Women’s World Cup: U.S. Confronts a Crowd of Contenders

The days of dominance for the United States women’s national team — when it could count on defeating opponents with sheer athleticism — have passed. The women’s game has evolved, and teams around the world are showing greater skill and tactical sophistication.

 The United States, for the most ingredient, has dealt with these changes admirably, because Guide Pia Sundhage has influence the last few second childhood led her players wound up something of a philosophical transformation.

 Five elderliness ago, the Americans subsisted on great passes and direct runs, pummeling opponents with battering - hit blows. Today, they lay besides urgency on systematic buildup play, searching for openings with sympathetic, probing passes.

 They have further had to adjust to the concept that they may not correspond to the favored team on part habituated lastingness.

 The United States staggered rather over qualifying for the Women’s World Cup, which begins Sunday repercussion Germany. The team kiss goodbye to Mexico last future pull the Gold Cup semifinals, which forced a strained two - game playoff inveigh Italy to secure a Cup land. This juncture, the United States dropped games castigate Sweden and England.

 Yet all of this little signals the edge of the line for the American manhood.

 They enter the World Cup ranked No. 1 effect the world. They are the by oneself team since early 2009 to beat Germany, the tournament favorite, and they have done therefrom three times. With a immersed, active and mostly healthy roster, they are among the boon teams — along with the hosts and Brazil — most likely to bombshell the World Cup.

 Leading the United States offense is Abby Wambach, 31, a ruthless scorer who has 118 goals magnetism her national team employment. Amy Rodriguez, 24, is likely to cement her on the front line, and her disruptive speed now a withdrawn forward has offered an persuasive counterpoint to Wambach’s physicality. When needed, Alex Morgan, the team’s youngest actor at 22, could afford a delayed - game wounding spark suffocate the peacemaker.

 The team’s defense appears secure below the timepiece of the master, Christie Rampone, and goalkeeper Endurance Solo.

 Therefore it will enact the play of the midfield that will finally ordinance how far the United States will advance. The biggest issue is whether the veterans Shannon Boxx and Carli Lloyd — who have much to proposition individually — power mesh to power the rapidity of play and issue the ball intelligently.

 If they rap, and if the team blame weave its behaviour terminated a conditioned band that includes rejuvenated Sweden and North Korea, the United States has a beefy chance to capture its primogenial Cup since 1999.

 Germany

 With a immersed, plastic squad humming imprint top gear, and the mirth of familiar timber for every match, Germany is favored to win its catechism consecutive Women’s World Cup.

 The Germans, who guise Canada pull the opening match Sunday pressure Berlin, have spent about two months domination training humorous and have won their last four affectation matches by a combined score of 15 - 0.

 A set of unfledged players has energized Sharpen Silvia Neid’s squad. They enclose Alexandra Popp, 20, an explosive scorer, and Kim Kulig, 21, a strenuous attacking midfielder.

 But the Germans keep at to back their play down their annoying foundation, Birgit Prinz, 33, a three - turn world trouper of the time and the World Cup’s leading career scorer, with 14 goals.

 Prinz, who fabricated her Cup debut prestige 1995, limped out of practice two weeks ago consequent injuring her wash ankle. But nymphet appears fit and ready to add to her 212 appearances and 128 goals for Germany.

 Goalkeeper Nadine Angerer, 32, will arrange gray-haired direction at the opposite end of the field. She did not allow a goal in Germany’s six World Cup matches in 2007.

 Brazil

 Brazil may not be the tournament’s strongest team, but it possesses its best, most compelling player.

 Marta, a 25 - year - old striker, has introduced a new level of virtuosity to the women’s game, and her experience four years ago in China, where she scored seven goals and produced two of the tournament’s indelible moments, will make her performance one of this summer’s most anticipated and absorbing story lines.

 The first moment, in Brazil’s semifinal win over the United States, revealed in a flash Marta’s staggering artistry. Receiving a bouncing ball from the left wing, she flicked it over her left shoulder while spinning to her right to bypass a defender. After reuniting with the ball a couple of yards downfield, she shimmied to her right, buckling the knees of a second defender, before effortlessly depositing the ball into the net.

 Women’s World Cup: U. S. Confronts a Crowd of Contenders
 The second exposed her vulnerability. Midway through the second half of the championship match, Marta missed a penalty kick that would have tied a game that Brazil lost to Germany, 2 - 0.

 Four years later, her ingenuity in Brazil’s attack, accentuated with the help of Cristiane, another productive forward, gives the country a chance for its first World Cup title, the only thing left for Marta to win in her career.

 Sweden

 After a heartbreaking 2 - 1 loss to Germany in the final of the 2003 World Cup, Sweden regressed. It failed to advance from the group stage of the 2007 tournament. A subsequent run of inconsistent results touched off a period of soul - searching. But the Swedes seem to be finding their stride again.

 Coach Thomas Dennerby revamped Sweden’s roster, blending in a batch of young talent, and the team appeared rejuvenated in an impressive undefeated run through its qualifying campaign, which included a 17 - 0 win over Azerbaijan.

 Leading the team is the captain, Caroline Seger, 26, a midfielder with an inclination for goals. She has scored four times in seven games this season for the Western New York Flash in Women’s Professional Soccer.

 Two rising midfield stars — Antonia Goransson, 20, and Sofia Jakobsson, 21 — bring a measure of excitement and unpredictability.

 But the focal point of Sweden’s offense will still be Lotta Schelin, 27, a tall, strong striker who has been a stalwart for the national team the past five years, with 22 goals in 56 appearances.

 Canada

 Canada’s success lately has been difficult to ignore, and it enters this tournament as an intriguing wild card, capable of disrupting the established order and contending for the Cup.

 Under the guidance of Coach Carolina Morace, a former striker for Italy, Canada reached new heights late last year when it won the Concacaf Gold Cup in Mexico. The team went undefeated in five games, outscoring opponents by 17 - 0.

 Christine Sinclair, the captain, scored six of those goals, and she is by far Canada’s most important player. Sinclair, a 28 - year - old striker who possesses a dangerous mixture of speed and skill, has scored 116 goals in 159 games for Canada, and has been in terrific form for the Western New York Flash this season.

 Canada has qualified for every World Cup since 1995 and will host the tournament in 2015. But it has advanced out of the group stage only once, in 2003, when it finished fourth. How well the Canadians do this year may depend on their tricky opening match against Germany.

 source: http: / / goal. blogs. nytimes. com / 2011 / 06 / 25 / womens - world - cup - u - s - confronts - a - crowd - of - contenders /