U.S. women’s soccer team opens Tokyo Olympics with showdown match

The U.S. women’s soccer team’s first Tokyo Olympic opponent is Sweden, which knocked the Americans out of the Rio Olympics.

The Americans face the Swedes on July 21, the first day of competition across all sports and two days before the Opening Ceremony.

Soccer traditionally begins group play before the cauldron is lit. Softball, returning to the Olympic program for the first time since 2008, also has games before the Opening Ceremony.

The U.S. was also grouped with Australia and New Zealand in Wednesday’s draw.

The top two teams in the group advance to the quarterfinals, which is where Sweden stunned the U.S. in penalty kicks at the Rio Games, marking the Americans’ only elimination in an…