Well, here we are playing Japan again, except things have gone in opposite directions for these two teams since the World Cup last summer.
Japan crashed out of AFC qualifying, lost their venerable head coach AND got chastised in the press by Nadeshiko legend Homare Sawa, and are just trying to get back to normal.
The United States of course won the World Cup, went on a whirlwind victory tour, met President Obama, got a ticker-tape parade in New York, and raked in a lot of cash.