Queens Held to scoreless tie in USA

In soccer terms it was a "friendly" -- an exhibition game aimed at helping the women's national team from Ghana prepare for next month's Women's World Cup tournament by playing their first game in this trip to the United States against a team of Spokane all-stars.

What could be friendlier than a 0-0 tie on a lovely summer night, under a starless sky and beneath a nearly full moon? What could be more neighborly than a game where the field sprinklers came on for a brief pregame salute?

"This was a good game for us because we have to stretch ourselves out," explained Alberta Sackey, captain of the Black Queens.

Indeed.

In getting to University High School for Saturday's game, the Ghanaian squad was struggling with jet lag and with the time change that corresponds with traveling halfway around the world.

It took three days of travel for Ghana to reach Portland, it's home base for the six weeks leading up to the start of World Cup play. Between leaving Accra, Ghana, Wednesday morning, the team changed planes four times, not including one missed flight, and passed through five time zones.

After arriving at Portland International Airport Friday night, the team was on a bus at 5:30 a.m. Saturday for the six-hour bus trip to Spokane.

"We're very tired right now," Sackey said. "We haven't had a chance to get very much sleep. We had a few players with leg cramps and things because of that."

Sackey is an old pro at international travel.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Woman Footballer of the Year, played in the United States four years ago in the last World Cup tournament. That appearance led to a chance to play soccer at Chicago's Robert Morris College -- where she is the team's striker.

"You have to get all of the travel out of your mind," she said. "You can't think about it. If you think to yourself `I'm tired, I'm tired,' then you'll be tired."

Sackey said the team is anxious to settle into a routine so that the team can prepare for its first game -- Sept. 21 against 1999 runner-up China at Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

Ghana plays Russia Sept. 25 and closes out Pool D play in Portland against Australia three days later.

Against the Spokane all-star squad, Ghana showed signs of too much travel mixed with glimpses of an explosive ability.

Midfielder Taa Avoe was electric in the open field -- displaying outstanding speed before falling to a nasty leg cramp with 30 minutes to play. Avoe came closest to scoring -- beating Spokane's goalkeeper one-on-one before losing control of the ball in front of a wide-open net.

Goalkeepers Lindsey Jorgensen, from Washington State University, and Anna Bacho, from McCalister, combined to shut out the Ghanaian offense, while Ghana keepers returned the favor.