U.S. women still lament 2011 loss
Wambach hopes history doesn’t repeat
Abby Wambach knows the date by heart: July 17, 2011.
That was the day the United States lost to Japan in the Women’s World Cup title match in Germany.
The Americans get a rematch today when the teams meet again in the final, this time in Canada. The U.S. women are favored, and there figures to be a mostly pro-American crowd at Vancouver’s BC Place.
Wambach and the rest of her teammates say they aren’t taking anything for granted. The United States, ranked No. 2 in the world, is seeking its third World Cup title but first since 1999.
“We still have to win. We haven’t won anything yet, and we know what that feels like from four years ago,” Wambach said. “It’s not a good feeling.”
The United States is coming off an impressive 2-0 semifinal victory over Germany, the team that had unseated the Ameri-
cans for the top spot in the world rankings. Criticized at times for a lack of offense, the U.S. has posted five straight shutouts.
Anchored by Hope Solo in goal, the United States’ most consistent asset in the World Cup so far has been its defense.
Solo, who won the Golden Glove award for the 2011 World Cup, has been helped by a solid back line of Meghan Klingenberg, Becky Sauerbrunn, Julie Johnston and Ali Krieger.
The United States has gone 513 minutes without conceding a goal. Only Australia, in the first half of the group-stage opener, scored against the Americans.
“I think we have really good momentum. I think we have confidence as a group. But we need to raise our game as well,” said midfielder Carli Lloyd, who leads the Americans with three goals. “There’s no reserving energy. It’s full throttle.”
Japan, ranked No. 4 in the world, has won each of its six matches during the monthlong tournament, Americans (from left) Abby Wambach and Sydney Leroux train with teammates during practice Saturday in Vancouver, British Columbia, for today’s final against Japan. relying on steady tactical skill. It is trying for its second straight World Cup title.
“It’s the final game, the last one, so there’s no more than that and we should really cherish this moment that we are going to the final,” Japan coach Norio Sasaki said. “But I would also like to have a game that would contribute to the development of football in the world.”
Japan’s victory over the United States four years ago was Asia’s first-ever World Cup title.
The Japanese erased a pair of one-goal deficits. Wambach scored in the 104th minute to give the U.S. a 2-1 lead, and Homare Sawa tied it 13 minutes later. Japan then prevailed 3-1 on penalty kicks.
It was an emotional victory, following the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit the nation in March, killing more than 20,000 people and touching off the worst nuclear catastrophe since Chernobyl in 1986.
Before boarding the flight home from Germany, Sawa said: “I have to dedicate this win to the people who suffered the disaster.”