HANGZHOU, China, Sept. 26 U.S. Coach Greg Ryan named Briana Scurry to replace Hope Solo as starting goalkeeper in Thursday's Women's World Cup semifinal match against Brazil.
Solo had beat out Scurry for the team's starting position and has posted four consecutive shutouts in the World Cup since an opening 2-2 tie with North Korea.
But Ryan pointed to Scurry's 12-0 record, including eight shutouts, against Brazil. The United States also won the 1999 World Cup and Olympic gold medals in 1996 and 2004 with Scurry in goal.
"I have never looked at Bri simply as a back-up," Ryan told FIFA.com. "In terms of her ability to make saves on long-range shots, tipping them away, and reflex saves to shots from inside the penalty box, I have just never seen a goalkeeper as good at that -- or a team who creates as many of those situations as Brazil."
Reports said Ryan would return to Solo if the Americans make Sunday's World Cup finals. The winner of the Brazil-U.S. semifinal will go against Germany, which stopped Norway 3-0 in its semifinal, for the 2007 World Cup title.
Copyright 2007 by UPI
