The two best teams in the world will play tonight with the winner earning a trip to the World Cup final on Sunday. The United States and Germany meet in a semifinal that has all of the characteristics of a final. History says the winner of this match will in all likelihood be World Cup champions next week. High stakes to be sure, but for the U.S., there is more than a trip to the final on the line.
Through the team’s first for matches, the U.S. played a bruising, direct style. The U.S. backline and midfield took turns sending long balls to space for any combination of Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan, Sydney Leroux, and Christen Press to chase after aimlessly.