Sweden celebrates its 3-1 win over Australia in the quarter-finals. (Associated Press)
Somehow they survived the big scare. Just when they thought they were out, Abby Wambach pulled them back in. The rest should be plain sailing for the United States.
Let's call a spade a spade. As Canadians we are, by and large, not huge fans of the Americans. Many are loud, brash and uncultured, and think they own the world. By the end of the week they may, once again, own the world of women's soccer.
Should they scale the podium again, they are to be congratulated. This was the team which scrambled through qualifying, failed to win the group in which it was seeded, and was within seconds of bowing out in the quarter-finals for the first time in its history.
In the final analysis, the U.S. finds a way to win. When the chips are down and all seems lost, the Americans dig a little deeper to uncover extra reserves of mental and physical strength. In the world of competitive sports, that ability is worth its weight in gold.
The titanic victory over Brazil only makes them stronger. It bolts down the belief that even when the world (and the referee) is against you, you can rise above adversity. Nobody cuts the Americans much slack, but they certainly had my sympathy vote in the penalty shootout.
Onwards they march to familiar territory. In five previous appearances, the Americans have always reached the semifinals. Twice they've gone on to win the Women's World Cup and have finished third on the other three occasions.
France, their opponent, is entering unchartered waters. The French have been a revelation in Germany and are perhaps the most improved team in the women's game. They have successfully transferred the victorious Lyon club mentality on to the global stage.
What they lack is experience. No French team has ever reached the knock out stages of the Women's World Cup, never mind the semifinals. They deservedly beat England but attempting to halt the juggernaut of the U.S. is a whole different ball game.
France, though, may benefit from two things. First, and inexplicably in my opinion, the French have had an extra 24 hours to rest and recover. Both teams were forced into extra time and the stress of a shoot out, but France will have fresher legs in Moenchengladbach.
Second, of course, is that the pressure is off. Anything from now on is a bonus for Bruno Bini's team. Despite clear improvements in the French game, they will still start as underdogs against the world's top ranked team. On the flip side, the U.S. has to deliver.
The other semifinal is too close to call. With the Germans gone, Sweden and Japan will both believe this is their moment in the sun. The Swedes are getting better with every game while the Japanese proved impossible is nothing by knocking out the hosts.
The Swedes have already beaten the U.S. and would love another crack at the Americans in the final. Lotta Schelin showed why she is rated so highly in the quarter finals. The Australians were no match Sweden in general and Schelin in particular.
Japan is living proof that physical height and power isn't the only way to win. The industry and discipline of the Nadeshiko is a perfect example of how a collective mindset can be successful. Having come this far, the Japanese will mix skill with a work ethic few can match.
With four teams left standing, all bets are off. History favours the U.S. but this is a Women's World Cup which has proved every game is winnable and every team beatable. From here on in, expect drama, tension and, perhaps, the unexpected
Let's call a spade a spade. As Canadians we are, by and large, not huge fans of the Americans. Many are loud, brash and uncultured, and think they own the world. By the end of the week they may, once again, own the world of women's soccer.
Should they scale the podium again, they are to be congratulated. This was the team which scrambled through qualifying, failed to win the group in which it was seeded, and was within seconds of bowing out in the quarter-finals for the first time in its history.
In the final analysis, the U.S. finds a way to win. When the chips are down and all seems lost, the Americans dig a little deeper to uncover extra reserves of mental and physical strength. In the world of competitive sports, that ability is worth its weight in gold.
The titanic victory over Brazil only makes them stronger. It bolts down the belief that even when the world (and the referee) is against you, you can rise above adversity. Nobody cuts the Americans much slack, but they certainly had my sympathy vote in the penalty shootout.
Onwards they march to familiar territory. In five previous appearances, the Americans have always reached the semifinals. Twice they've gone on to win the Women's World Cup and have finished third on the other three occasions.
France, their opponent, is entering unchartered waters. The French have been a revelation in Germany and are perhaps the most improved team in the women's game. They have successfully transferred the victorious Lyon club mentality on to the global stage.
What they lack is experience. No French team has ever reached the knock out stages of the Women's World Cup, never mind the semifinals. They deservedly beat England but attempting to halt the juggernaut of the U.S. is a whole different ball game.
France, though, may benefit from two things. First, and inexplicably in my opinion, the French have had an extra 24 hours to rest and recover. Both teams were forced into extra time and the stress of a shoot out, but France will have fresher legs in Moenchengladbach.
Second, of course, is that the pressure is off. Anything from now on is a bonus for Bruno Bini's team. Despite clear improvements in the French game, they will still start as underdogs against the world's top ranked team. On the flip side, the U.S. has to deliver.
The other semifinal is too close to call. With the Germans gone, Sweden and Japan will both believe this is their moment in the sun. The Swedes are getting better with every game while the Japanese proved impossible is nothing by knocking out the hosts.
The Swedes have already beaten the U.S. and would love another crack at the Americans in the final. Lotta Schelin showed why she is rated so highly in the quarter finals. The Australians were no match Sweden in general and Schelin in particular.
Japan is living proof that physical height and power isn't the only way to win. The industry and discipline of the Nadeshiko is a perfect example of how a collective mindset can be successful. Having come this far, the Japanese will mix skill with a work ethic few can match.
With four teams left standing, all bets are off. History favours the U.S. but this is a Women's World Cup which has proved every game is winnable and every team beatable. From here on in, expect drama, tension and, perhaps, the unexpected
