DRESDEN, Germany (AP) - Once, twice, three times and then a fourth, Lauren Cheney launched a shot with her foot only to watch it go right into the hands of the North Korean goalkeeper.
Finally, she used her head. And just like that, the Americans looked more like a team that could contend for a third Women's World Cup title than the one that took a self-described "bumpy" road to Germany.
"I wasn't frustrated," said Cheney, whose goal in the 54th minute sparked a 2-0 win over North Korea on Tuesday. "I knew if I kept going, I'd get one. I'm pretty happy I did."
So did her teammates. After hearing about their inconsistency and shortcomings for months, the win in their tournament opener gave the Americans a needed dose of confidence. When the final whistle sounded, the U.S. reserves ran onto the field to celebrate while the North Koreans stood just beyond midfield, watching.
It was the fourth straight time the teams had met in group play at the World Cup, and the Americans have won all the games but one. The Americans now face Colombia, which lost 1-0 to Sweden, on Saturday in Sinsheim.
North Korean coach Kim Kwang Min blamed his team's failings in the second half on a June 8 lightning strike during training in Pyongyang that sent "more than five" players to the hospital. Goalkeeper Hong Myong Hui, four defenders and some of the midfielders were the players most affected, Kim said.
U.S. coach Pia Sundhage told her players at halftime to take the ball outside and make more use of the flanks. The improvement was clear immediately.
Cheney, making her first start since March, had two shots caught by Hong in the first five minutes of the half. In the 51st minute, Abby Wambach took a sliding shot from the edge of the 6-yard box, only to watch the ball sail over the net.
Finally, in the 54th, Wambach dribbled quickly up the left flank and took a step as if to move inside, spinning a North Korean defender around. Wambach dribbled a few more steps before chipping in a perfect cross that Cheney headed past Hong.
"I'm actually not a very good header," Cheney said. "I just knew I wanted to redirect it back to the same place it came from."