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The U.S. women's soccer team has suddenly become one of the most popular teams in the country. With a combination of Hope Solo's amazing saves and Abby Wambach's game winning headers, they find themselves in the Cup Final facing Japan.
Alex Morgan made up for knocking the ball off the right post by getting a pass from Christine Rapinoe and beating the Japanese defender, putting the ball just inside the right post to give the Americans a lead, but poor defense by the Yankees allowed Japan to tie the game in the 81st minute.
The goal gave Japan sudden life, and the Japanese responded with a flurry of offense that Hope Solo managed to keep out of the net, allowing the Americans to counter-attack.
The United States got that trademark late corner kick in the 85th minute, and Abby Wambach set up in the goalkeeper's box, but Japan didn't let her factor in the play, clearing the ball as soon as it got in.
America used their size and conditioning to keep the ball in Japan's third for most of the last ten minutes, but it was for naught as the stoppage time wound down and the game headed to extra time, tied at one.
With the Americans still unable to finish their chances, the undersized Japanese side is starting to generate some momentum as the World Cup final heads into the final third of regulation.
The United States, which lost Lauren Cheney to a right ankle injury at the start of the second half, substituted in Alex Morgan, who had a great opportunity just after her entrance - with a loose ball in front of the Japanese net, Morgan booted it off of the inside of the right post, but the ball didn't make it across the goal line and the score remained tied.
Abby Wambach continues to be a force, making strong runs with the ball and working well without it, although the Japanese have shown a willingness to use multiple bodies on her to keep her from being effective, especially on corner kicks.
With the game now in its 60th minute, both sides will really be tried. The Americans haven't scored a goal in a World Cup final since 1991.
In a match that's looked a lot like an early-season hockey game, the American side has had plenty of chances against the smaller Japanese squad, but so far have nothing to show for it.
Twice the Yanks have had swing chances, but neither corner managed to connect with a target - presumably, Abby Wambach's head.
Wambach herself has created chances on a couple of big runs, most recently in the 28th minute when she got the Americans' best look at a lead, but shot the ball of the crossbar on a cross after she'd easily beaten the Japanese defense.
The American defense has held Japan to very few touches, and fewer opportunities still, but Hope Solo's been strong when she's needed to be, keeping the game scoreless through its first third.
Pia Sundaghe's tactical changes heading into this game have been a big part of the reason for the early American advantage, as the United States has been able to collapse their defense and get out of their own third with ease anytime that Japan's attacked.
The speed and size of the Red, White and Blue are going to continue to be a problem for Japan, which will look to counter with strong, precise passing and taking advantage of any holes they can find in the American defense.
By Josh A., Contributor
The United States women's soccer team has suddenly become one of the most popular teams in the country. With a combination of Hope Solo's amazing saves and Abby Wambach's game winning headers, the U.S. find themselves in the World Cup Final with a chance to better the 1999 World Cup run.
But first, they have to beat a surprise Japan team.
Homare Sawa, midfielder and captain, is Japan's biggest player and one of the biggest female stars in all of Japan. She is an extremely skilled soccer player and a very experienced one, too. Her lone career game in the World Cup was when she was 16 years old, way back in 1995.
This Japan team has had big wins in recent games against tough Germany and Sweden teams. But this isn't your big brother's Japan team. Spearheaded by youth - Mana Iwabuchi is the name to watch - and sparked by national tragedy, the Japanese have shown no quit as the tournament has worn on.
The USA comes to the Cup Final after winning two crazy games against up-and-coming teams in Brazil and France. Abby Wambach has been a huge key to both of the games. Against Brazil, she tied the game up with less than a minute to go in stoppage time of extra time. Against France, she put them up with a goal in the 79th minute. Both goals have been amazing headers. She is big and physical and that is what puts her over the top (literally) of other players.
That size will likely (hopefully) come in handy against a smaller Japan side, but the Yanks will need more than Wambach's golden forehead to win their first World Cup in 12 years.
Hope Solo is a stud in the goal. She has saved countless goals and has suddenly become an American hero. If she produces on Sunday, then she could very well end up being called the greatest goalkeeper in the world.
One of the possible problems for the Americans is their midfield play. They tend to get sloppy and give up the ball quickly back to the opposing team. This leaves all the pressure to their back line which has been better than advertised this World Cup.
Just when things were really starting to look dark and dreary for the United States - much like the weather in and around the pitch - defeat didn't rear her ugly head.
Rather, Abby Wambach elevated hers.
