China PR played all of these teams at USA 1999: Ghana and Australia in Group D, Russia in the quarterfinals. They won the three matches by a total scoreline of 12-1. But before you read too much into that, say it with me: This is not 1999. This is 2003.

AUSTRALIA
Australia entered with high expectations. Drawn into a relatively weak group, they felt that second place was within their grasp. And so it was that after a close loss to Russia, the Matildas took on China PR, who had been underwhelming in a win over Ghana. Danielle SMALL put Australia ahead 1-0 after 28 minutes, but immediately after the break, ZHANG Ouying's shot attempt was within the reach of goalkeeper Cassandra KELL, but she punched it right to BAI Jie, who easily scored the equaliser. Throughout the match defender Cheryl SALISBURY, wearing the captain's armband, served as a second keeper, putting herself in harm's way to deflect at least two shots off the goal line. But missed chances were the order of each of their group matches, as they finished with a second loss and an early flight home.

GHANA
Memunatu SULEMANA was one of the top goalkeepers at the tournament. Her presence on the back line was needed on a few occasions when the Black Queens' marking was murked up. Four years after losing to China 7-0, Ghana opened against the Steel Roses but this time kept it close, falling in the end 1-0. A 3-0 loss to Russia eliminated them, but with only pride on the line against Australia, they had perhaps their best game ever. Alberta SACKEY scored twice in the last fifteen minutes of the first half, and Ghana held on to pip the Aussies to third place with a 2-1 win. But things are different in Ghana's women's football: the squad spent more than a month training in the US in advance of the tournament, and their matches were broadcast live back home.

RUSSIA
Group D got off to an action packed start in Carson, CA when Russia handed Australia a 2-1 defeat in a match that had everything. Kelly GOLEBIOWSKI scored for Australia in the 38th minute when Small's shot clanged off the post. But in the very next minute, Marina SAENKO's free kick was deflected by Matilda defender Dianne ALAGICH into her own net. The match remained level into the 72nd minute, when a shirt pull by Australia's Tai KARP was whistled for a penalty. Elena FOMINA stepped up to take it: she had Kell beaten but somehow bashed the shot into the bar instead of the net. She made up for it in the dying moments, when she seized a loose ball and fired a shot some thirty yards out. It deflected off Salisbury and in.

Russia added a second win over Ghana to earn a place in the next round, finished the group with a loss to Russia, and then were pounded 7-1 by Germany. On the whole, the squad was short of attacking prowess; they seemingly could not score unless a defender deflected the shot.

CHINA PR
China PR started very slowly, barely completing the 1-0 win over Ghana and then drawing against Australia. But they earned their quarterfinal place when they defeated Russia 1-0 on BAI Jie's 16th minute goal. Their quarterfinal against Canada, though, was when their offensive shortcomings caught up with them. China PR dominated possession, holding the ball 65% of the match, but of their 16 shot attempts, only five were on target. Oddly, though the Chinese spent more than a month in camp together, FIFA's technical observers were of the opinion that the Steel Roses' play lacked organisation. Certainly a team as talented as China PR should not have exited in the quarterfinals.

"Australia is the team in this group that presents the strongest challenge to China PR." This prediction was accurate in the sense that only Australia stole a point from China PR. Nonetheless, our expectation that China PR would dominate the group turned out awfully inaccurate, to the delight of the spectators who were given six intriguing and competitive matches.