CARSON, Calif. (July 24, 2005) – The U.S. Women’s National Team scored all three goals in a six-minute span in the second half with Danielle Fotopoulos getting two in two minutes while Shannon Boxx added the clincher in a 3-0 victory over Iceland on a boiling hot day at the Home Depot Center.

With the win, the USA moved to 7-0-0 in 2005 and extended its shutout streak to eight matches. The U.S. women have not allowed a goal this year while scoring 21. The USA’s starting lineup against Iceland featured just three players who started the Olympic gold medal match against Brazil on August 26, of 2004.

“This was another great opportunity to let the players play together and to continue to build rhythm and confidence, and I think they will walk away from this game feeling good about how they played,” said U.S. head coach Greg Ryan. “Just getting international games under your belt gives you confidence.”

Iceland, which showed some pluck and skill on the hot day where temperatures tickled 100 degrees on the thermometer, played in a 4-5-1 formation, packing its defensive third with players and making it difficult for the USA to create dangerous chances. Three headers got the closest in the first half, as Abby Wambach bounced one past the right post in the 22nd minute, Cat Reddick fired a bullet header over the crossbar in the 29th minute, and Angela Hucles flashed one by the right post in the 32nd minute.

The USA almost opened the scoring in the 53rd minute when Fotopoulos, who came on at halftime for Tiffeny Milbrett, banged a close range shot off the right post. She wouldn’t miss her next chance.

Iceland finally broke in the 64th minute as substitute Lori Lindsey won a ball in the midfield and played Boxx in the center of the field as she drove toward the goal. Boxx then hit a wicked drive from 30 yards out that knuckled before smacking goalkeeper Maria Agustsdóttir right in the hands. The Iceland ‘keeper spilled the ball right in front of the goal, then toppled over, and couldn’t recover in time before the charging Fotopoulos slammed the ball into the open net from four yards out.

One minute later, Fotopoulos struck again, this time on a header, re-directing Wambach’s perfect cross from the right side into the lower left corner from six yards out. It was Fotopoulos’ second two-goal game in as many matches and ups her career total to 16 goals in 33 career caps.

Boxx, who hails from Redondo Beach, Calif., just minutes from the Home Depot Center, finished the game off in the 69th minute, running onto a square pass from Wambach inside the penalty area to slot her shot into the left corner from 12 yards out. It was Boxx’s 12th career goal and fourth in the USA’s four all-time games at the HDC.

Two players earned their first career caps as Lindsey came on for Angela Hucles in the 63rd minute and Angie Woznuk, a former U-19 star for the USA, came on for Boxx in the 82nd. The debuts for Lindsey and Woznuk upped the number of players given a cap this year by Ryan to 28. The USA played without team captain Kristine Lilly who was back in her native Connecticut running her annual soccer camps. Defender Kate Markgraf captained the USA for the first time since a two-game series in China in 2000.

U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo picked up her fifth consecutive shutout, but did not have to make a save as the USA out-shot Iceland 27-0.

The USA also played without National Team regulars Lindsay Tarpley, Heather O’Reilly and Lori Chalupny, who are in Sweden with the U.S. U-21 Women’s National Team that defeated Germany today to earn a spot in their ninth consecutive Nordic Cup championship game. Tarpley had two goals in the 3-1 victory while O’Reilly notched the other.

“(Over the three games this summer) I learned that we have a lot of good players,” said Ryan. “I'm really happy with everyone who has come in. We've had 24 players in each camp and we've changed the rosters quite a bit. The good news is that we have a lot of good players to move forward with and any combination of the players we've called in can help us down the road. Tina Frimpong, Angie Woznuk and Amy Rodriguez, who is over in Sweden with Chalupny, O'Reilly, Tarpley, are young players that are just going to grow and grow alongside the strong group of veteran leaders we already have on this team in Boxx, Markgraf, Wambach, Kristine Lilly. We didn't even talk about Lilly today, and what a difference she makes.”

The U.S. team will now have some time off before regrouping in the fall for several more international friendly matches.

