To Criticize or Not To Criticize

The World Cup has been over for two days now. Japan won the 2011 World Cup, defeating the US in the finals. It was a thrilling final that saw the Nadeshiko come from behind, not just once, but twice to force penalty kicks.

Now that it's over, the focus here in the States has been on the US team and how they managed lose a game that they dominated for all but just a handful of minutes. The discussion has caused a bit of disagreement within the media. More specifically, the question being debated is whether or not the USWNT should be criticized, and if so, to what extent.

One question I have heard asked several times in the past 48 hours is did Japan win it or did the United States lose it? My answer to that question is "yes." The United States had several opportunities to put the game away early and build a lead that would have made it impossible for Japan to come back as they did. The US, plain and simple, did not close the game out.

That's not to take anything away from Japan, who did everything they needed to in order to win the title. They had a tough road on their way to the World Cup, defeating the 2nd, 5th, and 1st ranked teams in the world consecutively in the knockout stage. They won it without the benefit of any screwy calls and they won it with class. What it came down to in the end was that one team did what it needed to win the title and one team didn't do quite enough.

But getting back to the subject at hand, my personal feeling is that this is a team of professionals and they have earned that respect. Any male team in the same position in any sport would be subject to criticism. To pat this team on the back and say "nice try" would be patronizing at best. To me, the fact that their play is being analyzed and criticized shows that people are taking this team seriously, which is a good thing. It means people were watching and that they care about it.

Over the Top Criticism

First off, let me say that I don't think this team could have given any better effort than they did. I have no doubt in my mind that they left it all out there on the field. If anybody says differently, they better produce some convincing evidence to the contrary. The US played through five tough games on the road to the final, losing only one and defeating Brazil in penalty kicks after playing one down for nearly an hour.

Then there are a few loud, shrieking people using the word "choke." How the heck do you even measure something like that? This isn't basketball where a player might have two free throws late in the game in which he gets to shoot uncontested and misses both. This is soccer. The other team has a lot to say about what you can and can't do. Even on penalty kicks, there is a goalkeeper between the shooter and the goal. It's not like there is nothing in the way and all you have to do is kick the ball straight ahead.

Choke has become a word used all too often for any team that doesn't achieve the expected result in a major sporting event. I don't want to hear it in any discussion of what happened on Sunday.

Then there are those that say the USWNT just aren't tough enough and Japan was. Well then how do explain the game against Brazil? Even Japan didn't have those kind of odds against them, down a goal and a player for nearly the last 30 minutes, before tying it in closing seconds. Sunday's game was not about who was tougher, it was about taking advantage of opportunities and after that, any time it goes to penalties, it's a crapshoot at best.

There were those that thought we would win a penalty shootout because we have the best keeper. Well, we do probably have the best keeper, but there's a lot more to it than that. The shootout against Brazil was a bit of an aberration. Andreia, the Brazilian goalkeeper, guessed right four out of five times and the US still converted all five, which is truly amazing. They were THAT perfect. By contrast, in the 2009 Algarve Cup final, the United States made only three of seven attempts and lost to Sweden.

Valid Criticism

I do believe there are valid criticisms to be made about the United States' performance in the final. These, of course, are my opinion.

The game's most glaring statistics to me were shots and shots on goal. The United States attempted 27 shots in the match, but only five were on goal. Japan, on the other hand, attempted only 14 shots for the match, but six of their shots were on frame. That's right, in spite the United States dominating much of the match and creating far more chances, Japan actually put more shots on goal.

That had a lot to do with the outcome. There's the obvious, you can't score on a shot that isn't on goal. It also takes some of the pressure off the opposing keeper, when they don't have to dive to make saves, don't have to worry about rebounds, don't have to worry about opposing players running into to them all the time, all of which can be physically and mentally taxing.

What else did it do? Well, it also gave Japan's beleaguered defense a chance to catch their breath. In the first 18 minutes of the match, Japan took eight goal kicks. Between the time the ball went out of play to the time Kaihori put the ball back in play was a total of over 3 1/2 minutes for those eight goal kicks. That's a lot of time to rest over an 18 minute stretch of a soccer match, especially when the United States was pressuring almost the entire time.

Another criticism has to be defending in, and clearing from, the penalty area. Japan only had the ball in their possession in the US penalty area twice with any real chance to score in the first 79 minutes of the match. One ended in a weak shot right at Solo, the other was a shot over the crossbar which wasn't the least bit dangerous.

But on the first Japanese goal, the United States could not clear what was a fairly routine cross. From then on, every time the ball got into the penalty area, it became an adventure. Kinga seemed to be running free and open every time she came forward from her right back position.

Which leads us to another criticism, holding leads and finishing off games. The United States gave up seven goals over the last four matches, something they've done only twice since 2001. But the disturbing thing is that they gave up the lead four times after the 54th minute in their final three matches. That just cannot be allowed to happen.

The United States gave up a 1-0 lead against Brazil, a 1-0 lead against France, and two different leads against Japan, both times when within 10 minutes of winning the match. To their credit, they fought back and won the first two matches, but it finally caught with them against Japan.

There are certainly other facets I haven't touched on, including coaching decisions which will always come into question no matter what the sport. It's just the nature of the beast, but that's a conversation best left for another day.

Hopefully, the United States will learn from the loss and the next time they are in this position, they will finish it off. In any event, they gave us three weeks of exciting soccer and their best effort. The country was watching and took notice. And that is a good thing.

Japan Wins World Cup

Japan finished off an unlikely fairy tale, twice coming back from a goal down to defeat the United States in World Cup Final by penalty kicks. The US twice squandered leads, once late in regulation and again late in overtime.

For a nation that has had what could only be called a tragic year, this was indeed a bright and shiny moment of hope. The Japanese team entered this tournament as longshots, but came out standing alone as champions.

As for the United States, one statistic told the story. They attempted 27 shots on the day, nearly one every four minutes, but only five of those shots were on frame. They absolutely dominated the first 70 minutes of this match, but they let Japanese keeper Ayumi Kaihori off the hook time and time again by not forcing her to make saves.

The United States got their first chance in the eighth minute. A Megan Rapinoe cross found Lauren Cheney at the near post, but she redirected it wide from inside the six. Seconds later, Abby Wambach put a 25 yard shot over the crossbar. Just two minutes after that, Carli Lloyd's uncontested shot from 16 yards also went just over the bar. A minute after that, Lauren Cheney beat the Japanese defense on the right side and crossed to Rapinoe whose shot from eight yards went wide of the right post. Four golden scoring opportunities in the first 12 minutes and not one found the net.

For the entire half, Japan rarely had possession anywhere near the US penalty area. Japan's first shot of the match was an effort from Shinobu Ohno that went well wide of the goal from over 30 yards in the 22nd minute.

The United States very nearly struck in the 28th minute. Abby Wambach drove a hard shot from the 18 that had Kaihori beaten, but hit the bottom of the crossbar and bounced away.

Japan created their best chance of the half when Ohno pushed a nice ball through to the left side of the US penalty area with Kozue Ando running onto it. Ando's shot from 10 yards was at a tough angle and it rolled right to Hope Solo.

In the 35th minute, Lauren Cheney had an uncontested header from the penalty spot with Kaihori off her line and put that over the crossbar. By halftime, it's not an exaggeration to say that the United States could easily have had three or four goals, while Japan was yet to truly have one dangerous attempt.

Pia Sundhage made her first substitution at the half, but it was forced by injury. Lauren Cheney had injured herself in the opening half and Alex Morgan was sent into the match.

It didn't take long for Morgan to get into the action. In the 49th minute, a Heather O'Reilly cross from the right side found Morgan making a run at the near post. Morgan was inside the six when she pushed the ball off the post, then the ball rebounded off Kaihori and landed one yard from the goal line, before Japan was finally able to clear. Just four minutes later, Wambach had Kaihori off her line, but skied the ball over the goal from 25 yards.

Japan's first real chance of the second half came in the 61st minute as Yukari Kinga broke into the box on the right side, but her looping shot went well over the net.

A couple of minutes later, Kaihori made her first big save of the match. O'Reilly sent the ball into the penalty area and Wambach's header appeared to be heading into the net just under the crossbar, but Kaihori was able to tip it over.

Japan's first two substitutions were Karina Maruyama and Yuki Nagasato for Ohno and Ando in the 66th minute.

The United States finally broke through in the 69th minute. Megan Rapinoe sent a long ball from well inside her own half, up the middle of the field. Alex Morgan beat the defender gathered the ball just outside the penalty area, and touched it just once to set up her shot. She drilled the ball into the lower right corner of the net and the US was on top 1-0. And one began to think that maybe, just maybe, with the US ahead by one and in control of the match, that they might be heading for their third title.

Japan, however, had other ideas. For the first time all day, they started to create some chances. Homare Sawa was able to get off a shot from 25 yards, straight at Solo, but it was a sign that Japan wasn't going to let this go easily. Japan started to find gaps on the right side and it resulted in some challenging foot races for American defenders.

In the 81st minute, United States made a turnover in their own end and it handed Japan the opportunity they had been waiting for. Nahomi Kawasumi intercepted a pass and sent the ball forward to Nagasato into the right corner. Nagasato cut back against Amy LePeilbet and crossed the ball into the penalty area. The United States made a mess of the clearance with the ball falling right to Aya Miyama's feet and she touched it in from just five yards out to tie the match.

Japan had one late chance to take the lead, but Mizuho Sakaguchi's shot from 18 yards went well wide of the net. At the other end, O'Reilly put one over the crossbar from 20 yards in stoppage time.

Morgan had the first scoring opportunity of the overtime, but fighting off two Japanese defenders, her shot went wide of the left post in the 95th minute.

Just before the end of the first overtime, the United States once again took the lead. After Japan had blocked a couple of shots, Morgan gained possession and drove to the endline. Then she chipped it perfectly to the six, where Wambach easily put her header in the back of the net. It was 2-1 for the United States heading into the second overtime period.

In the 108th minute, Japan crossed the ball in and once again the United States made a mess of the clearance, but in this instance, they finally managed to clear after a weak Japanese shot. In the 112th minute, the United States made yet another adventure of it as Aya Miyama crossed the ball into the area, with the ball deflected past a diving Solo. The US once again escaped as the ball was finally cleared and further danger averted.

