Woo-hoo, it's whooping time. In the form of the Women's World Cup and, more specifically, for Team USA, which faces Sweden in Wolfsburg, Germany, today.
Currently ranked Number 1 in the world, Team USA looks to notch a win against familiar foe Sweden. But don't worry. We've got it in the bag.
Team USA's coach, Pia Sundhage, is Swedish. We enter the match, according to FIFA.com, having played Sweden 29 times over the years that women's professional-level football has flourished, including three World Cup matches. In all 3 WC matches, we bested the skillful Swedes, winning 3-2 in 1991, 3-1 in 2003, and 2-0 in 2007.
Team USA also enters the game having more or less trounced its previous WC 2011 opponents, with a workman-like 2-0 win over Korea DPR and a roasting of Colombia, 3-0.
Clash of the Football Titans in a Battle for the Top of Group C
Although we're still only in group stage, the USA women hope to edge out Sweden and roundly win Group C to get better positioning for the quarterfinal stage of the WC.
Powerhouse Sweden likely won't be a romp, but USA needs only a draw to secure "a quarterfinal match-up against what, theoretically, will be an easier opponent." (FIFA.com)
Perhaps, continuing with the W theme today, we will even see a wallop by Wambach. Striker Abby Wambach is overdue for a cracking goal or header, as was painfully evident from the Colombia game.
As a (transplanted) Midwesterner who was a season-ticket-holder for WPS team the St. Louis Athletica, sadly now defunct, I am counting on keeper and Athletic alumna Hope Solo to kick some grass as usual.
And here's a Hope Solo-signed ball [she's the "No. 1" signature in front, in case you can't tell] we won to give Team USA some extra oomph from afar. Trust me, if we could, we'd be in Germany right now cheering them on!
Besides, the little ones love to scream and cheer, whether it's soccer or not!
Tune into ESPN and Galavision at 2:30 p.m. ET today to watch the match live.
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