USA: 18-Hope Solo; 2-Heather Mitts, 4-Cat Reddick (14-Amy LePeilbet, 73), 15-Kate Markgraf (C), 23-Tina Frimpong; 3-Lorrie Fair (12-Leslie Osborne, 73), 7-Shannon Boxx (9-Angie Woznuk, 82), 11-Angela Hucles (21-Lori Lindsey, 63); 19-Christie Welsh (8-Shannon MacMillan, 63), 16-Tiffeny Milbrett (6-Danielle Fotopoulos, 46), 20-Abby Wambach.

Subs Not Used: 24-Kristin Luckenbill.

Head Coach: Greg Ryan.

ICE: 1-Maria Agustsdóttir (12-Sandra Sigurdardóttir, 86), 2-Gudrun Gunnarsdóttir, 5-Asta Arnadóttir (10-Iris Andresdóttir, 72), 8-Erla Hendriksdóttir (C), 11-Gudlaug Jonsdóttir, 4-Edda Gardarsdóttir, 6-Laufey Olafsdóttir, 3-Erna Sigurdardóttir (16-Bjork Gunnarsdóttir, 46), 9-Hrefna Johannesdóttir (7-Laufey Johannsdottir, 84), 13-Rakel Logadóttir (14-Elin Steinarsdóttir, 57), 15-Olina Vidarsdóttir.

Subs Not Used: None.

Head Coach: Jorundur Aki Sveinsson.

Referee: Kari Seitz (USA)

Asst. Referees: Felisha Mariscal (USA), Marlene Duffy (USA)

4th Official: Mark Arblaster (USA)

“This was another great opportunity to let the players play together and to continue to build rhythm and confidence, and I think they will walk away from this game feeling good about how they played. Just getting international games under your belt gives you confidence.”

“When she gets up there into the penalty box, she is not going to hold back. She’s going to cut it loose. We’ve given her the green light to do what she wants. She knows what she is doing up there. The area that we are retooling is at the back. (Lori) Chalupny is in Sweden and she is a back that goes forward. (Heather ) Mitts likes to go forward. We really need some athletic backs who are going to go forward and create goals for us.”

“They played great. They played off each other so well. They are veteran, smart players. They look like they wrote a manual on how to do it. They were so calm and confident.”

“We don’t really hold one player in a single position. We let them go across because we have so much versatility with them. Millie can go wide or in the middle, Abby is the same way and Welsh is the same way. And then Fotop, she’s a goal scorer. If you put the ball in front of the net she is going to stick one of those in.”

“She does everything well. She was good in residency when she came in and tried out last year. We knew we wanted to bring her back. She has a confidence about her that she can do whatever needs to be done.”

“She’s definitely a player for the future, how far ahead in the future is what we are trying to find out. Will she help us by 2007? You wouldn’t say no. You watch her now, you say maybe. We have to keep looking at her and keep bringing her in because she is creating chances. She sets people up, and they don’t know what’s coming. I don’t know what’s coming.”

“(Over the three games during the summer) I learned that we have a lot of good players. I'm really happy with everyone who has come in. We've had 24 in each camp and we've changed the rosters quite a bit. The good news is that we have a lot of good players to move forward with and that any of this combination of players that we've called in can help us down the road. Tina Frimpong, Angie Woznuk and Amy Rodriguez who is over in Sweden with Chalupny, O'Reilly, Tarpley are young players that are just going to grow and grow along the strong group of veteran leaders that we already have on this team in Boxx, Markgraf, Wambach, Kristine Lilly. We didn't even talk about Lilly today, and what a difference she makes.”

“We’re coming out and just learning about each other, but in the mean time we are having a blast. The coaching from Greg is different in that we are just coming out and doing what we do best as individuals, and in that way we can come together as a team. The team camaraderie that we have had has been fun and relaxed, but we get down to business when we step on the field.”

“I definitely think our defense is impressive. You can’t do well without a confident defense, and we have confident defenders back there. The thing that we have to work on is combining offensively, getting that rhythm, getting the feel and the emotion that we need to be relentless.”

“It’s not only the players that are out there, but I think it’s our coach too. When he comes in he says, ‘this is your team, this is your game, you guys go out and win it, and you guys have a good time doing it.’ He puts the confidence in the team. He pointed out today that there are only three players on the field today that started in the Olympic Final. Renewing that confidence among each other is what gains our feel for the game.”