The United States made their second substitution in the 114th minute, putting in Tobin Heath for Megan Rapinoe. Rapinoe had played a very strong match for the US.

The US escaped yet again in the 115th minute as Yukari Kinga once again got behind the left side of the American defense alone. Solo came out to cut of the angle, but Kinga chipped it over her with the ball heading right at the left post. Christie Rampone took no chances and cleared the ball away. But when you play with fire too often, you finally get burned.

After Solo was treated for an injury on that play, Aya Miyama took the corner from the left side. Her inswinging kick found Sawa at the six, actually running away from the goal. She reached up with her right foot and deflected it toward the goal. The ball may have touched a US player on its way in, but it zipped past Solo to tie the match. The United States had given Japan just one too many opportunities and the Nadeshiko had taken advantage.

The US had two chances left in them. O'Reilly crossed the ball from the right side in the 120th minute, but Wambach's sliding attempt went over the bar from the six. Then Alex Morgan was taken down just outside the penalty area, with Azusa Iwashimizu getting a red card for the play. The US attempted to play the ball into the six and had two players there, but the ball deflected away and Heath's shot was blocked.

After such excitement, the penalty shoot out was almost anticlimactic. The United States failed on their first three attempts. Kaihori stopped both Shannon Boxx and Tobin Heath and Carli Lloyd missed her attempt badly over the bar. Clearly, Kaihori's play in the last three matches made a big difference for Japan.

Meanwhile, Aya Miyama put Japan in the lead converting the first Japanese attempt, before Solo was able to stop the second by Yuki Nagasato. Solo was able to get her hand on Mizuho Sakaguchi's attempt, but it deflected into the net to give Japan a nearly insurmountable 2-0 lead with just two kicks to go.

Abby Wambach made her penalty to keep the United States alive, but only temporarily. Defender Saki Kumagai placed the ball into the upper left corner to give Japan a 3-1 victory in penalty kicks. Japan were the 2011 World Cup champions.

It had been an amazing road for the Nadeshiko. They squeaked by New Zealand 2-1, before a dominating performance in a 4-0 victory over Mexico in the group stage. They then had a very lackluster effort in losing the final group stage match to England, forcing them to play Germany in the quarterfinals.

But they slew three giants in the knockout rounds, first with an overtime victory over Germany, then another dominating performance over Sweden, and finally a come-from-behind victory over the United States. Homare Sawa scored five goals in the World Cup and she captured both the Golden Boot and Golden Ball trophies as the leading scorer and best player of the tournament. She had climbed the mountain in her fifth World Cup.

As for the United States, they may have played their best and most dominating match of the tournament in the final. But in the end, they didn't take advantage of their many chances and Japan did. The United States has now finished in the top three in all six Women's World Cups. This was the first time that they had ever lost their final match of the World Cup.

Hope Solo was received the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper and the Bronze Ball for the third best player in the tournament. Abby Wambach received the Silver Ball for being the runner-up to Sawa as the best player in the tournament.

Congratulations to the Nadeshiko!

Sundhage Makes Lineup Change for Final

Suprisingly, Pia Sundhage has elected to start Megan Rapinoe on the wing, moving Lauren Cheney to a more central position and has elected to start Amy Rodriguez on the bench. Rodriguez had started every previous match for the US in this World Cup.

Defensively, Sundhage has put Rachel Buehler back in her starter's role, after using Becky Sauerbrunn against France while Buehler was suspended.

Norio Sasaki has decided to stay with Nahomi Kawasumi in his starting lineup and keep Yuki Nagasato on the bench at the start. Other than that, Japan's lineup remains unchanged.

Preview: THE FINAL- USA vs. JAPAN

United States (#1) vs. Japan (#4)
Frankfurt, Germany (2:45 pm eastern)

Last Meeting: United States 2, Japan 0 (May 18, 2011)

United States
Coach: Pia Sundhage
WC Matches: Defeated Korea DPR 2-0; Defeated Colombia 3-0, Lost to Sweden 1-2; Defeated Brazil 2-2 (5-3 PK); Defeated France 3-1.

Lineup (unofficial):
Goalkeeper: Hope Solo (5 gms, 0.94 gaa, 2 shutouts)
Defender: Ali Krieger (5 gms, 480 minutes)
Defender: Rachel Buehler (4 gms, 1 goal, 335 minutes) or Becky Sauerbrunn (1 gm, 90 minutes)
Defender: Christie Rampone (5 gms, 480 minutes)
Defender: Amy LePeilbet (5 gms, 415 minutes)
Midfielder: Heather O'Reilly (4 gms, 1 goal, 1 assist, 336 minutes)
Midfielder: Shannon Boxx (4 gms, 390 minutes)
Midfielder: Carli Lloyd (5 gms, 455 minutes)
Midfielder: Lauren Cheney (5 gms, 2 goals, 3 assists, 415 minutes)
Forward: Abby Wambach (5 gms, 3 goals, 1 assist, 480 minutes)
Forward: Amy Rodriguez (5 gms, 293 minutes)

Bench:
Goalkeepers: Nicole Barnhart, Jill Loyden.
Defenders: Stephanie Cox (2 gms, 1 assist, 65 minutes); Heather Mitts.
Midfielders: Megan Rapinoe (5 gms, 1 goal, 2 assists, 219 minutes); Lori Lindsey (1 gm, 90 minutes); Tobin Heath (3 gms, 43 minutes); Kelley O'Hara (1 gm, 17 minutes).
Forwards: Alex Morgan (4 gms, 1 goal, 142 minutes).

Japan
Coach: Norio Sasaki
WC Matches: Defeated New Zealand 2-1; Defeated Mexico 4-0; Lost to England 0-2; Defeated Germany 1-0 (ot); Defeated Sweden 3-1.

Lineup (unofficial):
Goalkeeper: Ayumi Kaihori (5 gms, 0.75 gaa, 2 shutouts)
Defender: Yukari Kinga (5 gms, 1 assist, 480 minutes)
Defender: Azusa Iwashimizu (5 gms, 480 minutes)
Defender: Saki Kumagai (5 gms, 480 minutes)
Defender: Aya Sameshima (5 gms, 480 minutes)
Midfielder: Shinobu Ohno (5 gms, 1 goal, 1 assist, 358 minutes)
Midfielder: Mizuho Sakaguchi (5 gms, 465 minutes)
Midfielder: Homare Sawa (5 gms, 4 goals, 1 assist, 473 minutes)
Midfielder: Aya Miyama (5 gms, 1 goal, 3 assists, 479 minutes)
Forward: Kozue Ando (5 gms, 424 minutes)
Forward: Nahomi Kawasumi (3 gms, 2 goals, 103 minutes) or Yuki Nagasato (5 gms, 1 goal, 1 assist, 317 minutes)

Bench:
Goalkeepers: Nozomi Yamago, Miho Fukumoto.
Defenders: Kyoko Yano.
Midfielders: Rumi Utsugi (2 gms, 11 minutes); Megumi Kamionobe (1 gm, 1 minute); Asuna Tanaka (1 gm, 1 minute)
Forwards: Karina Maruyama (3 gms, 1 goal, 123 minutes); Mana Iwabuchi (4 gms, 121 minutes); Megumi Takase (1 gm, 4 minutes).

It comes down to the two teams of destiny, but only one can win. If you had told me two months ago that this would be the World Cup final, I would have said that the chances were slim and none. But here we are, the underdogs from Japan against the never-give-up team from the United States.

The United States and Japan have already met three times this year. The United States has won all three, a 2-1 decision at the Algarve Cup in March, and a pair of 2-0 victories in May friendlies. In fact, the United States has never lost to Japan. Coming into the World Cup, Japan's only three losses this year were to the United States. They have since lost to England in the group stage.

But this is not the same Japanese team that looked listless in May, in matches played just after the tragic events of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. Japan now has confidence and it has increased with each match. They are playing for a nation.

These two teams are the third and fourth teams to not win their group stage and yet make it to the final. And this is the first time a final is played between two teams that did not win their group. The only other teams to make it to the final without winning their group was Norway in 1991 and Sweden in 2003. Both lost in the final.

The United States is making their third appearance in the final, having won in 1991 and 1999. Japan had never made it past the quarterfinals so win or lose, this will be their best finish ever.

The magic number in this final could well be two. Two is the number of goals scored by four of the five previous winners, with the exception of the 1999 US team that played to a scoreless draw against China, winning on penalty kicks. One might also note that the last four US losses have come by a 2-1 margin. They lost to Sweden in the group stage, to England in a friendly in April, to Sweden at the Four Nations in January, and last November to Mexico, all by that same 2-1 margin.

It will be game of contrasting styles, but between two teams that took nearly identical paths to get here. Both won their first two group games, only to lose their final group match to a European team. Both had very tough quarterfinal matches which went into overtime against a top three ranked team. Both won by 3-1 margins in the semifinals, again both over European teams.

Goalkeepers
If you just looked at the statistics of this World Cup, you would see that Hope Solo has given up five goals and you might think she wasn't having all that good of a tournament. But when you consider that two were penalties and a third was deflected free kick, you would have to revise that opinion.

Solo can win a game for you and keep you in games that you have no business being close in. She has saved two penalties, although one was called back because a teammate may have stepped into the box too quickly. She will not likely be beaten on a long shot, except if there is traffic in front of her as there was on Sonia Bompastor's goal in the semis.

Heading into this world cup, Ayumi Kaihori was considered to be a weak link on the Japanese team. However, I think 120 minutes of shutout soccer against Germany earns you some measure of respect. She has given up just four goals in the tournament and has performed very well in the last two matches. Sweden tried all types of distractions including placing several tall players in front of her on corner kicks so that she couldn't see. She is very quick, but can still be susceptible to the high ball.

Advantage: United States.

Defenders
This is one area that both teams were maligned coming into this tournament. The United States defense was said to be slow and not particularly good at man-marking their opponents. But except for a fairly dismal match against Sweden, they have proven to be quite sturdy. Japan's problem on the back line was said to be its size and that problem has surfaced on occasion over the past three weeks, but not as much as most people would have thought.

