NETTETAL, Germany (Tuesday, June 18, 2002) - In what many hope is a foreshadowing of the USA's historic clash with Germany in the 2002 FIFA World Cup Quarterfinals on Friday, the U.S. Under-19 Women's National Team opened its five-game European tour with a quality 2-1 victory over Germany's Under-19 Women's National Team in Nettetal, Germany, a suburb of Dusseldorf. 

The USA will also play the German U-21s and the Duisburg women's club before traveling to Sweden to face the Swedish U-19 women and the Hammarby club. 

In their first game since winning the 2002 CONCACAF Qualifying Tournament in early May to earn a berth the 2002 FIFA Under-19 Women's World Championship, the U.S. U-19s shook off the jet lag to earn a hard-fought victory over the two-time reigning European champions. 

Midfielder Lori Chalupny (St. Louis, Mo./JB Marine), who did not score in Tobago at the qualifying tournament despite numerous quality chances, scored the USA's first goal in the 40th minute, but Germany's Anne-Katherine Sabel tied the match 11 minutes into the second half.  U.S. forward Heather O'Reilly (East Brunswick, N.J./PDA Splash), who had arrived in Germany that morning after completing the last final exam of her junior year of high school, came off the bench at halftime and got the winning goal in the 72nd minute. 

The win over Germany was significant in that it was the U-19s first-ever match against a top-quality European U-19 national team and a team that is also a co-favorite to win the first-ever FIFA Under-19 World Championship being contested in Canada from Aug. 17-Sept. 1, 2002. 

Following was the USA's lineup for the match:
USA - Ashlyn Harris, Rachel Buehler, Amy Steadman (Jessica Ballweg, 46), Jill Oakes, Leslie Osborne, Kendall Fletcher (Sarah Huffman, 57), Annie Schefter (Manya Makoski, 46), Lori Chalupny, Kerri Hanks (Heather O'Reilly, 46), Lindsay Tarpley Kelly Wilson (Megan Kakadelas, 46).