Women's world cup venue finalised by FIFA

ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) -- The 2003 Women's World Cup will be played in the United States, FIFA said Monday. The world soccer governing body selected the U.S. bid over one from Sweden, three weeks after moving the tournament from China because of the SARS virus.

The choice by FIFA's eight-member emergency committee was widely expected because the United States was considered best equipped to handle the 16-team tournament on such short notice. "The exact schedule of the competition will be announced shortly, but the tournament will still take place around the same period (23 September - 11 October 2003), with only a few minor changes to the schedule," a FIFA announcement said.

It said the Emergency Committee also decided that China would retain its automatic qualification for the tournament and that the allocation of qualification slots per confederation will remain the same - AFC 2.5, CAF 2, CONCACAF 2.5, CONMEBOL 2, OFC 1, UEFA 5. Mexico will face an AFC opponent in a playoff for the final slot upon completion of the AFC qualification tournament, due to be held from June 10-22 in Thailand.

The United States staged the highly successful 1999 World Cup, highlighted by a crowd of 90,125 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California for the final. The Americans beat China in a shootout for the title, making household names of Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain and Briana Scurry. "The Women's World Cup in 1999 was so successful that FIFA is delighted to see the event return to the United States," said Joseph S. Blatter, president of the body. But the 2003 event most likely won't be so grand.

Four years ago, games were held in June and July, with little competition from other major U.S. sports. This year, the World Cup will be up against the NFL, college football, the end of the baseball season and beginning of the playoffs, and the NHL openers. In accepting the U.S. bid, FIFA is expected to change the dates of the tournament to conform with stadium availability. "While it won't duplicate what we did in '99 in terms of the time of the year and the years of preparation that we had, I think it can be special," U.S. coach April Heinrichs said.

"There's a buzz about it." Added Brandi Chastain, whose penalty kick gave the Americans the 1999 championship: "There's nothing quite like playing in front of 90,000-plus screaming USA fans. If we could do that again, it would be marvelous -- not only for the players on the national team, but for every young girl especially who comes to any WUSA game or hadn't had the opportunity in '99 to come to a game." U.S. Soccer plans to use staffers from Major League Soccer and the Women's United Soccer Association to run the World Cup, which the Americans also won in 1991.

Norway was the 1995 winner, when the event was held in Sweden. China will host the 2007 tournament. "I would like to reiterate my gratitude to the Chinese Football Association for their understanding and cooperation with FIFA following the Executive Committee's decision on 3 May," Blatter said. He also expressed thanks to the national associations that declared an interest in stepping in "in such trying circumstances." Australia, Canada and Italy also had offered to take over, FIFA noted.