Sports News

BILOXI— A sun-splashed crowd at Biloxi Stadium witnessed a surprising first half in the opening game of the 2009 CISM Women’s Soccer Championship on Saturday.

The United States team caught defending champion Germany’s attention, taking the lead at intermission.

Goals by Melinda Mokos and Maggie Merritt had the U.S. up 2-1 at the half. Germany then showed why it is the defending champion.

Behind two second-half goals from Barbara Legrand, Germany stormed back to claim a 4-3 win to kick off the week-long event.

The USA will try to bounce back today when it meets Korea in another Bracket B match at 6 p.m. Germany faces Brazil at 2 p.m., also in Bracket B.

Pool play will continue on Tuesday when the U.S. meets Brazil. The semifinals are set for Thursday and the medal matches will be next Saturday.

Mokos and the U.S. took a surprising early lead when she scored from the left side in the seventh minute.

“It was awesome,” Mokos said. “Britt (Brittany Perkowski) played a perfect ball and I just put it in.”

Kerstin Islinger tied the match for Germany with a goal 20 minutes in. Islinger booted in a rebound.

Later in the half, another perfect pass from Perkowski helped the U.S. go back on top.

With about eight minutes left in the half, Merritt took a Perkowski pass and her goal gave the U.S. a 2-1 lead.

“Britt just gave me a perfect ball,” Merritt said. “We had the lead, but we knew we had to hold them.”

That didn’t happen, as Germany came out on a mission in the second half.

Legrand scored two minutes in and 10 minutes later to put Germany in front for good.

“We were down at the half, but we felt we were the better team,” Legrand said. “It felt nice to get those goals.”

Stehanie Boerold scored off a corner kick by Corinne-Yvonne Holtgraeve to give Germany a 4-2 lead at the 25:00 mark.

The U.S. threatened late and scored when Delaney Brown lofted a floater over the German goalie with a minute left.

The U.S. is still ready to make its mark on home soil, facing Korea.

“We have a good team,” Mokos said. “We’re not out of it.”