page_title: 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup
section_title: Group D
hierarchical_section_title: 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup / Group stage / Group D
caption_attribution_description: ex-Matilda Alicia 'Eesh' Ferguson playing for Millwall Lionesses in the FA Women's Premier League Southern Division, March 2013
context_page_description: The 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup was the third edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, the world championship for women's national association football teams. It was hosted as well as won by the United States and took place from 19 June to 10 July 1999 at eight venues across the country. The tournament was the most successful FIFA Women's World Cup in terms of attendance, television ratings, and public interest.
  The 1999 edition was the first to field sixteen teams, an increase from the twelve in 1995, and featured an all-female roster of referees and match officials. It was played primarily in large American football venues due to expected demand following the successful 1996 Olympics women's tournament. The average attendance was 37,319 spectators per match and the total attendance was 1.194 million, a record that stood until 2015. The tournament earned a profit of $4 million on its $30 million operating budget.
  The final, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, was attended by 90,185 people, setting an international record for spectators at a women's sporting event. The United States won the tournament by defeating China in a penalty shootout after a scoreless draw.
context_section_description: Source: FIFA
  Group D included 1995 semi-finalists and Olympic runners-up China, 1995's last-place team Australia, newcomers and African tournament runners-up Ghana, and previous hosts and semi-finalists Sweden. In their opening match against Sweden at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, China conceded an early goal in the second minute to Swedish defender Kristin Bengtsson. Forward Jin Yan scored the equalizer for China in the 17th minute and Liu Ailing scored the winning goal in the 69th minute. Australia and Ghana played to a 1–1 draw at Foxboro Stadium in the group's other opening match a day later, which began with a red card shown to Ghanaian midfielder Barikisu Tettey-Quao in the 25th minute. Ghanaian goalkeeper Memunatu Sulemana made 11 saves to keep the match scoreless until the 74th minute, when Matildas captain Julie Murray scored to break the deadlock. Ghana equalized less than two minutes later with a finish by substitute Nana Gyamfuah following a rebound off Australian goalkeeper Tracey Wheeler's save, securing a point in the group standings.
  Sweden took an early lead in its second match, played against Australia at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium near Washington, D.C., with a header in the eighth minute by Jane Törnqvist off a corner kick and a tap-in goal by Hanna Ljungberg twelve minutes later. Julie Murray's goal in the 32nd minute reduced the deficit to 2–1 at half-time, but Ljungberg scored again in the 69th minute because of a defensive error by Australia, confirming a 3–1 victory for the Swedes. Sun Wen completed a hat-trick in the first 54 minutes of China's match against Ghana, which ended in a 7–0 victory at Portland's Civic Stadium and clinched the team's quarter-finals berth. Ghana lost defender Regina Ansah to a red card in the 52nd minute and three of her teammates earned three yellow cards for other fouls. The Chinese continued to score in the second half, including a pair by Zhang Ouying in the 82nd minute and at the beginning of stoppage time, while Zhao Lihong added another stoppage time goal a minute later.
  China closed out its group stage by defeating Australia 3–1, extending its winning streak to three matches and outscoring its opponents 12–2. Australian forward Alicia Ferguson was sent off for a foul in the second minute, which remains the fastest red card in Women's World Cup history. Sun Wen scored her first goal in the 39th minute and followed with a second shortly after half-time, having received passes from Zhao Lihong for both goals. Cheryl Salisbury reduced the deficit to 2–1 with her strike in the 66th minute, ending a 253-minute shutout streak for Chinese goalkeeper Gao Hong. The Chinese ultimately won 3–1 after an assurance goal was scored by Liu Ying in the 73rd minute. Sweden advanced to the quarter-finals with a 2–0 victory over Ghana in Chicago, relying on two goals scored by early substitute Victoria Svensson in the 58th and 86th minutes.
  19 June 1999
  17:00 PDT (UTC−7)
  Spartan Stadium, San Jose
  Attendance: 23,298
  Referee: Virginia Tovar (Mexico)
  20 June 1999
  19:30 EDT (UTC−4)
  Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough
  Attendance: 14,873
  Referee: Kari Seitz (United States)
  23 June 1999
  20:30 EDT (UTC−4)
  Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, Landover
  Attendance: 16,448
  Referee: Fatou Gaye (Senegal)
  23 June 1999
  20:30 PDT (UTC−7)
  Civic Stadium, Portland
  Attendance: 17,668
  Referee: Elke Günthner (Germany)
  26 June 1999
  14:30 EDT (UTC−4)
  Giants Stadium, East Rutherford
  Attendance: 29,401
  Referee: Sandra Hunt (United States)
  26 June 1999
  16:00 CDT (UTC−5)
  Soldier Field, Chicago
  Attendance: 34,256
  Referee: Sonia Denoncourt (Canada)
caption: Alicia Ferguson was sent off with a red card in the second minute of Australia's match against China, the fastest in tournament history
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