The big question for Pia Sundhage is who to start at center back, Rachel Buehler or Becky Sauerbrunn. Buehler's suspension for the semifinal forced Sauerbrunn into the lineup and she responded with a very strong game. She also gives the US more height on the back line. Buehler is one of the best tacklers in the world. In the past it would have been unthinkable for her not to be in the lineup, but now?

Christie Rampone is a veteran among veterans. Surprisingly, at age 36, she is still among the fastest American players on the field. Sundhage's subtle move of switching Rampone to the left side to help make up for Amy LePeilbet's lack of pace was very smart indeed. LePeilbet had a nightmare game against Sweden, but has played better since that match. She is a two-time WPS Defender of the Year, but that was at her natural position of center back.

Ali Krieger has had a very good tournament and is the one US defender that is a threat to attack out of the back. Her experience in the Frauen Bundesliga has greatly improved her play over the past few years. Look for her on overlapping runs up the right side.

Likewise, Yukari Kinga is Japan's attacker from the back and she is also at right back. Kinga can be very dangerous when she gets forward and has the passing and technical skills of a midfielder. She can, however, occasionally get caught upfield making her vulnerable to a counterattack.

For the most part, Saki Kumagai and Azusa Iwashimizu have been very solid in the middle. Kumagai may well be the most important defender in this match, because she is the only one above 5-4 and Japan's defense will have to deal with some very tall players, most notably Abby Wambach.

Aya Sameshima is probably considered the most vulnerable of the four, but she has played through five matches and that vulnerability has not been that evident. She can appear almost lacksadaisical at the left back position. If anybody can take advantage of that, it would Heather O'Reilly who is a very tenacious midfielder. Still, this back line has made very few mistakes so far and they have all played every minute of every match. Meanwhile, the United States has given up two penalty kicks.

Advantage: Even.

Midfielders
When playing Japan, it is best to just admit to yourself that they are going to have the majority of the possession and go from there. Sweden was obviously frustrated in the semifinal match, watching Japan put ten, twelve, or even fifteen passes together, while they had to chase and then giving the ball right back to the Japanese after they had finally gained possession. The United States must avoid falling into that trap and getting frustrated.

Japan probably has no peer when it comes to technical skills and passing ability in their midfield. The US were able to defeat France, who would probably be one of the few teams to come close. Homare Sawa and Aya Miyama are simply magicians with a soccer ball.

In her fifth World Cup, Sawa is having her best ever with four goals to her credit. Strangely enough, three of those have come on headers. This could be the crowning achievement of a great career.

Miyama is simply one of the most dangerous set piece takers in the world. She can drive the ball into the penalty area with pinpoint accuracy and can score on anything within 30 yards of the goal. She has already put one in the net, a game winner against New Zealand. Miyama has three assists as well.

Japan's other two midfielders are Shinobu Ohno and Mizuho Sakaguchi. Sakaguchi is quietly having an effective tournament. She is probably the least spectacular of the four midfielders, but very steady. Ohno is a forward by trade and very dangerous in the attack. She often switches off with Kozue Ando, who has been starting at forward. Those two work very well together. Ohno has another commodity that makes her very dangerous, she is extremely fast. She has a goal and an assist to her credit so far.

The United States' two veteran central midfielders, Carli Lloyd and Shannon Boxx, have nearly 300 caps between them. Boxx can be a strong defender, who is also very good at winning balls in the air. She set up the first goal against Brazil in the quarterfinals. But she doesn't have the stamina she once had and one might keep tabs on her late in the contest.

Lloyd has one of the hardest shots in the business, but her play can be inconsistent. Almost unheard of since Pia Sundhage took over as head coach, Lloyd was subbed out of the last match. However, she is also known for being at her best in important matches. She is also celebrating a birthday on Saturday and the World Cup would be quite a gift.

At outside backs, the United States have Lauren Cheney and Heather O'Reilly. O'Reilly excels at beating defenders with her pace up the sideline and then sending crosses into the middle for her teammates. Her target in this match will be Sameshima and this matchup could determine the outcome of the match. Lauren Cheney is having a surprisingly strong tournament, especially considering she normally plays more central instead of outside on the wing. She has two goals and three assists so far.

The United States probably has the stronger bench in the midfield. Megan Rapinoe sent a perfect cross into Abby Wambach to tie the game against Brazil and will probably be one of the first substitutes to enter this match.

Edge: Japan.

Forwards
Coach Norio Sasaki made the only change to his starting lineup in the last match against Sweden, putting Nahomi Kawasumi in for Yuki Nagasato. Kawasumi responded with two goals for her team and it sent them into the finals. Kozue Ando, who can also play midfielder, has yet to get a goal at this World Cup, but she has 17 to her credit in her career. Nagasato, the player that Kawasumi replaced in the starting lineup, has over 30 career goals, one of them in this tournament.

The thing is about Japan's starting forwards is that nothing particularly sticks out about them. Nothing except that like the rest of their team, they are exceptionally gifted technicians and are very crafty about making moves to give themselves space for a shot.

In fact, it has been two Japanese substitute forwards that have gained the most attention. Mana Iwabuchi, in spite of not having scored yet, looks to be potentially their most gifted forward and dangerous any time the ball is at her feet. Karina Maruyama may have scored the biggest goal in Japanese women's history with her strike in overtime against Germany. She has a lot of experience and must not be given room near the goal.

The United States has one of the biggest weapons in women's soccer in Abby Wambach. She almost seems to be on a mission in this tournament. Like Maruyama for Japan, she may have scored one of the biggest goals in her team's history with her header in the 122nd minute against Brazil. There is probably only one other player in the world that can come close to her ability in the air, that being Kerstin Garefrekes of Germany. If this match is won on pure determination, I wouldn't bet against Wambach.

The other starting forward for the United States is Amy Rodriguez, who is a having a very quiet tournament so far, something that you really don't want to have said about you as a forward. Sundhage likes to have Rodriguez in the lineup, because her great speed appears to be a perfect match for Wambach's size and strength. It is necessary for her to be at least be a threat in this match in order to free up space for her teammates.

The third US forward is supersub Alex Morgan. She finally got her first World Cup goal in the semifinal to seal the victory over France. She has great pace and always seems to lift the energy level of the team when she enters the game.

Advantage: United States.

Coaching
Both coaches have a calming influence over their team, but they do it in different fashion. Norio Sasaki never seems to get overly excited, no matter what the situation. His patience and quiet confidence in his team shows on the field and is perfect for the precision-minded, methodical play of Japan.

Meanwhile, Pia Sundhage often uses humor to calm her team and keep them loose. She rarely looks at the negative and is always preaching the positive. She is as loyal to the players as they are to her.

Neither coach is prone to making big changes. Sasaki has only made one change to his starting lineup for this World Cup. Sundhage has made a few more, mostly to deal with Buehler's red card and to keep Shannon Boxx fresh as the US advanced further into the tournament.

Advantage: Even.

Summary
This should definitely be a game of contrasting styles. Japan will be patient and employ their tactical and technical superiority in keeping possession. The United States are more of a quick strike team, but they can strike from several different directions. The United States will have to guard against frustration and stay with their game.

Japan will try to exploit space in the midfield, certainly that can occasionally be a problem for the United States. Miyama and Sawa will be the center of attention. The United States cannot afford to give Miyama time and space to make crosses into the box to set up her teammates.

The United States will likely try to play a lot of high crosses into the penalty area, where they can take advantage of Wambach and their height advantage. They should be able to put a lot of pressure on the Japanese back line by getting bodies forward and into the penalty area.

Both sides will want to avoid giving up free kicks and corners at the defensive end of the field. Miyama is deadly with her placement and Japan has already scored off three set pieces in this tournament. For the US, Wambach and Boxx are especially good in the air and will be a problem for Kaihori and her defense.

We should see a lot of attacks up the right side for both teams. Kinga and Ohno will likely try to use their speed to beat LePeilbet on the US left. O'Reilly and Krieger will be doing the same against the supposedly vulnerable Sameshima on the Japanese left.

Japan will try to find players making runs at the US back line to get in one-on-one against Solo, using their speed. Neither keeper can afford to make a mistake, as both teams can be opportunistic.

The United States will have to show patience in the central midfield, hold the ball as long as possible, and dismiss any notion of trying hopeless 35 yard shots, unless they can catch Kaihori off her line.

It is a shame that one of these teams has to lose as both have played so hard and overcome such odds to get to this point. I wouldn't be surprised if either team won, but if I had to make a prediction...

My Prediction: United States 2, Japan 1.

USA to the Finals

It was a gloomy, misty day in Moenchengladbach, but the United States saw blue skies to final as they defeated France 3-1 in FIFA World Cup semifinal action on Wednesday. It was not nearly so dramatic as Sunday's quarterfinal, but it was surely in doubt most of the way. However, this team seems to find a way to win.

The only change for US coach Pia Sundhage was replacing the suspended Rachel Buehler with Becky Sauerbrunn. French coach Bruno Bini decided to use Ophelie Meilleroux in the left center back position, one that has been somewhat of a revolving door for France in this World Cup.

The first chance for France in this match came in eighth minute as Hope Solo was forced to tip a Louisa Necib drive over the net from 22 yards out. Solo, who was making her 100th appearance for the United States, would have quite a busy day in goal for the US as she faced 25 French shots, eight of which were on goal.

As in their match with Brazil, the United States was able to get on the board early. In the 9th minute, the US worked the ball around to the left, with Carli Lloyd backheeling a pass forward to Heather O'Reilly. O'Reilly, who rarely finds herself on that side of the field, was able to get a step on French defender Laura Georges and crossed the ball toward the six. Lauren Cheney was making a near post run for the Americans and she was able to change the direction of the ball just enough to deflect it past Berangere Sapowicz and inside the right post to put the US up 1-0.

In the 24th minute, Carli Lloyd was able to get her head on a Cheney corner kick, but put it a couple of feet wide of the post. Overall, the first 25 minutes were pretty even play between the two sides, but France began to dominate as play approached the half hour mark.

In the 27th minute, Elise Bussaglia hit a hard, low shot from 30 yards, but Solo smothered it. Over the next few minutes, France put heavy pressure on the United States, taking control of the match.

France came very close in the 30th minute as Necib set up Gaetane Thiney on the left side of the penalty area, but Solo came out and deflected the ball wide with her right arm. Just three minutes later, Sandrine Soubeyrand played a short free kick to Sonia Bompastor who struck a beautiful shot from the edge of the penalty area. The ball hooked away from Solo, but unfortunately for France, it struck the corner of the goal post and bounced away.

