July 1, 2000 SportsLine.com wire reports

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Cidinha scored on a penalty kick at the end of the first overtime Saturday as Brazil stunned China 3-2 to reach the final of the women's soccer Gold Cup.

The victory left no doubt as to Brazil's status as a gold-medal threat at the Sydney Olympics.

Brazil will play the United States in the Gold Cup championship game Monday at Foxboro, Mass. China, which lost to the United States in last year's World Cup final, will play in the third-place game.

Cidinha's sudden-death goal came after Wang Liping pushed down Formiga just inside the penalty area in the final minute of the first 15-minute extra period. Cidinha calmly put her penalty kick inside the left post, and Brazil celebrated possibly its greatest victory ever.

Katia da Silva scored in the 11th minute -- her tournament-high eighth goal -- and Roseli in the 60th for Brazil, while Shui Qingxia tallied in the ninth and Qiu Haiyan in the 75th for China.

The winning goal came after Brazil went uncharacteristically conservative, rarely forcing an attack, after taking a 2-1 lead. Even after China tied the game, Brazil had few chances as playmaker Sissi essentially became a spectator on the field.

Meanwhile, China put a third forward on the field with nine minutes left in regulation and came close to winning the game.

Second-half substitute Qiu atoned for a missed penalty kick earlier in the second half as she tied the game 2-2 with her first goal of the tournament. Shui chipped a short cross from the right side, and Qiu put the ball in from 8 yards with her left foot.

Twelve minutes earlier, Shui had won a penalty kick when she was hooked by Simone Gomes. Qiu took the penalty and hit the left post. The rebound went right back to her, but she shanked her follow shot over the net.

Roseli gave Brazil a 2-1 lead on a breakaway down the right side. Goalkeeper Gao Hong went to the ground to make a leg save on the first shot, but Roseli put in the easy rebound for her fifth goal of the tournament.

Two early goals in two minutes, both off set plays, highlighted a lively first half.

In the ninth minute, Shui tucked a left-footed, 20-yard free kick just under the crossbar for her fourth goal of the tournament.

In the 11th, Brazil won a free kick to the left of the penalty box. Sissi yielded the kick to Cidinha, who placed a perfect left-footed cross for Katia's running header past Gao.

Pu Wei wasted a breakaway in the 22nd minute by pushing her shot right at goalkeeper Andreia, but otherwise China's attack continued to lack its full creative flow without playmaker Sun Wen, who is nursing a knee injury.

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