Photo by Bruce Fedyck/USA TODAY Sports

By RYAN TOLMICH

Four years after seeing the 2011 Women’s World Cup slip from grasp in a penalty kick shootout, the U.S. Women’s National Team reboots the quest for its third World Cup trophy on Monday.

The USWNT kickstarts its 2015 Women’s World Cup campaign tonight against Australia (7:30pm, Fox Sports 1), giving the U.S. the team’s first World Cup action since that loss to Japan in the 2011 final.

Widely recognized as a power in women’s soccer and playing so close to home soil, the U.S. faces plenty of pressure heading into Monday’s opener. However, for midfielder Carli Lloyd, a three-time World Cup veteran, that pressure is far from insurmountable and something the team is ready for heading into the match with Australia.

“I think every tournament we have pressure, whether it’s Olympics or the World Cup,” Lloyd said at a press conference. “We saw it at last World Cup and we’re seeing it again at this World Cup. We’re just really ready and focused to begin the tournament. We all have each other’s backs.

“There’s 23 of us, along with the coaching staff, and there are going to be times where we’re going to struggle or make mistakes, but as long as we fight for one another out on the field and take it one game at a time, you can have all the pressure in the world but still be focused and still be ready.”

With 22 all-time victories in 24 matches against the Matildas, the USWNT’s most recent triumph over Monday’s opponents came in an October 2014 4-0 trouncing. That victory was led by goals from Lauren Holiday, Carli Lloyd, Abby Wambach and Christen Press, all four of whom are members of the current roster.

While previously dominant against the Aussies, the U.S. will face its share of challenges, namely injuries to some of the team’s key players. Star forward Alex Morgan and midfielder Megan Rapinoe are both entering the tournament banged up, leaving questions as to if the duo will feature and, if they do, how they will perform.

With Morgan hobbled, the U.S. will likely place much of the team’s goalscoring pressure on forward Sydney Leroux and the veteran presence of Wambach to lead the forward line.

“Alex has been back in training fully, so I think she’s available,” Ellis said. “We’re going to look at what our needs are, but I’m excited that she’s 100 percent back in training. She’s been great, sharp.

“Part of it was looking at what we need and who was in form,” Ellis added. “Alex hasn’t been available, so I’ve looked at other players and we’re set on who we’re starting. I’ll be honest we’re taking it game by game.”

In addition to the on-the-field pressure facing the U.S. in terms of absences, off-the-field issues surrounding Hope Solo continue to swirl. Details surrounding the goalkeeper’s 2014 arrest continue to emerge, providing a distraction for the U.S. in the days leading up to their tournament debut.

“Hope has been fantastic,” Ellis said. “That was a long time ago, and I’ll be honest, we’ve moved on. She’s been a fantastic player and teammate, so no, none of that has resonated with us.

“I know our team. We have each other’s backs. It was something that was a long time ago. We’ve certainly put it to bed. Our focus is (Monday) evening.”

Those distractions may prove to the benefit of Australia’s forward unit, which is led by Lisa De Vanna. As co-captain of the squad alongside defender Clare Polkinghorne, De Vanna is Australia’s most capped and highest scoring player with 35 goals in 99 games.

With De Vanna leading the way, the Aussies present a lot of pace up front, something Ellis is more than aware of and prepared to face.

“We’ve played them before,” Ellis said. “They’re very athletic up front and they like to press, but I’m confident in the players that we have. We’ve played players with a lot of pace in Brazil, France and even New Zealand. We’re used to having speed, but it’s certainly something we have to acknowledge and take care of.”

Although De Vanna will present her share of challenged, the U.S. remains highly favored, despite the off-the-field issues and on-the-field injuries. With the end goal, as always, resulting in trophy or failure, the quest towards a successful tournament starts Monday as the USWNT looks to cement their status as a contender for Women’s World Cup No. 3.

“To be honest, we were obviously upset by the outcome, but fast forward, four years is a long time,” Lloyd said, “so we’re ready to take on this new challenge and we’re really ready to go after it. We can’t get too fixated on the final game and what we want to accomplish.

“We can think about it, we’ve thought about it and now it’s just time to take it one game at a time.”