Only World Cup title will do after USA's big win over Brazil
I'M SURE MOST OF the players on the United States women's national team were watching last summer when Landon Donovan scored his miracle extra-time goal that gave the USA a victory over Algeria and sent it to the knockout phase of the World Cup.
I'M SURE MOST OF the players on the United States women's national team were watching last summer when Landon Donovan scored his miracle extra-time goal that gave the USA a victory over Algeria and sent it to the knockout phase of the World Cup.
I'm sure they took note of all the attention the men got as America celebrated what at the time was being called one of the most dramatic plays in U.S. soccer history.
I'm sure the women also recall what happened 3 short days later.
The euphoric bubble of American soccer burst when the men were eliminated, 2-1, by Ghana in their next match. Donovan's goal had gone from a moment of elation to becoming a red herring that momentarily disguised still-existing issues about the quality of the USA program.
Hopefully the U.S. women won't have that on their minds today when they face France in the semifinals of the women's World Cup in Moenchengladbach, Germany.
For the past few days, we've been overwhelmed with talk about how the last-minute goal that Abby Wambach scored against Brazil was a defining moment of the American spirit.
Team USA overcame having to go with 10 players to rally to tie Brazil, 2-2, and then advanced to the semifinals by virtue of penalty kicks.
With ESPN, the United States broadcast-rights holder, doing its best to pump up this World Cup, the victory over Brazil has been artificially elevated to one of the most dramatic in USA sports history.
But it can't be because it was still just a win in the quarterfinal round.
The big prize - the World Cup championship - is still two more victories away, and the United States may be under more pressure than ever. With Brazil and two-time reigning champion Germany, a shocking loser to Japan, eliminated in the quarterfinals, the USA becomes a clear favorite to win its first World Cup since 1999.
No disrespect, but France is inferior to the USA women. Lose and most of the good vibrations gained from the Brazil game will be engulfed by disappointment.
The United States should win this game. It should go on to capture its third World Cup.
If it doesn't, the women's team will go through the same difficult examination process that the men are currently dealing with.
"[Brazil] was the craziest game I think any of us have ever been a part of," said U.S. midfielder Lauren Cheney. "Emotionally we have to be proud of what we did, but then put that behind us for the France game.
"The most important thing is the mental preparation and emotionally getting off our high. We're excited about what we did but it was only the quarterfinals and we still have two games to go."
The United States finds itself in an unexpected position. If things had gone according to pre-tournament expectations, the USA, Germany and Brazil would all be in the semifinals.
That would have been a three-way toss-up for the World Cup.
But when the United States finished second to Sweden in group play, the matchup with Brazil came earlier than anticipated. A semifinal round including Sweden, France and Japan is a less daunting draw for the United States.
The USA women are 11-0-1 all-time against France. The teams last played in 2006 with the USA winning, 4-1, at the Algarve Cup in Portugal. And France is only appearing in its second women's World Cup.
The expectation for this game is the exact opposite of what would be expected in a men's World Cup semifinal between the USA and France - if the United States could actually ever get to a semifinal.
"We have to go after France," said defender and team captain Christie Rampone. "They're a great team. We respect them tremendously and we know some of their players that play in the [Women's Professional Soccer] league. We have to go after this game and finish this whole tournament off."
To be honest, what Rampone said about France is just what every team says about any upcoming opponent.
With all due respect to France, the United States' thought process for the World Cup was best summed up by coach Pia Sundhage when she told the team after the loss to Sweden that they would beat Brazil in the quarterfinals and ultimately play Germany for the championships.
Despite the loss to Sweden, the United States is the best team left in this tournament.
In every way but the one that matters, the United States won this World Cup last weekend when it beat Brazil and Germany faltered.
But the games still must be played, and if the right United States squad doesn't show up, it can still lose the world championship.
If that happens, all the players will have to do is think back to last summer to understand how quickly the thrill of miraculous victory can turn to the agony of defeat.
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