This year's team has nine of the eleven starters from that game back and are certainly looking to finish on top this time around. While the women's team did beat Japan for the Olympic gold medal in 2012, the World Cup is the sports most coveted prize. When Abby Wambach was asked if she needed the Cup to cement her legacy in the game, she replied "You're damn right I need it." Don't look for her to play too many minutes tonight, but if she does come in late, she can have a big impact on the game.
(Abby is chasing her first World Cup title)The USWNT has not allowed a goal in the knockout rounds. That's over 500 minutes of do-or-die action that they have shutout the competition. The team is currently 28 minutes away from breaking the all-time tournament record of consecutive shutout minutes, because that's what the U.S. does, we shut people out. Unless you're Cuba. Thanks Obama.
I want to see this team go out there pissed off. Not a drunken Hope Solo pissed off, but just angry at the world. They had the lead twice in that 2011 final only to give up tying goals and eventually lose embarrassingly in penalty kicks. The U.S. just knocked out Germany in a dominating 2-0 win and will need to carry that confidence and momentum into the final.
It's been 16 years since the '99 USWNT won the Cup at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Hard to believe it's been that long ago. Seems like just yesterday Brandi Chastain was ripping her shirt off in celebration after scoring the winning penalty kick, arguably the most famous moment in World Cup history.
When I saw the schedule for the tournament this year I was hoping the final would be played on July 4th. Then, I was really hoping we could beat England in the final. Wouldn't that be something?
Instead we'll just hope for an extended holiday weekend. One more day to celebrate America. One more day for strangers to identify with a common interest and a chance to avoid all the nonsense going on around us. That's the great thing about sports, especially sports that are centered around teams from countries, they bring people together. You may not be a soccer fan, maybe never watched a minute of game action in your life, but if I told you the U.S. is playing Japan, who you got? That's right.
Tonight, watch for the U.S. to use possession to control the pace of the game. We have the best defensive unit in the world and will use ball possession to cater to our skills. Hope Solo is the best goalkeeper in the world as well, and that's something you always want on your side. She hasn't had to make many saves throughout the tournament to this point, and let's hope that continues.
Being an avid sports fan for over 20 years, I have noticed more often than not one simple thing: big time players make big time plays in big time games. Our big time player? Alex Morgan. She was nursing a leg injury early on in the tournament but has looked more her old self the last couple of games. I think she comes through with the winning goal tonight. The USWNT wins the World Cup, beating Japan 1-0.