In the 38th minute, Christie Rampone made a rare forward run on the right side and crossed to Abby Wambach, who rose for the header just outside the back post. Wambach's header went all the way across the goal mouth and wide of the right post. The half ended with the US clinging to a 1-0 lead.

Bini surprisingly sent Eugenie LeSommer in for Marie-Laure Delie at the half. Delie is probably the most dangerous attacking player for France.

Not a minute into the second half, France had a golden opportunity. Necib sent Thiney into the left side of the penalty area. Thiney appeared to have space, but with US defender Ali Krieger bearing down on her and Solo charging out, she took a bit too long and was never able to really get a shot off.

But it wasn't long before France did pull even. In 55th minute, Bussaglia switched the point of attack to the left side. Bompastor sent a cross into the penalty area from 30 yards out. With Thiney making a near post run, Solo was uncertain whether to go for the ball or play a potential Thiney header. She elected to stay with Thiney. As it turned out, Thiney rose for the header, but didn't make contact and the ball continued on inside the right post to tie the score at one. It was the first goal for Bompastor in this World Cup.

With the game now even and with the US being outplayed, it began to look like Sunday's game was taking its toll on the tired US squad. Camille Abily followed the goal with a shot over the crossbar in the 57th minute. In the 66th minute, Solo made a turnover on an attempted clearance, but LeSommer mishit her shot from 18 yards.

Sundhage made two substitutions early in the half, sending Alex Morgan in for Amy Rodriguez in the 57th minute and Megan Rapinoe in for Carli Lloyd in the 65th minute. It was a rare moment to see Lloyd subbed out since she nearly always plays the full match.

But just when you thought that this United States team might not have anything left, they came alive. A free kick in the 70th minute nearly gave them the go ahead goal. Rapinoe's low drive from 35 yards gave Sapowicz all kinds of trouble. The ball bounced a few feet away with Morgan charging toward the net. Sapowicz was able to block Morgan's shot and as it turned out, Morgan had been whistled offside, although that was very close as well.

Bini made his second substitution, sending in speedy Elodie Thomis for Soubeyrand in the 78th minute. It was clear that Bini was going for the win.

In the 79th minute, the US won a corner kick on the right side. Cheney's kick went to the back post, just a few feet off the goal line. Abby Wambach had gotten past Laure LePailleur and was uncontested for her header. With Sapowicz arriving late, Wambach headed the ball down and into the net from close in and the United States were back in the lead.

France tried to battle back. In the 81st minute, LePailleur sent a cross toward LeSommer on the left side of the box, but her diving attempt at the header went well wide.

The United States sealed the match in the 82nd minute. Rapinoe was able to touch the ball past the French defense to Morgan. She gained possession on the left side of the penalty area. With Sapowicz charging out and from a very tough angle, Morgan chipped the ball toward the goal. Sapowicz may have barely gotten her fingertips on the ball, but not enough to change the flight of the ball. Morgan's chip found the right side netting and it was 3-1 for the US.

France never really had a good scoring chance afterwards. Sapowicz later made a great save on Morgan that prevented the scoreline from getting any worse. For the French team, it had to be a disappointment, because they had played so well for the first 75 minutes of the match. But in the end, the United States had persevered yet again.

So now, it is on to the finals for the United States. The United States have never lost their final match in the World Cup, twice winning it and three times winning the third place match. It will be their first appearance in the finals since 1999, when they won as the host nation in penalties over China.

Sweden 2, United States 1

Sweden scored first half goals on a penalty kick and a free kick to defeat the United States by a 2-1 margin. They played their best match of the tournament so far and the victory earns them first place in Group C. The United States have to settle for second place in Group C, losing their first group stage match ever.

Both teams had a key player out of the lineup. Caroline Seger did not play because of yellow card accumulation, while Heather O'Reilly was forced to sit out because of an injured groin. US striker Abby Wambach did start in spite of her Achilles heel injury.

For the opening six minutes of the match, it looked like the United States were going to take the initiative. Play was almost entirely in Sweden's end, but the US produced only one scoring chance, a shot from 16 yards from Lauren Cheney which was handled easily by Hedvig Lindahl.

However, as the match settled into a rhythm, Sweden took control and had the better of play, as the United States seemed quite out of sync at times.

Sweden had the first great scoring opportunity on the first of many US mistakes on the day. Lindahl's goal kick in the 7th minute was mistakenly headed backwards by midfielder Carli Lloyd and it became quite a good through ball for Lotta Schelin. Schelin dribbled to the penalty spot and released her shot, but Hope Solo made a great kick save to keep Sweden off the board.

The United States had another chance in the 13th minute as the they worked the ball to Amy Rodriguez 25 yards out. She touched a nice pass to Wambach, who was cutting to her left, but her low shot went right to Lindahl.

Disaster struck the United States in the 14th minute. A harmless Lisa Dahlqvist shot from 30 yards was slowed by a deflection off of US defender Christie Rampone. Schelin seized on the opportunity gathering the ball at the 18 and was pulled down by Amy LePeilbet just inside the penalty area. Sweden was correctly awarded a penalty kick and LePeilbet received a yellow card for her challenge.

Dahlqvist stepped up to take the penalty. She went left with her shot and it had to be perfect, because Solo guessed correctly and just missed getting her fingertips on the ball. Sweden led 1-0.

The US almost equalized in the 20th minute. Abby Wambach was able to touch the ball over to Lauren Cheney who had a clear chance from 16 yards. Her blast had Lindahl beat, but flew just wide of the left post. Another Cheney shot from 18 yards dipped just over the crossbar a minute later.

The United States came close again in the 32nd minute as Rodriguez was able to fend off Charlotte Rohlin and chip the ball over the head of Lindahl, but the Swedish goalkeeper had to feel quite relieved as the ball hit the top of the crossbar and went barely over.

The US couldn't have been much more unlucky in the 35th minute, although a bit of sloppy play in back led to the bad luck. Rachel Buehler seemed to be perfectly positioned to intercept a long ball out of the Swedish back, but the ball skipped by her and she then fouled Schelin in the process of trying to get the ball back.

Once again, a deflection on a harmless shot was the culprit. Nilla Fischer's free kick from 28 yards was well struck, but should have been no trouble at all, with Solo moving over to cover the post in case the ball might be on target. Instead, the ball struck LePeilbet and deflected well behind the American keeper into the left side of the net. Two shots from distance, two deflections off American defenders, one setting up a Swedish goal and one directly resulting in a Swedish goal.

Carli Lloyd nearly poked the ball into the net on a Rampone free kick in the 41st minute, but Lindahl made a nice save in traffic to keep the ball in front of her and out of the net.

The half ended with Sweden holding a 2-0 edge. They had played their best half of soccer in the tournament and they clearly had the edge in play in the first half. They also hadn't made near the mistakes that the Americans had. Yet the US had several opportunities and just didn't cash in. However, the United States had too often settled for hopeless long attempts when other options might have been better.

Nilla Fischer tried to make it three in the 57th minute, but her shot from 20 yards went wide of the right post. Josefine Oqvist crossed the ball into the box a minute later, but no one from Sweden was running at the back post and the ball rolled harmlessly through the box.

The United States finally scored in the 67th minute. Cheney took the corner kick from the right side and hit it to the far post. Wambach leaped above everyone and managed to get the top of her shoulder on the ball and it snuck just inside the left post to cut the lead in half.

Meanwhile, Sweden had one chance for Schelin called back on what appeared to be an errant offsides call.

The United States continued to pressure over the last 25 minutes, but could never get the tying goal. Their best chance came in the 86th minute when Cheney beat defender Annica Svensson on the left side and crossed the ball to the middle. Kelley O'Hara's wide open volley went wide of the right post from 14 yards out.

Nilla Fischer had an outstanding game for Sweden, while Schelin and Oqvist gave American defenders problems throughout. Sweden effectively sealed off any threats on their left flank from becoming dangerous, particularly late in the match. Lindahl was solid overall, but a bit fortunate that the United States could not find the goal for much of the match.

For the United States, Ali Krieger continues to impress at right back, while Lauren Cheney continues to be an offensive threat for the US. The United States obviously missed Heather O'Reilly's speed up the right side.

Sweden comes out of Group C play unbeaten and will face Australia on Sunday. The loss for the United States sets up a heavyweight contest between the US and Brazil on Sunday, a rematch of the 2008 Olympic final and the 2007 World Cup semifinal.

While some may call this an upset, it is certainly not a surprise. Sweden had beaten the United States by the identical score in January and the two teams play close matches nearly every time they meet. Sweden were on their game in the first half and their speed gave the US back line trouble, something that the United States will have to rectify before Sunday's match with Brazil.

Perhaps the biggest winner here is Germany for now they know they will at most have to face only one team between the United States and Brazil in the tournament, and then not until the final.

The bracket sets up like this:

Germany vs. Japan
Sweden vs. Australia

England vs. France
Brazil vs. United States

United States 3, Colombia 0

United States dominated Colombia for most of 90 minutes, taking their second Group C match with a 3-0 victory and it really could have been much more. The Americans took 27 shots, nine of which were on goal and nearly all were dangerous.

The victory means that the United States have qualified for the quarterfinals, with only first and second place in Group C to be decided. The US will meet Sweden on Wednesday to settle that.

Both teams made changes to their starting lineups. Lori Lindsey started for Shannon Boxx in the midfield to give the veteran a bit of rest. Meanwhile, Colombian coach Ricardo Rozo elected not to start his young star Yoreli Rincon who had struggled in their first match.

The first chance came in just the third minute. Lauren Cheney played a ball into the left side of the box, but Amy Rodriguez's shot from a bad angle was saved by Sandra Sepulveda.

Just four minutes later, Heather O'Reilly's cross from the right side found Abby Wambach on the left side of the box. Wambach's shot was saved by Sepulveda and the rebound went to a wide open Rodriguez who skied the ball over the crossbar. Sepulveda injured her hand on the save on Wambach and the injury may have cost her later in the match.

Rodriguez had yet another chance in the 10th minute as a well-weighted ball from Lori Lindsey sent her in alone on the left side, but Sepulveda cut off the angle and Rodriguez fired wide.

