The U.S. women's national team has already cemented its place in the FIFA Women's World Cup quarterfinals, but a win or a draw is still needed in its final group game on Wednesday (2:30 p.m., ESPN/ESPN3.com) if the team is to avoid an encounter with Marta-led Brazil in the first knockout round.
Its opponent in the final group game, Sweden, is also looking to avoid that fate. The two teams are tied on points, but the United States has a better goal differential, so the Swedes, who defeated the U.S. women in the Four Nations Tournament in January, need a victory to top Group C.
Forward Abby Wambach (Achilles, sitting on a yellow card) is in the U.S. starting lineup, but right winger Heather O'Reilly (groin) has been left out of the starting XI in favor of Megan Rapinoe, who came off the bench to score against Colombia.
If you will be watching the USWNT-Sweden match, please feel free to share any thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below. Enjoy the action.
Sorry, good teams don’t blow 2-0 halftime leads.
Does the US play Brazil now in an elimination game?
can we see Morgan start now please? Pia’s saved her legs, she’s ready to go, and Rodriguez has not been.
thoughts?
Now, gotta perform vs Brazil……
Well, I didn’t see the goal (heard it was a “blind shoulder goal”), but good for Wambach. She still missed several dozen chances in the past two games. Maybe this one gets her going, though…
Yeah, they don’t deserve to win this game.
well, that was goal
The finishing on this team is utterly atrocious. Amazing really. And it has been like that all year…
USA looks good – they had many looks and coulda won it. However, they lose composure too easily & try to make it up all in one play. Way too many direct balls.
Terrible sub. Ohara has been awful. So has Wombach btw
Yes, a draw wins the group.
O Hara misses a sitter wide.
OH, COME ON!!!
will a 2-2 draw with the group for us?
Darke and Foudy are sounding so pessimistic… All we need is one more goal
Ohara looks lost out there.
This Jap ref is killin it though.
Shannon Box is not playing well either. Nothing she has done has been good. She just missed an opportunity to slip someone in on goal by trying to drop it over the backline instead of playing on the ground.
would love to see Shannon make the play here down the stretch to tie it up.
Well we finally got both Rapinoe and LePeilbet off the field and we are on the front foot only down one. Just need better decisions and finishing.
US outshooting Sweden 21-6…wow…
O Hara for Rapinoe
Take 10 chances, get one. Let’s hope.
Thanks
Wambach header off the corner.
Cheney has a knack for getting into exactly the right position to miss chances.
http://www.fifa.com/Live/Competitions/womensworldcup/matchday=10/day=1/match=300144447/index.html
for once, FIFA is doing something better than ESPN…
Abby Wambach’s shoulder on a corner in the 67th.
Looks like your wrong…:) Wambach goal..;) Don’t apply for the coaching job either…:)
The ESPN gamecast is stuck at 51′, I take it the US scored? Details?
Game on!
Should’ve started that way (also should’ve started with Morgan in for Wambach). But hey, hindsight is 20/20, and I’m sitting at work watching the gamecast rather than being the coach of the team so…
LEGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Eat it!
Vintage Wambach!
here we go now!!!!!!!
another break possibility for the US diffused by our own player, Boxx. I’ll stop pointing out her sub par perfromance so far
Cox in for LePeilbet a good move.
sub out Boxx; looks gassed and hasn’t provided the linkage at all. Rapinoe’s lack of last ball quality has been a big difference in this game so far.
just takes one to change things tho
They want to keep the defense honest at a range rather than allow them to bunker. We have the ability to get a quick goal like this, and then play more “beautifully” for the equalizer.
You’re just trying to get our most attractive players on the pitch at the same time.
All we are doing is trying long range shots. No attempt to work it inside more even when there are options. The decision making is terrible.
Hah I wonder if Borny really knows/believes that he is just awful… or if he lies to himself.
Like Rico Clark in S. Africa 2010… he knew at point he was sucking it up. You could see it in his face. He pretty much had the ‘sorry for blowing it’ look the entire time he was on the field.
Once in a while, it would be nice to get out of group play without seeing this score line against the US.
The Morgan substitution was a good move, though I might have pulled off Wambach instead of Rodriguez. I might have also brought in Heather Mitts to help solidify the back line and bring in some experience. We’ll see how it shakes out.
The U.S. really needs to salavage a draw here. Brazil in the quarters would be pretty tough…not that they can’t beat them, but I think they’d rather play Australia any day.
Why did she replace Rodriguez of all people? Pia giving up?
Full zone defense on set pieces. Beautiful
O my gosh fire pia!!!!
yellow and green, yes. Australia awaits because we’re about to come back. 2-2 final, book it.
Thanks men for being losers, taking all the money from the hardworking women to produce nothing… shame on them!