Abby Wambach scored her 12th goal of 2004 and her 26th in 37 international appearances, but the U.S. women's national team Sunday settled for a 1-1 draw with Japan in Louisville, Ky.

It was the third successive meeting that has ended in a tie, following a 1-1 draw in December 2000 and a scoreless game in January 2003. A U.S. side missing most of the top American players played Japan to a 0-0 tie in a scrimmage Wednesday in Carson, Calif.

The Japanese, who seemed to benefit more than their hosts from the synthetic surfact at Cardinal Stadium, were the better side for more of the game and were unfortunate not to win.

Eriko Arakawa beat U.S. goalkeeper Briana Scurry 1-on-1 in the 20th minute after a tremendous long ball from Tomomi Miyamoto left her clear of the U.S. backline.

The goal came during a frenetic four minutes in which Lindsay Tarpley saved an Aya Shirokozuru shot off the goal line and Scurry knocked down a blast by Mio Otani.

The Americans, lackluster the first half, was far more energetic and fluid in the second, with three halftime substitutes making impacts. Aly Wagner provided a creative spark, and Brandi Chastain and Christie Rampone expertly ran the flanks.

Wambach got her goal in the 59th minute following an exceptional sequence that began when Kristine Lilly won a second ball on the left flank. She played it back to Wagner, who switched the ball to Rampone on the right flank.

Rampone carried the ball forward and played it to Wambach near the corner of the box, and Wambach knocked it wide to Julie Foudy. Foudy crossed it to the top of the box, to the left of the spot, and Mia Hamm volleyed it delicately to the right. Wagner flicked it on toward the right post, and an onrushing Wambach leapt to half-volley it home.

Japan was dangerous the rest of the match, especially Otani, who has scored 30 goals in 45 international matches. She challenged second-half goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill in the 60th minute, then volleyed just wide left after Tomoe Sakai struck the crossbar in the 86th.

SUNDAY'S SUMMARY
June 6 at Louisville, Ky.

United States 1 Japan 1. Goals: Wambach 59; Arakawa 20.

United States — Scurry (Luckenbill, 46); Mitts (Rampone, 46), Reddick (Chastain, 46), Fawcett, Markgraf; Foudy, Boxx, Lilly; Wambach (Parlow, 72), Tarpley (Wagner, 46), Hamm (MacMillan, 72).

Japan — Yamago; Yano, Shimokozuru, Kawakami (Yamagishi, 88), Isozaki; Yamamoto (Yanagita, 75), Ando (Kobayashi, 57; Kitamoto, 88), Miyamoto, Sakai; Otani, Arakawa (Matuyama, 68).

Yellow cards: Japan – Isozaki 55.

Referee: Clareth Jimenez Granados (Costa Rica).

Att.: 7,525.