Wambach got above the French defense in the box, and Lauren Cheney - who'd scored the opening goal for the Americans - put a picture-perfect swing from the corner onto Wambach's forehead, who knocked it past Berangere Sapowicz to put the Americans ahead for good in the 79th minute
Alex Morgan, who came into the game in relief of Amy Rodriguez at the 56th minute, added another tally on the end of a breakaway run just three minutes later, icing the game and putting away a French squad that had played a remarkably resilient game, taking advantage of the tactical shortcomings of Pia Sundhage and the United States.
The American women will now await the winner of the Sweden vs. Japan match to be played later this afternoon in Sunday's final at 2:45 in Frankfurt.
Eventually, it had to catch up with them.
The American sweepers had been strong all game, but a weak effort from the midfielders allowed Sonia Bompastor an opportunity from about 20 yards, and Bompastor put a cross on the frame that beat a United States sweeper as well as Hope Solo to tie the game for France.
The French attack had continued to pick up steam as the game wore on, with the Americans giving way to France, consistently unable to get a shot on the goal since their opening tally at the nine-minute mark.
Ally Krieger has gone down for the Americans, who are playing with only ten men heading into the final third of regulation, and the French are continuing to attack the United States from 20 yards.
Megan Rapinoe has just entered the game for the United States for Carly Lloyd. The Americans are now back to a full side, and from the looks of it, they'll need every bit they can get.
The United States is up against a characteristically different team in the semifinals than they played in the quarterfinals.
While the Brazilians made their plays with vision and patience, waiting for the pitch to develop before moving with the ball (or just moving the ball), France likes to run.
And it's starting to wear on the Americans.
An early goal by Lauren Cheney put the United States up, and that 1-0 lead has held throughout stoppage time in the first half, but the tired legs of the Americans started to afford les Bleus some chances that such a disciplined team might not have given up were they more well-rested.
Hope Solo has been strong when her team has needed her to be, and while the Americans may find themselves susceptible to more - if less-well designed - attacks, there's been a less frenetic pace in their own third, perhaps due to the presence of Becky Sauerbrunn in Rachel Buehler's stead.
Sauerbrunn's less prone to the quick exit pass, and has helped the Americans to successfully clear after numerous failed French attacks throughout the first half.
It didn't happen quite as early as it did against Brazil, but this time the Americans scored - and did it without any help.
Although they spent less than a minute of the first 10 in their offensive third, both times they got there, it was because Lauren Cheney was impressive - first on the ball with a great run through a few French midfielders and minutes later getting to the front of the box, catching a strong pass in front of France's sweepers and putting it past the reach of Beragnere Sapowicz.
France had controlled possession and the pitch for a majority of the opening minutes, keeping the ball up the right side, possibly looking to attack Becky Sauerbrunn, who is playing in her first 2011 World Cup game in the absence of Rachel Buehler.
The United States used the goal to create some momentum for themselves, but the match has seen a lot more open field and a couple of high-quality chances from both sides with goaltenders well out of place.
The Americans, however, are giving France plenty of chances to get back in it, not having registered a shot on goal in over 25 minutes of play.
The Americans got lucky.
They got lucky when Daiana started off the scoring with an own goal. They got lucky when the referee - finally - took their side, adding three minutes of stoppage time to the final half of extra time after Erika not-so-expertly faked a serious injury.
They got lucky when Chistine Rampone lifted a perfect 30-yard pass that pulled Andreia far enough out of the net that Abby Wambach could get right to it. They got lucky when Andreia was whistled for coming off the line during PKs. And they got lucky when Andreia guessed wrong - five separate times.
But they may have gotten most lucky when they weren't even on the pitch at all.
Japan's upset of host and two-time World Cup Champion Germany shocked the women's soccer world. Upstart France's victory over England didn't fall far behind it.
The Americans are about to take the pitch to see if they can unseat the French and advance to their first World Cup final since 1999, when they won the World Cup on PKs in front of 90,000-plus at the Rose Bowl and Brandi Chastain etched her name in American soccer lore.
Stay tuned for updates as the United States women look to carry on their momentum from their heart-stopping victory over Brazil in the quarterfinals.
The US women's soccer team is coming off the one of the best games in its history against Brazil, which came down to penalty shots after Abby Wambach scored with just a couple of minutes left. Now, they must deal with France (11:30 a.m., ESPN).
The women's national team is close to achieving their goal of winning the World Cup - something that they have not done since 1999. However, they need to get to the Finals before they can focus on winning it all. France will be just another bump in the journey that has included Brazil (and not Germany).
The French have been able to rest for more days than the U.S., but the U.S. has always been known for the amazing shape that they the came into this tournament with.
