U.S. Women Beat England, 5-0

SAN JOSE — The most successful American soccer team continued its winning ways Friday night.

First-half goals by Shannon MacMillan and Mia Hamm and two more in the second half by Hamm and one from Julie Foudy gave the United States women’s national team a 5-0 victory over England in front of 17,358 fans at Spartan Stadium. It was the largest crowd ever to see women’s soccer game in California.

The 1991 world champions and 1996 gold medalists from the Atlanta Olympics dominated, with Hamm in superb form, scoring the 69th, 70th and 71st goals of her international career.

The victory improved the United States’ all-time record to 114-28-10 since the national team was formed in 1985.

The Americans took the lead in the 37th minute when Tiffeny Milbrett sent a long diagonal pass to MacMillan, whose right-foot shot flew past England goalkeeper Pauline Cope into the lower left corner of the net.

Hamm made it 2-0 in the 45th minute when she blasted a 30-yard shot through the English defensive wall and over Cope’s outstretched arms.

She added another in the 51st minute, curling a shot just inside the right post, off a pass from Milbrett.

But it was the fourth goal of the game that capped the evening for her.

Defender Lorrie Fair won a battle for the ball in the U.S. penalty area and passed to Milbrett, who in turn found Hamm unmarked on her left. The forward took off on a twisting, turning run that left defenders sprawled in her wake before she fired the ball into the net, then spun away with her fist raised in triumph.

Foudy added the fifth goal in the 80th minute, scoring on a header off a corner kick by MacMillan.

The U.S. plays England again Sunday in Portland.