A poor touch on a clearance led to the United States' first goal in the 13th minute. Heather O'Reilly picked up the loose ball and hammered a shot into the left side netting from 25 yards out. That goal had to take some of the pressure off of the USWNT.

A corner almost led to another goal, but Wambach's header went wide left in the 21st minute. That was followed by Rodriguez's curling shot from 20 yards that was saved by Sepulveda. In the 31st, another cross by O'Reilly from the right side found Wambach wide open, but her header went well over the bar. In the 36th minute, Sepulveda saved Lauren Cheney's blast from 12 yards. Chance after chance and the US still only led by one.

Colombia had very few chances in the first half, but they did put the ball into the net once. In the closing minute of the half, Diana Ospina put the ball through to Katerin Castro, who slipped the ball past Hope Solo, but Castro was well offside on the play.

Megan Rapinoe came on as a halftime substitution for Rodriguez and instantly brought energy and a goal to the US. A throw-in came to Cheney with her back to the net, about 30 yards out. She turned on her defender and slipped a pass just inside the penalty area to Rapinoe. Rapinoe worked her away along the top of the box toward the middle and drove the ball into the upper left corner of the net.

In the 57th minute, Carli Lloyd made it 3-0 on a long-range bomb from 28 yards that Sepulveda appeared to have saved, but it went off her hands into the goal. One had to wonder if the earlier injury might have been a factor there.

The United States continued to pile on the chances, but scored no more goals. Rapinoe rattled the crossbar in the 68th minute, just missing her second goal. In the 80th minute, Wambach blocked Sepulveda's attempted clearance and the ball squarely hit the right post, but stayed out of the goal.

Colombia appeared to have a golden opportunity in the 85th minute, but Orianica Velasquez took a bit too much time and the US defense was able to recover. It must be said that Velasquez had some very good moments as a second half substitute.

The two things the US didn't want in the closing minutes were injuries or yellow cards. Unfortunately, they got both. Heather O'Reilly came off in the 62nd minute and it was unclear what the nature of her injury was, but she was obviously in some discomfort as she was examined on the sideline.

Abby Wambach received a yellow card in the 84th minute as her foot caught Sepulveda in the side as the Colombian keeper was making a save.

Hope Solo posted her fifth straight World Cup shutout, making only four saves for the match.

The United States and Sweden have qualified for the quarterfinals. The order will be determined by the match between the two on Wednesday. In the event of a tie, the United States would win the group based on goal differential. Colombia will face Korea DPR in the other Group C match on Wednesday.

World Cup: Day 7

Sweden vs. North Korea (8 am eastern)

This could well be a very important match in determining the final order of finish in Group C. A Swedish victory would probably eliminate Korea DPR. A Korean victory, however, could well make for tense moments all around come next Wednesday, the final day of group play in Group C.

Sweden would appear to have the advantage heading into this match. Even though they struggled to get past Colombia, their size, strength, and experience is head and shoulders above Korea DPR.

One was beginning to wonder if Jessica Landstrom could find more ways to miss the net last Tuesday. She was going high or wide on nearly every attempt, but she finally found the goal in the 57th minute against Colombia and she might be a good deal more accurate on Saturday. Her striking partner, Lotta Schelin will surely have her opportunities as well and both will give Korea's defense as much or more than they can handle.

When Sweden defeated Colombia earlier in the week, they were able to get numbers forward which forced Colombian star Yoreli Rincon to do far more defending than attacking. They will try to do the same to Jo Yun Mi, Korea's most talented player. Caroline Seger was strong in the center midfield and won many a 50-50 ball in the match against Colombia.

While Sweden gave up virtually nothing up the middle to Colombia, they did look vulnerable on their right flank a few times. Korea might well attack that side of the Swedish defense, although the Koreans' technical abilities may enable them to loosen up the Swedish defense better than Colombia. Sara Thunebro and Charlotte Rohlin form a solid wall on Sweden's left. Hedvig Lindahl's experience gives her an edge for Sweden.

While Korea DPR played the United States even or maybe better for one half on Tuesday, they faded badly in the second half and were pretty much dominated in the final 45 minutes. They will need to get a better 90 minute effort on Saturday.

The Korean attack really does depend very much on Jo, the MVP of the Asian Cup last year. She wasn't as big a factor against the US as she might have been and the Koreans will try to get her more involved in the attack in this match. Most of the Korean strikers are very young, but Ra Un Sim provides the most experience and is probably the best scorer of the group.

Korea DPR will have to be patient when attacking and keep long attempts to a minimum, as they would likely not faze Lindahl in the least. They will want to play the ball to the feet because of Sweden's overwhelming advantage in the air.

On the back line, we saw Song Jong Sun make occasional runs up the right side against the US. However, it might be difficult to crack the Swedish defense on that side of the field. Ri Un Hyang and Jong Pok Sim started in the central defense against the US. They will be under heavy pressure against Schelin and Landstrom, who will tower over over them.

One probably couldn't fault Hong Myong Hui on either goal on Tuesday. She will face another difficult day, with an aerial attack and set pieces being Korea's biggest fear.

If Korea DPR could play like they did in the first half against the United States, they could give Sweden a run for their money. Certainly, the longer they keep Sweden off the board, the more frustrated Sweden's attack will become. But Sweden showed that they will turn the pressure up when they have to. Seger's physical presence in the midfield will be a problem for Korea.

My Prediction: Sweden 2, Korea DPR 1

United States vs. Colombia (12 pm eastern)

A victory in this match will put the United States in very good shape in Group C and pending the outcome of the Sweden/Korea DPR match, could give them a quarterfinal berth. Colombia, on the other hand, desperately needs at least a tie in this match just to stay alive.

These two teams have never met on the field. In fact, outside of Brazil, the US has rarely played a team from South America.

There is talk going around that Lori Lindsey might possibly start in the central midfield for the Americans. If that is true, it would be a rare instance indeed where both Shannon Boxx and Carli Lloyd were both healthy and didn't start together. Boxx did take a bit of a knock in the match against Korea DPR and the 33-year old is not as young as she used to be (none of us are), so Sundhage may try to rest her veteran midfielder in favor of matches further into the tournament.

On the attack, Abby Wambach is likely to give Colombia's back line fits. And it doesn't help that Sundhage's decision to start Lauren Cheney gives the US another strong, powerful offensive presence to deal with. Truth be told, for an outside midfielder, Cheney ended up in the middle of the field an awful lot, taking shots against Korea DPR. If I didn't know better, I could have swore that the US was playing three forwards in their first match.

The US defense showed some weaknesses in the first half against Korea, but they were more solid later in the match. Ali Krieger may have had one of her best matches for the national team against Korea and she has definitely nailed down the right back position on this team. And it always helps when you have Hope Solo behind you in goal. Her World Cup record now stands at five matches played and four consecutive shutouts.

Colombia will want to get Yoreli Rincon more involved in the attacking end in this match. Against Sweden, she appeared to drop back further and further as the match wore on and she spent most of her day either defending or trying harmless shots from distance. Catalina Usme is Colombia's one experienced forward and she will likely be the biggest threat in the middle against central defenders Christie Rampone and Rachel Buehler.

The player that was most dangerous for Colombia against Sweden was Carmen Rodallega, who attacked very well up the left side of the field in that match. If Colombia can catch Krieger upfield on an overlapping run, a quick, effective counterattack on that side could pose a problem for the US.

On the Colombian back line, only Kelis Peduzine has much height so Colombia will need to keep the ball on the side, forcing throw-ins instead of free kicks and corners. Captain Natalia Gaitan had a very strong game against Sweden on Tuesday. Defender Nataly Arias is from the United States and played college soccer at the University of Maryland.

Solo will have the goalkeeping advantage over Sandra Sepulveda for Colombia. Sepulveda will have to fight for every ball in the air or she is in for a very long day.

If you are a US fan, there are three things to worry about in this match...Columbia's speed, counterattacks, and overconfidence. Remember that it took nearly sixty minutes for Sweden to get their goal, so the Americans will have to work for this one. Colombia needs to get numbers forward when counterattacking opportunities arise and hope for a lot of 1 v. 1 soccer on the offensive end. In the end, I see the United States' size advantage as being too imposing on the offensive end.

My Prediction: United States 2, Colombia 0.

United States 2, Korea DPR 0

They say it's always a good idea to make your coach look brilliant and that's just what Lauren Cheney did in the United States' opening match against Korea on Tuesday. Cheney scored the winning goal in the 54th minute to lead the US to a 2-0 victory.

Cheney was placed in the starting lineup as a midfielder in place of the normal starter Megan Rapinoe and the move paid dividends to US coach Pia Sundhage. While Cheney was playing midfield, she appeared to be almost a third striker for much of the match.

The United States looked a bit nervous early on, perhaps a combination of opening match jitters and pressure. The first half was played pretty evenly between the two sides and the Koreans certainly had stretches were they held the advantage.

The way things went early on, especially for Cheney, it appeared that the Americans were out to play kick and catch with Korean keeper Hong Myong Hui. The first evidence of this was in the 11th minute as Cheney drilled a hard shot, but right at Hong.

Korea did not get any especially dangerous chances early on. Jon Myong Hwa did put one over the bar from distance in the 25th minute.

Cheney again placed a hard shot on frame from 15 yards, but again right at Hong in the 34th minute.

But later in the half, Korea were knocking at the door. Just a minute later, Kim Su Gyong nearly snuck one inside the right post, but Hope Solo was there to make the save. Then Song Jong Sun sent the ball past a diving Solo across the goal mouth, but no one was making a back post run and the ball rolled harmlessly away. In the closing minutes of the half JoYun Mi nearly tipped in a cross by Kim, but to no avail.

The second started with some beautiful passing from the US. Carli Lloyd sent the ball forward to Abby Wambach who sent it square to Amy Rodriguez. Rodriguez then connected with a nice pass to Cheney. Once again, Cheney's shot was right at Hong.

But if the first half was pretty even, the second half was a dominating performance by the United States. They created chance after chance in the 2nd half. First, Shannon Boxx sent one just over the bar. Then Cheney again tested Hong from 12 yards, but the Korean keeper was up to task yet again. In the 51st minute, Rodriguez made a nice run up the right side, sending the ball across to Wambach who missed connecting from just in front of the goal.

