Alas, we meet again.
It’s the USWNT versus Japan. Just like in the 2012 Olympic Gold Medal Game. Exactly like the 2011 World Cup Final. Extremely tenacious defense wins games but it doesn’t sell tickets or attract ratings. Yet we’ve seen this World Cup set plenty of new ratings records; and then follow up the next match by breaking those records yet again.
This USWNT has posted five straight shutouts and not allowed a goal in 513 minutes. Of course, winning matters most when it comes to getting eyeballs on your sporting product, and the U.S. has certainly been doing that.
Everyone knows that the match versus Germany was the true World Cup title game, but don’t tell that to Alex Morgan and company. They know better than to take Japan lightly.
This match-up is also exactly what the United States wants. If there’s one team that they would like to finish off in the end, it’s Japan.
FOX Sports pundit Leslie Osborne puts into perspective what a USWNT World Cup title would mean for the players and for the sport in the U.S.:
“This is the biggest tournament of their lives. As young girls, we watched that 1999 team – they are the pioneers – they’ve allowed us to be where we’re at. And these players know that. They are former teammates and role models. But they want their own story, they want their own moments and own journey. This country and world is ready to see a new world champion, and they’re ready to embrace this U.S. team.”
Another reason a USWNT triumph looks inevitable….this:
The last 4 teams who eliminated #GER in the World Cup have gone on to win it all. Just saying…
via @AmericasPregame pic.twitter.com/IbkK7y8CCp
— FS1 (@FS1) July 1, 2015
Carli Lloyd is the player to watch in this one as she’s scored in the past three games. However, Ali Krieger (pictured above in the intro) has been somewhat of an unsung hero. She’s drawn some solid individual player ratings from match to match, but doesn’t really get a whole lot of press coverage. The real MVP might be Becky Sauerbrunn though:
FOX Sports Analyst Grant Wahl’s pick for the Golden Ball award is Sauerbrunn:
“I think if the U.S. wins this tournament, Carli Lloyd will win the MVP award, but if it were up to me, I would pick Becky Sauerbrunn. Becky Sauerbrunn has been the rock of the U.S. defense, along with Julie Johnston. Sauerbrunn is great in the positioning. She never seems to be stretched or racing back to her corner, so I would give her the award right now.”
Carli Lloyd was on Women’s World Cup Tonight last night, and here’s what she had to say about meeting Japan in the final: “I think we’ll take it to them.”
“I’m not concerned really about the opponent. I don’t really mind who it is. Japan’s a great side and they’ve played really, really well this tournament. I think they’ve played as one of the top contenders, but I think we’re peaking. We’ve got momentum going at this game and confidence, and I think we’ll take it to them.”
Prediction Time:
The USWNT were given a 67% chance to win here by ESPN FC’s Women’s Soccer Power Index. That’s about even with what the sports books have been saying.
Happy Independence Day! Absolutely no one is America is working today and no Americans are online right now. So that certainly takes away from previewing and predicting the World Cup. The USA will follow up their birthday celebration by creating another festive occasion the very next day- a World Cup title for the USWNT. The 16 year drought will be over shortly.
USWNT 2, Japan 0
-USWNT Profile Series:
Abby Wambach
-Canada profile series
-World Cup On-Air talent profiles
Alexi Lalas
Heather Mitts
Jenny Taft
Julie Stewart-Binks
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports Digital. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. He also appears regularly on numerous sports talk radio stations all across the country.
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