When Pia Sundhage became head coach of the U.S. women's soccer team late last year, she serenaded her discouraged players by singing "The Times They Are A Changin.' "

Apparently they are not changing quickly enough.

The first appearance by the Americans in a major international tournament under Sundhage ended disastrously yesterday with a 2-0 loss to Norway in an opening-round match of the Beijing Olympics.

This tournament was supposed to serve as a redemptive moment for the United States after a disappointing third-place finish at the 2007 Women's World Cup and the heavy-handed banishment of goalkeeper Hope Solo after she criticized her benching in a 4-0 semifinal loss to Brazil.

But the Americans entered the Olympics without their most forceful player and leading scorer, forward Abby Wambach, who fractured the tibia and fibula in her left leg last month. In Wambach's absence, her teammates seemed nervous and uncertain to open the match against Norway. Early on, they lacked energy, confidence and cohesion, and were stunned by two goals in the first four minutes after clumsy mistakes by Solo and Kate Markgraf, one of the team's most experienced defenders.

The Americans asserted themselves in the second half, and outshot Norway overall, 20-12, but the resurgence produced no goals, only postgame talk of encouragement that seemed more forced than earned.

More soccer

In other women's matches: Brazil and Germany tied, 0-0; Canada wore down Argentina, 2-1; Japan rallied to a 2-2 tie with New Zealand; North Korea beat Nigeria, 1-0; and China held on to top Sweden, 2-1.

• Sport's highest court ruled FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Werder Bremen's Diego and Rafinha of Schalke can be kept out of the Beijing Games by their European clubs.

Track and field

Eight years ago, Lopez Lomong didn't even have a country. Now he'll be carrying the flag for his adopted nation, leading the U.S. Olympic team in the opening ceremonies tomorrow night.

Lomong, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, won a vote of team captains to earn the honor of leading America's contingent into the 90,000-seat Bird's Nest Stadium.

The 1,500-meter track runner will be the flagbearer only 13 months after becoming a U.S. citizen.

"It's more than a dream," Lomong said.

He was born in Sudan, separated from his parents at the point of a gun at age 6, and with the help of friends, he escaped confinement and made it to a refugee camp in Kenya. In 2001, he was brought to America as part of a program to relocate lost children from war-torn Sudan.

Beach volleyball

Juliana Felisberta Silva, one-half of the top women's beach volleyball team from powerhouse Brazil and the No. 3 team in the world, pulled out of the Olympics because of an injury.

Juliana's teammate Larissa Franca will be joined by Ana Paula, who had been on the country's third-best team.