Mia Hamm and Kristine Lilly -- two UNC alumni who rank 1-2 in career scoring for the U.S. national team -- aren't playing in the Beijing Olympics. Hamm has retired. Lilly has taken a year off to have a baby.

But the American team that will face Brazil in the Olympic gold-medal final Thursday night in Beijing still sports four Tar Heels among its 18 players. No other college has produced more than two players on this women's squad.

Three of the Tar Heels are starters on a squad that is an underdog to a Brazilian squad that embarrassed the U.S. 4-0 in the 2007 Women's World Cup.

"I'll always have a bond with the UNC girls," said defender Lori Chalupny, one of the Tar Heels quartet. "Several of us have been playing with each other for a very long time."

Chalupny and midfielder Lindsay Tarpley were part of the same UNC class. Forward Heather O'Reilly was a year behind those two. All are in their early 20s.

Tobin Heath, who comes off the bench for the U.S., is the youngest of the foursome and the only one who is an active college player. Heath, a midfielder, will be a rising junior this year at UNC.

Chalupny and O'Reilly each scored in the U.S.'s 4-2 win over Japan in the semifinals. That set up the rematch against Brazil, which dominated the Americans a year ago and ended the U.S. national-team unbeaten streak at 51 games. That loss also engineered a goaltending controversy and a coaching change for the U.S.

But the Americans are keyed up about getting to face Brazil and its star players, Marta and Cristiane. As a defender, Chalupny -- nicknamed "Chalupa" -- will be the player how must watch Marta very closely.

"She's got such good ball skills and is very speedy," Chalupny said. "But we can't concentrate solely on her. Their whole team is fantastic. We're excited about it."

The U.S. has made a fine run to get to the final. The team lost Abby Wambach, easily its best goal-scorer, in an exhibition match July 16. Then it lost its first game in pool play in these Olympics, 2-0 to Norway.

But the U.S. team has since won four straight games, getting its goals from a wide range of players.

"Abby was not only one of our best players, but she was also a leader, and you can't replace that," Chalupny said. "But so many people are picking up some of the pieces for us. Our scoring has become more unpredictable."

The U.S. played Brazil in three exhibitions over the past two months, winning all of those 1-0. However, several of Brazil's star players skipped the exhibitions.

Now the Brazilian squad is at full strength, and the U.S. wants some revenge.

"We're pumped," O'Reilly said after the U.S. semifinal. "Bring it on."

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