BY SCOTT FRENCH in Melbourne, Australia Tiffeny Milbrett and Mia Hamm netted early goals and the U.S. women’s team gave what might have been the finest performance in its 15-year history Thursday night while dominating its fiercest rival in its Olympic opener. Milbrett also completed a strange, frustrating hat trick, striking both posts and the crossbar with shots as the Americans claimed a 2-0 triumph over Norway before a gathering announced at 16,043 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The score wasn’t the least bit indicative of the Americans’ superiority. Their margin of victory, Norway coach Per-Mathias Hogmo conceded, could have been a half-dozen or more. Milbrett struck in the 18th minute and Hamm six minutes later, and the Norwegians — the only team with a winning record against the United States — never recovered. “I said to the team after the game that that was the best performance against the best opponent in the first round of any major world championship, and it was the best result,” said U.S. coach April Heinrichs. “You always want to start off a tournament like this well, and to play against one of the best teams in the world, and to get two goals, and to have some of the chances that we had against them, really pushes us off in the proper manner. “I also reminded them it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish.” The Americans, who have won two of three Women’s World Cups and the previous Olympic women’s title four years ago in Atlanta, utilized superior speed on a large field and a solid midfield effort by Julie Foudy and Lorrie Fair that prevented Norway from employing its customary hard-hitting game. Hogmo gave all credit to the Yanks, admitting that his team “looked very nervous” and was “never able to play our game” after falling behind early. “[We] seemed like a middle-class team,” he said. Milbrett made them look worse, repeatedly carving up the Norwegian back line. With a little more fortune, she might have had six goals. She netted the first in the 18th minute from a long clearance by goalkeeper Siri Mullinix. Milbrett took the pass, which traveled perhaps 65 yards in the air, between defenders Brit Sandaune and Anne Tonnessen, quickly pulling away and hitting the bouncing ball on a half-volley inside the box. Goalkeeper Bente Nordby got a piece of the ball, and Milbrett ran onto it, depositing it into the empty net. Hamm made it 2-0 from a nifty Kristine Lilly chip in the 24th minute, and Milbrett nearly added another six minutes after that, firing wide right after Hamm fed her into space on the right. Milbrett hit the right post in the 40th minute, the crossbar (with a wickedly dipping shot from 22 yards) in the 44th, and the left post in the 68th. The Americans’ speed on a large, slippery field kept their foe on its heels, and the Scandinavians managed just one decent chance — by forward Dagny Mellgren near the end of the first half. “One of the hard things about our schedule is we’ve played so many games, and it’s really taken a lot out of us,” Heinrichs said about the Americans’ marathon preparation for the Sydney Games, which included six games — three of them losses — against the Norwegians. “But one of the benefits of playing so many games is you really start to learn a lot about your opponents. And Norway, this is really a breakthrough game for us in terms of learning how to play against them.” Hogmo admitted his squad was in awe of the Americans. “There is no doubt about that,” he said. “We have a team without too much experience, and today we saw that. When we get some trouble, all the players get nervous. That’s the way it is.” China, which fell to the United States in the 1996 Olympic and 1999 WWC finals, also won its opener, is up next for the Yanks, on Sunday in Melbourne. The Chinese drilled Nigeria, 3-1, in Canberra on Thursday, getting a pair of goals from 1999 Women’s World Cup Golden Ball winner Sun Wen, who has been at less than full strength since suffering a knee injury earlier this year. Sun scored in the 57th and 83rd minutes, adding to Zhao Lihong’s 12th-minute strike. Sun’s second goal was a spectacular, curling free kick that eluded Nigeria goalkeeper Anne Chiejine. Perpetua Nkwocha converted a penalty kick for the Falcons in the 85th minute, after Xie Huilin brought down Ifeanyi Chiejine in the penalty area. Nigeria faces Norway on Sunday in Canberra, then meets the United States on Wednesday in Melbourne. In the second game Thursday at Melbourne, Chile’s men routed Morocco, 4-1, in Group B as Ivan Zamorano had a hat trick. Spain beat South Korea, 3-0, in Adelaide in the other Group B match. In Group D, Brazil overcame Slovakia, 3-1, in Brisbane, and Japan edged South Africa, 2-1, in Canberra. U.S. Game Summary — Thursday, Sept. 14 at Canberra USA 2 Norway 0. Goals: Milbrett 18, Hamm 24. USA — Mullinix; Pearce, Fawcett, Sobrero, Chastain; MacMillan, Fair, Foudy, Lilly; Hamm (Parlow, 70), Milbrett. Norway — Nordby; Espeseth, Kringen, Tonnessen, Sandaune; Riise, Lehn, Knudsen (S. Gulbrandsen, 46), Rapp (R. Gulbrandsen, 71); Mellgren, Pettersen (Boe Jensen, 55). Yellow cards — Kringen 52, Espeseth 75. Referee — Im Eun-Ju (South Korea). Att. — 16,043. Other Group F score China 3, Nigeria 1. Zhao 12, Sun 57, 83; Nkwocha 85. Sunday’s games USA vs. China at Melbourne Norway vs. Nigeria at Canberra Wednesday’s games USA vs. Nigeria at Melbourne Norway vs. China at Canberra