For the first time ever, the USA didn’t finish among the top three teams at a women’s world championship. For the second straight game, Tim Schulz‘s Americans fell in a shootout, losing to Brazil, 6-5, after the third-place game at the Under-20 Women’s World Championship ended in a 0-0 tie.

The shootout went eight rounds but not before Swedish referee Jenny Palmqvist, who officiated the 2004 Olympic gold-medal game, mistakenly awarded the contest to the Brazilians after USC’s Amy Rodriguez missed in the seventh round. Palmqvist blamed the confusion on the torrential rain that wiped away the notes in her notebook.

Despite starting only two games, UCLA’s Danesha Adams won the Bronze Ball, finishing third in MVP balloting. Also named to the All-Tournament team were Americans Val Henderson (UCLA) and Amanda Poach (Santa Clara).

North Korea won its first soccer world championship when it crushed China, 5-0, in the final at Moscow’s Lokomotiv Stadium. Kim Song Hui led North Korea with a hat trick. Kil Son Hui and Jo Yun Mi also scored for the Koreans, who led, 3-0, at halftime. China started the game with star Ma Xiaoxu on the bench. Ma won both the Golden Ball (MVP) and Golden Boot (leading scorer) awards.

(Click here for Schulz’s reaction and the USA-Brazil game summery.)

    AWARDS

    MVPs:

  • Golden Ball: Ma Xiaoxu (China)
  • Silver Ball: Zhang Yanru (China)
  • Bronze Ball: Danesha Adams (USA)

    • Top Scorers:

  • Golden Shoe: Ma Xiaoxu (China)
  • Silver Shoe: Kim Song Hui (North Korea)
  • Bronze Shoe: Anna Blaesse (Germany)