Bon Jovi meets U.S. team

Wednesday, September 24, 2003
ASSOCIATED PRESS



Mia Hamm walked through the lobby of a Philadelphia hotel without being noticed. Instead, fans - and several of her U.S. teammates - headed for Jon Bon Jovi.

The rock star was in town making appearances on behalf of the Philadelphia Soul, the new Arena Football League expansion franchise he owns. The Soul will play next season.

Among the players who met Bon Jovi and got T-shirts: Christie Pearce, Cindy Parlow, Kate Sobrero, Cat Reddick, Aly Wagner, Kylie Bivens and Tiffeny Milbrett.

No need to ask him about investing in the WUSA since it ceased operations last week due to lack of sponsors and finances.

"No," Parlow said with a laugh. Then she paused: "Maybe I should have."

Columbus sellout

Sunday's Group A doubleheader featuring the United States against North Korea and Nigeria vs. Sweden at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, is the first sellout of the World Cup.

Fans from 42 states, three countries, two U.S. territories and the District of Columbia have purchased tickets. Crew Stadium has a capacity of 22,555.

Praise for Hamm

Pierluigi Collina, perhaps the most respected and recognizable soccer referee in the world, was so impressed when he first saw American star Mia Hamm in action he thought he was watching a man play soccer.

"Normally it's not a very elegant thing to compare a woman to a man," the Italian referee writes in his autobiography, "The Rules of the Game."

"But, if we speak of technical ability, I think it might be considered a compliment."

Collina said he was impressed most while officiating at the 1996 Olympics, which the American women won.

"On the way to the organizing committee's office where our identification cards and passes were being issued, we had to walk past a pitch where, at that moment, a team was training.

Some players were practicing long shots, and I remember that, from far off, I was particularly impressed by the power and precision of one of them," he writes.

"Then, as I got nearer, came the surprise: I discovered that the team in question was the United States women's lineup and the player was Mia Hamm.

"And today I still wonder how I ever managed to mistake her for a man."

Unretiring keeper

The key to Norway's bid for a second World Cup title might be goalkeeper Bente Nordby coming out of retirement.

Nordby was superb in a 2-0 opening victory against France. Norway plays Brazil, the other top contender in Group B, on today in Washington.