With Rachel Buehler out of Wednesday's match, after receiving a controversial red card against Brazil, the U.S. needs to find a player to fill in. Coach Pia Sundhage has not confirmed anything about who will start in place of Buehler. Expect Becky Sauerbrunn to fill in for Buehler. The question is if the chemistry will be there of the already struggling back line.
The United States women hadn't lost a game in the group stage of the World Cup - 14 matches total - before they lost to Sweden in the final game of group play after allowing an early goal on a penalty kick and not being able to catch up when the Swedes took a 2-0 lead later in the first half.
And with goaltender Hope Solo being tended to by trainers before the team's first game of the knockout round against perennial power Brazil, which hadn't lost an international match since 2009 against those pesky Swedes, things didn't look much better.
So it would've been safe to say that the Americans were looking for a strong start to their quarterfinal round game.
They got it, in the form of an own goal in the second minute by Brazil's Daiane, who attempted to clear an Abby Wambach pass in front of the net but wound up booting it just inside the right goal post, giving the Americans a 1-0 lead just 74 seconds into the match.
But 74 seconds is nothing in a 90-minute game, and Brazil's speed was able to wear down the American forwards and midfielders as the game wore on. Throughout the first half, the United States' back line held up strong against the Brazilian attack, but as the second half wore on, Brazil used a combination of speed, footwork and pure power to get into and above the teeth of the U.S. defense.
Solo - never having allowed the Brazilians to score against her - was strong as the Brazil attack really started to pick up steam around the 60th minute, and the Americans had a chance to counter when Carli Lloyd nearly knocked a header into the left 90, but she just missed the frame and Brazil returned the attack.
It was a matter of time before the Brazilians caught a break, and when Marta worked on a ball near the goalkeeper's box, Rachel Buehler was ruled to have fouled her, getting booked for a red card and leaving the Americans shorthanded.
But that wasn't all. Brazil was given a penalty kick, which Solo was miraculously able to stop. But that wasn't all, either.
The official ruled that Solo had moved off the goal line before the kick (although it was later shown that an American may have broken into the goal box prematurely), and Brazil was awarded a second penalty kick, which Marta converted to tie the game in the 68th minute.
Playing 10-on-11 for the remaining 22 minutes, the United States controlled the play, creating a number of chances in the last five minutes of the half, but not able to cash in on any of them.
As quickly as the Americans jumped in front in regulation, Brazil caught another break when Marta managed to chip a shot from left of the box over Solo's head and just off the right post and in - it appeared as though a Brazil player was offside in front of the net just before Marta's goal, but it wasn't called and Brazil took a 2-1 lead.
With the once-neutral fans at the game now cheering decidedly for the Yanks, Brazil managed to hold off the American counter-attack for quite some time.
The grand finale seemed to be done when Brazil's Erika went down in front of her own net in the 117th minute. She stayed down for an extended period of time, causing the referee to call for a stretcher to take her off, but as soon as the stretcher reached the sideline, Erika got up and ran back to the sideline before re-joining the game.
She was - fittingly - yellow-carded for her callous efforts, but the card was the least of the concerns, as the official added three minutes of stoppage time to the game, giving the Americans one last breath of hope.
And they wouldn't waste that chance.
Megan Rapinoe lofted a perfect ball near the right corner of the keeper's box with just seconds remaining in the game, and it connected perfectly with Wambach, who headed the ball inside the right post, just past the fingertips of Brazilian keeper Andreia.
After 120 minutes plus stoppage time, the game was tied at two, and went to penalty kicks, where - in almost anti-climatic fashion - the Americans put every chance into the net. Solo only needed to face four shots, stopping (ironically enough) Daiane on Brazil's third attempt to lighten the load from the U.S.'s shoulders.
Women's World Cup 2011, Finals Japan Vs. USA: Japan Wins World Cup On PKs, 3-1
Abby Wambach did it again. But her inability to do it again, again cost the Americans their first World Cup since 1999.
What looked like a sure thing - twice - proved to be otherwise, as Japan fought off deficits in the second half and in extra time, each time rallying to tie the game and get back in it, before winning 3-1 in Penalty Kicks.
Shannon Boxx, Carli Lloyd and Tobin Heath each missed penalties, bringing to a fitting end a game in which the Americans squandered countless chances around the Japanese net.
It could easily have been 3- or 4-0 in the first half, but instead the teams went into the break tied. America came out stronger in the second half, with Alex Morgan entering the game for Lauren Cheney and almost converting once before finishing a beautiful goal that put the Americans ahead, but a short time later a defensive lapse in Hope Solo's box allowed Japan to even things up and get right back into it.
Jul 17 6:50p by Ryan Durling