The US broke through in the 54th minute. Lloyd sent a well-weighted ball up the left side with Wambach running onto it. Wambach settled, cut inside to give herself room and hit a right-footed cross. Lauren Cheney was waiting eight yards out and even with the back post. Unlike all of the shots off her foot, her header was perfectly placed, back across the goal and inside the left post. The United States led 1-0.

Korea came close to tying in the 56th minute as Ri's shot from distance glanced off the top of the crossbar. It was as close as the young Koreans would come to tying the match.

The United States continued to keep Hong busy. Amy LePeilbet's cross in the 65th minute found Wambach wide open. She headed the ball down hard, with the ball bouncing in front of Hong, then off Hong's hands and then hitting the underside of the crossbar, before bouncing out. Later, Rodriguez hit a bending shot that appeared might sneak inside the left post, but Hong was able to get a hand on that to keep it at one.

The United States put the game away in the 76th minute as Ali Krieger's shot from the left wing struck the crossbar, with the loose ball eventually coming to Rachel Buehler at the 18.. She neatly slotted the ball just inside the left post to give the US a safe 2-0 lead.

Korea did put some pressure on in the final five minutes, but Solo and the US were able to keep it at a shutout. Meanwhile, the US thought they had a third when Megan Rapinoe appeared to beat Hong to the ball and hammer it home from in close, but the referee ruled that Hong had gotten her hands on the ball just before Rapinoe connected. The goal was disallowed and a foul called on the American midfielder.

For the United States, several players had strong games, most notably Cheney and Rodriguez. The US were able to limit Korean star Jo's chances to just a few. Hope Solo was solid in goal, but really not overly tested. Hong did well to keep the score at 2-0 in goal for the Koreans.

The United States put themselves in a very favorable position in Group C with three points and a +2 differential. They will take on Colombia on Saturday, a match that they should enter as prohibitive favorites. North Korea meets Sweden on Saturday in a very important match for both teams.

US Squeaks Past Mexico 1-0

It took nearly 92 minutes, but Lauren Cheney's strike gave the United States a 1-0 victory over Mexico. The goal came in spite of a brilliant effort by 16 year old goalkeeper Celia Santiago.

The United States dominated almost from the opening whistle, unlike the match last November where Mexico took it to the US early in the match. But a combination of missed opportunities and some great saves by the Mexican teenager kept the United States off the scoreboard until second half stoppage time.

The winning goal started with Heather O'Reilly's long pass up the center of the field to Abby Wambach who received the ball 10 yards outside of the penalty area. She dropped the ball back to Cheney, who worked her way to her right before releasing a blistering shot from 30 yards out into the upper left corner of the net, just beyond the outstretched arms of Santiago.

The United States outshot Mexico 34-4 for the match, but far too many of those were not on frame. They still put enough on goal to keep Santiago busy for most of the match. The US thought they surely had a goal in the 70th minute when Stephanie Cox sent a perfect pass to a cutting Carli Lloyd. Lloyd's shot had good pace and was heading just inside the near post before Santiago was able to reach out and deflect the ball away at the last possible moment.

Mexico found it very hard to muster any kind of an attack, unlike the Concacaf semifinal when they were consistently able to find space between the US defense. The US passing game was much improved from their two recent matches with Japan. Mexico did show some improvement in the attack later in the match, but were unable to produce any chances beyond a few shots from distance.

Hope Solo got the shutout for the United States, but was tested with very few chances.

Heather Mitts, who has been suffering from injuries for most of the past few months, saw her first action in the second half. It was later confirmed that Mitts will keep her roster spot for the World Cup.

The United States will next head to Austria for training camp before arriving in Germany for their first round match on June 28.

Before the match, Kristine Lilly was honored for her extraordinary USWNT career, which include 352 caps and 130 goals.

US Set To Meet Mexico

The USWNT will meet Mexico in final preparation for the 2011 World Cup today in Harrison, New Jersey.

While this game is a friendly, what happened seven months ago today will not be lost among the players taking the field this afternoon. The United States, then considered a shoe-in for one of the two automatic Concacaf WC positions faced Mexico on November 5. Most people thought the US would win and it would be Mexico that would face Costa Rica and then Italy for a shot at the final World Cup position.

Well, that's not what happened. Mexico outplayed the US on that day and won 2-1, later losing a close match in the Concacaf finals to Canada, while it was the United States that had to sweat out three more matches to qualify for the 2011 World Cup.

Mexico has been quite the busy team since then. After the Concacaf qualifiers, they played a tough tournament in Sao Paulo, in which they faced the host team Brazil, Canada, and Holland twice. While they lost all four matches, it was against top flight competition and Mexico served notice that they could at least be competitive.

Mexico followed that with a 2-0-2 record at the Cyprus Cup and were unbeaten in four friendlies facing Costa Rica and Colombia each twice. So they have a 6-0-2 record in 2011.

The United States has been up and down. They won at Algarve, but lost to Sweden at the Four Nations in China. They also were beaten in a friendly with England. They recently defeated Japan twice, once looking rather mediocre and the other match looking quite good at times.

The US does not have anymore "official" matches on the schedule, although there are likely to be unofficial scrimmages after they leave for Europe. Mexico has friendlies scheduled against both Sweden and Australia just prior to the start of the World Cup.

It will be interesting to see how the US chooses to attack Mexico, since they did not look very good in the last contest between the two teams. Meanwhile, Maribel Dominguez was able to expose the US back line at times throughout the match.

These two sides are very familiar with each other, not only from friendlies between them, but also because several members of Mexico's roster played college soccer here in the US, including Teresa Noyola, Alina Garciamendez, and Veronica Perez.

Pia Sundhage has approached the final preparation games just as she would a World Cup game, making few changes in her starting lineup. Mexican coach Leonardo Cuellar is still experimenting trying to find the right combinations he wants to use in Germany.

In spite of it being a friendly, the rematch of the Concacaf semifinal match should make for some compelling soccer today at Red Bull Arena.

US Defeats Japan 2-0 in Rematch

The result was the same as four days earlier, but it was much better performance out of the USWNT tonight as they defeated Japan by a 2-0 margin in Cary, North Carolina.

Pia Sundhage went with the exact same lineup as she did Saturday and early on, the game appeared much the same as well. Japan put high pressure on the United States' defense early on and this created a bit faster tempo. The Japanese had the better of possession for the first 20 minutes of the match, but the American defense was solid and Japan was unable to get a good scoring chance.

The United States appeared to grow stronger as the first half progressed and once again, they were able to strike first in the 28th minute of the match. Shannon Boxx sent a long cross-field pass to Heather O'Reilly who gained possession on the right side near the end line. O'Reilly was able to beat a defender to the outside and sent a beautiful cross back to an open Amy Rodriguez. Rodriguez finished, in spite of Japanese keeper Ayumi Kaihori getting her hand on it, and the United States led 1-0.

Sundhage made one halftime substitution, sending in Amy LePeilbet at left back for Stephanie Cox. LePeilbet had been nursing an injury and did not appear in Saturday's match. The United States turned up the pressure in the second half, creating chance after chance.

Two more substitutions were forthcoming in the 60th minute as Alex Morgan and Lori Lindsey entered the match for Rodriguez and Boxx. Boxx had one of her best all around performances in this match.

It didn't take long for Morgan to get into the mix, as Carli Lloyd sent a long ball over the top of the Japanese back line. Morgan timed her run perfectly and was able to beat Kaihori to the ball tipping it past her. Morgan gained control just outside the six-yard box on the left side, but took a bit long to set up her shot as defender Azusa Iwashimizu made a great sliding save just before the ball reached the goal.

Three minutes later, it was the Lloyd-Morgan connection again, this time with Lloyd sending a beautiful ball through to Morgan who got within eight yards of the goal. This time it was Kaihori making a great save to rob Morgan.

The Americans kept knocking on the door and it finally opened in the 69th minute. Lloyd sent a ball wide right to O'Reilly, who this time cut inside with the ball. She hit a well-placed strike from 15 yards out just inside the left post to put the US up by a 2-0 score.

USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo got her sternest test in the 81st minute as Karina Maruyama hit a solid strike that appeared to be heading just under the crossbar as a leaping Solo tipped the ball over the net.

The match ended in a well-earned US victory. Their next match will be June 5, in what will be a rematch of the Concacaf semifinal where Mexico stunned the US and nearly put American World Cup hopes on the ropes.

Other World Cup teams in action today:
Mexico 3 (Morales, Perez, Cuellar), Costa Rica 0
France 1 (Bussaglia, pk), Scotland 1 (Ross)
Canada 2 (own goal, Julien), Switzerland 1 (Crnogorcevic)

England Wins World Cup Warm-Up Over Sweden

Hope Powell's England squad has knocked off another high ranking team in defeating Sweden by a 2-0 margin. Jill Scott scored early in the second half and Karen Carney later added a penalty to boost England to the victory.

Both teams were playing without key players. For England, Fara Williams and Faye White were both sidelined with injuries. Meanwhile, Sweden was without Stina Segerstrom, who suffered a severe injury and will miss the World Cup, as well as Sara Larsson and Nilla Fischer, who were also nursing injuries.

USWNT Adds Engen and Farrelly to Roster

Pia Sundhage has called Whitney Engen and Sinead Farrelly up for the final friendly against Japan. Engen was added to provide much needed depth for the US back line, with Heather Mitts, Christie Rampone, and Amy LePeilbet all trying to heal from injuries. Farrelly was added after the devastating injury to Lindsay Tarpley in Saturday's match against Japan.

A former star at North Carolina, Engen is now a starter for the Western New York Flash after playing her rookie season for the Chicago Red Stars. Engen has missed just four minutes of action in 29 WPS matches.

Farrelly is a rookie midfielder for the Philadelphia Independence, starting in her first WPS season for coach Paul Riley. The former Virginia star was the second overall pick in the January draft.

US Takes First Match Against Japan

The United States Women's National Team has won the first of two friendlies with Japan by a score of 2-0. Abby Wambach led the way with a goal and an assist.

The United States started slowly as they struggled with Japanese pressure on the ball. Japan was able to create a few half chances early in the contest, including a long, speedy run by Shinobu Ohno in the 23rd minute, which looked dangerous but did not end in a goal.

