Kai, USA have their way

If Natasha Kai keeps up her goal-scoring ways, wearing one red cleat and one yellow cleat will be a new fashion trend by the start of the Beijing Olympics.

Kai posted her first career hat trick to lead the U.S. women’s soccer team past Canada 6-0 at RFK Stadium last night, giving her eight goals in her last six matches.

“Now that would be cool,” Kai said of a possible multicolor shoe fad. “That’s just my style. I like to be different.”

Earlier this year, being different from the rest of the team wasn’t such a great thing.

Kai caught coach Pia Sundhage’s ire by showing up out of shape and with a bad attitude. As a result, Kai didn’t play in the team’s first five matches.

“I wasn’t happy at all with her in January,” Sundhage said. “Now I’m very happy.”

The U.S. team (13-0-1) outshot Canada 21-2. Lindsay Tarpley, Carli Lloyd and Leslie Osborne (her first of the season) also scored for Team USA, and Abby Wambach had three assists.

Canada failed to register a shot on goal. The match was a reversal from the teams’ last meeting when Team USA won on penalty kicks.

“It was a total team performance,” Wambach said. “Coming back from [the last game] with them, we knew we needed to step it up and play better soccer. And it showed tonight.”

Although the United States controlled the attack in the first half, it had only a 1-0 lead to show for it — Tarpley’s goal from 17 yards out on a feed from Wambach in the 23rd minute.

Kai began her star turn in the 54th minute when she headed in a pass from Lloyd. Six minutes later, she again used her head to put home a cross by Shannon Boxx. On the goal, Kai also avoided contact with Canada goalie Erin McLeod.

Lloyd made it 4-0 only three minutes later. In the 75th minute, Kai completed her first hat trick since college on a feed from Wambach.

“Natasha is a goal scorer,” Wambach said. “She can disappear for minutes on end but when you put in her in the 18-yard box, she’s deadly.”

Said Sundhage: “She was wonderful today. Her goals and her way of playing is contagious, so you can be inspired by just watching her.”

Kai’s 10 goals are a career high and lead the team. Team USA has a balanced attack heading into the summer. Wambach and Tarpley both have nine goals.

“There’s nothing better than an entire attack that can score goals,” Wambach said. “In the past, Kristine Lilly and myself were the dominant goal scorers and it’s easier to defend us and beat us when you can shut down two players instead of trying to shut down nine. Everybody is getting in the attack. Pia’s new philosophy is pushing numbers forward and possessing the ball. I took a little back seat today and was watching.”

After reproving herself to Sundhage, Kai started her first game March 10 and has been in the starting lineup for all but one match since then.

“I feel like I have more confidence,” she said. “I’m more fit with my head screwed on straight. This is an Olympic year, and we want to win the gold and I’m going to be professional and do what I have to do to be a good teammate.”

Next up for the Americans following a short break is the Peace Cup next month in Korea.

“We talked [before the game] about attacking and changing the rhythm in the attack and my dream is to take this team’s game to the next level,” Sundhage said. “I think we can do it. We’re halfway there.”