In just a few hours from now, we will be witnessing probably the match of the year between the US and Germany, the two best teams in women's soccer.
With the exception of their game against France, the Germans cruised into the semis. The US on the other hand, has played a few nail biters to get to this point.
It's going to take a team effort in order for the USWNT to advance to the World Cup Finals. So, what will it take to defeat the Germans?
Here are three things:
First, the US has got to find a way to score. They can't let the Germans dictate the game. They have got to be more aggressive on the offensive end than they were against China. They only scored once, but they had several opportunities to put more points on the board throughout the game.
Second, The US needs to get their stars involved. It's been been a quiet World Cup for Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan, especially Morgan. My guess is, her injuries are more serious than we thought and she is not able to contribute as much as she would like. But she is playing, and she needs to be more involved in scoring opportunities if the US is going to pull this off. Having Megan Rapinoe back on the field will be a big plus, too, since she has provided a lot of the scoring the US has produced.
Lastly, the US has to continue to be aggressive on the defensive side of the ball. The reason why the US is in this position is because they give other teams fits with their defense. The question is not going to be if the Germans will score, but how often? The US needs to limit the number of shots the Germans take if they are going to have any chance to win. Less shots, mean less chances to score.
It's not impossible to beat the Germans – the French almost pulled it off themselves – but if the USWNT is going to shock the world, they will have to play their best game of the year. If history is any indication, they'll do just that.