The United States' attack began to show signs of life in the 25th minute as Carli Lloyd hit a brilliant back heel pass to Stephanie Cox, who in turn sent the ball through to Wambach. Her shot from 12 yards on the left side gave Japanese keeper Ayumi Kaihori trouble, but the US was unable to pounce on the rebound and the Japanese eventually cleared.

The USWNT finally broke through in the 29th minute. Ali Krieger placed a 40-yard free kick well into the box, where Wambach soared easily above the Japanese defenders and headed the ball in with good pace to put the United States up 1-0. It was the first goal for Wambach since the Concacaf tournament last fall.

The United States doubled their lead in the 37th minute. Heather O'Reilly dribbled in before sending the ball wide to Wambach. She hit a perfect cross into an onrushing Amy Rodriguez who's shot hit the inside of the right post before spinning across the line for the goal.

The US played a fairly strong second half, but were unable to add to their lead and the match finished in a 2-0 victory. Hope Solo, who played her first full match for the USWNT since last summer, earned the shutout.

The victory did not come without a price, however, as Lindsay Tarpley tore her ACL late in the second half and will unfortunately miss the World Cup. It was a tough blow for Tarpley who had suffered a serious injury to end the 2009 WPS season as well.

On the positive side, Wambach looked as good as ever after spending much of the winter and spring bothered by a heel injury. She was a dominant factor in this win for the US.

The two teams will meet again in Cary, North Carolina on Wednesday evening.

Other scores involving World Cup bound teams:
May 12 - Australia 3 (Foord, Simon, Khamis), New Zealand 0
May 14 - Brazil 3 (Aline Pelligrino, Marta, Rosana), Chile 0
May 15 - Australia 2 (Cannuli, McCallum), New Zealand 1 (Wilkinson)
May 15 - Ghana 2, Nigeria 1

De Vanna Withdrawn from Squad for Friendly

According to the Football Australia website, Matilda's striker Lisa De Vanna was withdrawn from the squad before a friendly with New Zealand due to "a breach in team rules." No word yet on how this affects her status for the upcoming World Cup in Germany.

This follows the loss of Kate Gill who recently suffered a severe injury while playing for Swedish club Linkopings two weeks ago.

De Vanna had missed considerable time with the Matildas due to a serious injury she suffered while playing for Australia in the Asian Cup in May, 2010.

USWNT Takes on Japan in Columbus

The United States will meet Japan in a friendly today in Columbus, Ohio. The match is scheduled for 6:30 eastern time.

Both teams are beginning their final preparations for the World Cup which will be played in Germany starting June 26. Of course, Japan is still reeling from the devastating earthquakes, tsunami, and their aftermatch. A moment of silence will be observed to honor the victims of the disasters.

These two teams last met at this year's Algarve Cup in March. The United States came away from that game with a 2-1 victory on goals by Megan Rapinoe and Amy Rodriguez.

With the announcement of the team's roster earlier this week, Pia Sundhage's attention must now turn to preparing that team for the upcoming World Cup. Injuries must certainly be on her mind now. Defenders Christie Rampone and Heather Mitts are both battling injuries. Likewise, Japanese goalkeeper Nozomi Yamago is injured and will not appear in either of the two friendlies against the US.

Twenty of the 21 members of the USWNT play in WPS. Three members of the Japanese squad are also former WPS players...Homare Sawa, Aya Miyama, and Karina Maruyama.

The two teams will meet again on Wednesday in Cary, North Carolina.

Sundhage Names US Squad for World Cup

The 2011 United States World Cup team was unveiled today and there were no surprises at all. Coach Pia Sundhage named three goalkeepers, seven defenders, seven midfielders, and four forwards to the team.

Thirteen of the eighteen players from the 2008 Olympic Gold Medal team were named, with the exceptions being Aly Wagner, Angela Hucles, Kate Markgraf (all of whom have since retired), Lori Chalupny (who has not been medically cleared to play for the national team), and Tasha Kai.

All are WPS players with the exception of Ali Krieger, who plays professionally in Germany. The United States will undoubtedly be among the oldest and most experienced teams at the World Cup.

The United States have three friendlies scheduled before heading to Germany. They face Japan on May 14 and May 18 and later take on regional rival Mexico on June 5. The USWNT opens their World Cup schedule on Tuesday, June 28 against North Korea.

Goalkeepers (3): Nicole Barnhart, Jillian Loyden, Hope Solo.
Defenders (7): Rachel Buehler, Stephanie Cox, Ali Krieger, Amy LePeilbet, Heather Mitts, Christie Rampone, Becky Sauerbrunn.
Midfielders (7): Shannon Boxx, Tobin Heath, Lori Lindsey, Carli Lloyd, Heather O'Reilly, Megan Rapinoe, Lindsay Tarpley.
Forwards (4): Lauren Cheney, Alex Morgan, Amy Rodriguez, Abby Wambach.

England 2, United States 1

For the third time in the last five months, the United States tasted defeat as England executed a dominating first half performance to a 2-1 victory. Jess Clarke and Rachel Yankey scored for England.

For the first 35 minutes of the match, England thoroughly controlled possession and scoring chances, as the United States rarely threatened. The middle three of England's 4-3-3 formation, Kelly Smith, Jill Scott, and Fara Williams clearly outplayed their counterparts during the opening half.

England struck first just eight minutes into the match. Rachel Yankey outfought Ali Krieger for a ball on the left side of the box and crossed to the middle where Jess Clarke finished past Nicole Barnhart, with a bit of an assist from Kelly Smith who did a nice job of screening Amy LePeilbet away from the ball. England was up 1-0 and the game had just barely begun.

England made it 2-0 before the half hour. On a counterattack, Kelly Smith found wide open spaces between the US midfield and back line. She dribbled for a long stretch to the top of the box, where three defenders converged on her. She deftly passed the ball outside left to a wide open Rachel Yankey. Yankey hit a beautiful finish, high and inside the right side netting.

England had other golden opportunities and barely missed on a couple of free kick opportunities, with Fara Williams hitting the crossbar on one and Kelly Smith bending another just inches wide. The US were quite fortunate to only be down by two goals at the 35 minute mark.

But against the run of play in the 39th minute, Megan Rapinoe received the ball toward the left side just past center, dribbled to the middle unchallenged and let go a low shot from 22 yards that beat English keeper Karen Bardsley just inside the left post.

Pia Sundhage made two substitutions at the half, sending Stephanie Cox in for Amy LePeilbet, who was making an uncharacteristic start at left back and looked none too comfortable doing so. The other sub was Hope Solo, seeing her first action in eight months, in for Barnhart. Solo did make a nice sliding save early in the 2nd half, but was relatively unchallenged otherwise.

The early part of the 2nd half was a bit more evenly played than the first, but the US was still unable to manufacture any scoring chances. Three more substitutions followed, with Lauren Cheney coming on for Abby Wambach in the 62nd minute, Alex Morgan subbing for Amy Rodriguez in the 70th, and Tobin Heath in for Megan Rapinoe also in the 70th. Wambach still did not look 100% with a heel injury that's been bothering her for several months.

The substitutions seem to breathe life into the US side and the chances started coming, even though the goals did not. The best chance may have been in the 71st minute when Rachel Unitt just handed the ball to Heather O'Reilly who had clean breakaway only to send the ball wide of the left post as an onrushing Bardsley forced the shot.

England had one of her best chances just a minute later as Kelly Smith got behind the American defense. Smith, who played a very strong match, hit an unusually weak shot that rolled wide, much to the relief of the US team.

Hope Powell made two second half substitutions, Sophie Bradley for Faye White, who appeared injured as she came off, and Karen Carney for Yankey.

Alex Morgan, who has been the US spark as of late, had as many as four chances in the last 20 minutes, but just couldn't find the net. In the 76th, Carli Lloyd hit a hard shot that was saved by Bardsley with the rebound falling to Morgan, but she just couldn't get a good shot off. In the 80th minute, she received a brilliant long pass from O'Reilly, chested the ball down, but her shot sailed just wide of English goal.

In another instance, the ball rolled just past Bardsley at the top of the box in traffic, but Morgan was knocked off balance as she went by and was unable to take advantage. It was Morgan again in the 86th minute sending a hard shot wide left of the goal.

The final chance for the US came in stoppage as a hard Carli Lloyd shot was blocked by Unitt. The United States had finally run out of time and the final score stood at England 2, United States 1.

For England, Kelly Smith had her usual strong match, as did Rachel Yankey and Fara Williams. In fact, the entire English midfield played very well and their forwards were active for the first three quarters of the match. Yankey and young Ellen White kept the US defense back on their heels for much of the match. The English back line made strong flank runs early, especially Alex Scott, and were just good enough defensively to preserve the win. Bardsley was solid in goal.

For the US, Heath, Cheney and Morgan gave the team energy and Heather O'Reilly played a strong second half. Megan Rapinoe was also very active early on. The US defense looked uncomfortable and a bit overmatched at times, before settling down as the 2nd half wore on. They often faced superior numbers as England was able to exploit the huge gaps between the US midfield and back line.

The United States will train in Scotland for a few days before returning home. Their next action will be a pair of matches against Japan in May.

USWNT vs. England

The US Women's National Team will meet England for the first time in four years as they visit Leyton Orient on Saturday (ESPN2, 3pm ET). While the match is a friendly, it is one of the final tuneups for both teams heading into the 2011 World Cup, so both sides will be taking this match plenty seriously.

The last time the two teams met was the 2007 World Cup quarterfinals in China, with the United States winning 3-0 after a scoreless halftime affair. The United States went on to be easily defeated by Brazil in the semifinals.

At this late date, less than three months from the World Cup kickoff, it is likely that both US coach Pia Sundhage and English coach Hope Powell pretty well have their minds made up as to who will make up their rosters for that tournament. But there may still be a slot or two undecided and some players will be hoping to tip the scales in their favor on Saturday.

While the US roster is heavy on midfielders, the English roster appears to be heavy at defender and at forward, if one wanted to hazard a guess as to where the openings might be.

While these two teams don't meet very often, many of the players are quite familiar with one another. No fewer than six of the English team either play or have played in WPS. Both teams have very little "new blood" on their roster. In fact, 10 of the 13 players that played for England in that 2007 match will be active for Saturday's match.

