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U.S. Can Thank Defense for Spot in Women’s World Cup Final

The United States is undefeated in six games at the Women’s World Cup and considered the comfortable favorite to win the final on Sunday.

But in those six games, the team has only nine goals. That ranks behind Germany, Switzerland and France, all of whom have been eliminated.

The United States has played a somewhat challenging schedule and has not faced a truly terrible team on which it could run up the score. Nevertheless, the offensive anemia has been striking.

Four years ago, the United States scored 13 goals in six games. Even in 2007, when the Americans were disastrously beaten, 4-0, in a semifinal by Brazil, they scored 12 goals in their six games.