass in career goals against average, with a mark of 0.56.