Strangely enough, the US team only has six starters from that 2007 match on their roster...Hope Solo, Christie Rampone, Stephanie Cox, Shannon Boxx, Heather O'Reilly, and Abby Wambach. Strange, of course, because Pia Sundhage has been criticized in some circles for not bringing new players onto the team. But that 2007 team was not Sundhage's team and a large contingent of that roster has since retired including Kristine Lilly, Kate Markgraf, Briana Scurry, Aly Wagner, Angela Hucles, and Marci Jobson.

While the US and England couldn't meet until the semifinals in 2011, it is still a possibility. Whatever happens Saturday, it should be an interesting battle between two teams who should certainly make some noise in Germany.

Rosters:
USWNT (Coach: Pia Sundhage)
Goalkeepers: Nicole Barnhart, Ashlyn Harris, Hope Solo.
Defenders: Rachel Buehler, Stephanie Cox, Ali Krieger, Amy LePeilbet, Christie Rampone, Becky Sauerbrunn.
Midfielders: Yael Averbuch, Shannon Boxx, Tobin Heath, Meghan Klingenberg, Lori Lindsey, Carli Lloyd, Kelley O'Hara, Heather O'Reilly, Megan Rapinoe, Lindsay Tarpley.
Forwards: Lauren Cheney, Alex Morgan, Amy Rodriguez, Abby Wambach.

England (Coach: Hope Powell)
Goalkeepers: Karen Bardsley, Rachel Brown, Siobhan Chamberlain.
Defenders: Sophie Bradley, Lindsay Johnson, Claire Rafferty, Alex Scott, Casey Stoney, Dunia Susi, Rachel Unitt, Faye White.
Midfielders: Anita Asante, Laura Bassett, Steph Houghton, Jill Scott, Fara Williams.
Forwards: Eniola Aluko, Karen Carney, Jess Clarke, Natasha Dowie, Kelly Smith, Sue Smith, Ellen White, Rachel Yankey.

US Wins Algarve Cup Championship

The USWNT won its eighth Algarve Cup title with a 4-2 triumph over Iceland. However, for the first time in the tournament, they had to come from behind to do so.

Carli Lloyd opened the scoring just eight minutes in, dribbling to her left and then hitting a laser of a shot back across to the upper right hand part of the net from over 20 yards out.

But just when it appeared that the United States might be settling in, Iceland struck for two quick goals just past the midway point of the first half. Nearly back-to-back, Katrin Omarsdóttir and Hallbera Gisladóttir scored and the United States found themselves down 2-1.

The United States was able to draw even in the closing seconds of the half. Megan Rapinoe got the ball outside right and hit a low cross that Lauren Cheney volleyed into the net from just inside the six-yard box.

Ten minutes into the second half, it was again Rapinoe, this time down the left side that sent the ball into the middle. After Amy Rodriguez dummied it, Shannon Boxx got off a hard shot that Icelandic goalkeeper Gudbjorg Gunnarsdóttir was able to stop. However, Heather O'Reilly pounced on the rebound and knocked it home for a 3-2 lead.

Alex Morgan finished the scoring in the late stages of the match, outbattling two Icelandic defenders for the ball and hitting a sliding shot into the net for the final margin of 4-2.

The United States outshot Iceland by a 24-8 margin for the match. Next up for the USWNT will be England in an international friendly scheduled to be played on April 2 at Leyton Orient.

3rd Place: Japan 2, Sweden 1

Japan completed a fairly successful run, defeating Sweden 2-1 in the 3rd place match. Japan's only blemish in the tournament was a 2-1 loss to eventual champions, the United States.

Things looked promising early on for the Swedes, as Therese Sjögran scored the game's first goal in the 14th minute of play. But just as in the match against Iceland, Sweden was unable to hold their lead.

Megumi Kamionobe and Nahomi Kawasumi scored in the 21st and 32nd minutes respectively, giving Japan a 2-1 lead before intermission, a score that would stand up as the final.

The game wasn't without milestones for Sweden, as Therese Sjögran played in her 167th match for the national team, which now stands as the all-time best for Sweden. Sara Larsson competed in her 100th match for Sweden.

5th Place: Norway 0, Denmark 0 (Norway 5-4 in penalty kicks)

Norway took 5th place over Denmark at Algarve. After playing to a scoreless draw, Norway took the penalty kick decison by a margin of 5-4, with Lindy Wiik getting the deciding goal.

Goalkeepers Ingrid Hjelmseth for Norway and Tina Viskær for Denmark kept the opponent off the scoreboard.

An injury forced Norway to play the last 20 minutes a player down after coach Eli Landsem had used up all of his substitutions.

7th Place: China 2, Wales 1

China got out to a 2-0 lead with a goal in each half and held on for the 2-1 win over Wales. Chinese striker You Jia scored just three minutes into the match. Gu Yasha tallied a goal in the 53rd minute.

Wales bounced back with a goal by Helen Lander in the 57th minute and had a chance to tie the match in the closing minutes, but Emma Jones' penalty attempt was stopped by Zhang Yanru, which preserved the victory for the Chinese.

9th Place: Portugal 2, Finland 1

The host team won the 9th place match by a 2-1 margin over Finland. Portugal took a 1-0 first half lead on another goal by Edite Fernandes. Fernandes deftly dribbled past a defender a hit a low shot that Finnish goalkeeper Minna Meriluoto attempted to kick save, only to have the ball deflect behind her into the net.

It stayed that way until Essi Sainio tied the match in the 75th minute on a deflection. The tie lasted only a moment as Carla Couto notched the game winner in the 76th minute.

11th Place: Chile 1, Romania 1 (Chile 6-5 in penalty kicks)

Chile avenged an earlier loss to Romania, winning by 6-5 in penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.

After a scoreless first half, Chile struck first on a goal by Rocio Soto in the 68th minute. 15-year old Alexandra Lunca scored the tying goal in the 87th minute. But Chile was able to take the match on penalties for the victory.

US Defeats Finland; Will Meet Iceland in Algarve Final

The USWNT made it three straight in group play, shutting out Finland by a 4-0 margin. The US, which already had Group A clinched, will now meet Group B winner Iceland in Wednesday's final.

Coach Pia Sundhage showed little tendency for change, sending eight starters out for the third straight match. Tobin Heath got her first start at Algarve in the midfield and Sundhage went with the forward tandem of Alex Morgan and Lauren Cheney for the first time in the tournament.

The US opened the scoring in just the eighth minute. A Carli Lloyd corner kick found Shannon Boxx, who was just able to get over the Finnish defender to head it solidly on frame. Goalkeeper Minna Meriluoto couldn't quite react quick enough and it was 1-0.

Just a few minutes later, it was Lloyd scoring one herself. After a turnover in the midfield by Finland, Tobin Heath was able to outmanoeuvre two defenders in the box and send the ball square to Lloyd, who buried it in the left side of the net from 15 yards out.

Alex Morgan got on the board right before intermission. She did a wonderful job of chesting down Ali Krieger's long distance serve into the penalty area and then finished with the outside of her left foot from six yards out, just beyond Meriluoto's reach. Morgan added another in the second half, knocking in her own rebound following a Meriluoto save and some shabby clearing by the Finnish defense.

The US outshot Finland by 24-1 margin and goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart was rarely tested. They will return to the Algarve Cup final, which they won last year over Germany. This year's opponent will be Iceland.

Iceland 1, Denmark 0

Iceland made it a perfect run through Group B with a 1-0 shutout victory over Denmark. It marks the first time that Iceland has reached the championship match of the event.

After a scoreless first half, it looked as though Denmark would strike first. They were awarded a penalty, but Line Røddik Hansen's shot was stopped by Iceland's keeper, Thóra Helgadóttir. After that, Denmark hit the bar off of a corner kick, but still could not score. Iceland's counterattack produced a goal by Dóra Larúsdóttir.

Japan 1, Norway 0

Yuki Nagasato's second half goal led Japan to a 1-0 win over Norway. Ayumi Kaihori got the shutout for Japan.

Japan's victory in the battle for 2nd place in Group A means they will play Sweden in the match for 3rd/4th place on Wednesday. Norway will meet Denmark in the 5th/6th place match.

Sweden 1, China 0

Lotta Schelin's goal pushed Sweden into second place in Group C, as Sweden defeated China 1-0. There was some dispute as to whether Schelin was offside for the goal, but the goal was not called back. Schelin had come in as a second half substitution for Jessica Landström.

For Sweden, the victory avenged a loss to China earlier this year at the Four Nations Tournament. Hedvig Lindahl posted the shutout for Sweden.

Portugal 1, Romania 1

A late goal thwarted Portugal's chances to win Group C, as they played to a 1-1 tie with Romania.

Edite Fernandes put Portugal in front 1-0 late in the first half. But Stefania Vatafu evened the match in the final 10 minutes, forcing the draw. Andreea Corduneanu received a second yellow card late in the proceedings, but it was too late for Portugal to take advantage. Plaudits were given to Neide Simões for her play in goal for the Portuguese.

Portugal finished Group C play with a win and two draws, but were nosed out in the standings by Wales, a team they defeated on the tournament's opening day.

Wales 2, Chile 1

Wales won their second straight match and captured Group C with a 2-1 win over Chile. Jessica Fishlock's brace, one goal in each half, sparked Wales to the victory. Chile got a goal from Daniela Zamora in the 74th minute to pull to within one goal, but were unable to score further.

Final Standings
Group A: USA 3-0-0, 9 pts; Japan 2-1-0, 6 pts; Norway 1-2-0, 3 pts; Finland 0-3-0, 0 pts.
Group B: Iceland 3-0-0, 9 pts; Sweden 2-1-0, 6 pts; Denmark 1-2-0, 3 pts; China 0-3-0, o pts.
Group C: Wales 2-1-0, 6 pts; Portugal 1-0-2, 5 pts; Romania 1-1-1, 4 pts; Chile 0-2-1, 1 pts.

Wednesday's Final Round:
Championship: USA vs. Iceland
3rd/4th Place: Japan vs. Sweden
5th/6th Place: Norway vs. Denmark
7th/8th Place: Wales vs. China
9th/10th Place: Finland vs. Portugal
11th/12th Place: Romania vs. Chile