Women's World Cup: USA vs. China Preview

China: Strong team, but probably the weakest opponent left on paper. They are very young. The U.S. has 16 players 27 or older. The Chinese have zero. Sixteen U.S. players have more than 60 caps. One Chinese player has 61. China has been organized defensively. They sit back. They don’t allow many quality chances. They will look to hit the Americans on a counterattack. The U.S. will have to be patient and unlock a defense, something they have looked ill-prepared to do all tournament. The longer the match remains scoreless…anything can happen.

Suspensions: Midfielders Megan Rapinoe and Lauren Holiday have been suspended for accumulated yellow cards. Downside: they have been two key U.S. players so far. Upside: their absence could force Jill Ellis to change tactics and formations. In a 4-4-2, the U.S. has struggled to link play between the midfield and forwards and struggled to control the midfield, even against over-matched opponents.

Abby Wambach: The American striker has been a lightning rod. Her performance on the pitch has been sub par. Her game is being a physically dominant handful. This World Cup, she has been anonymous and off the pace, easily handled. Off the pitch, she has blamed performances on the turf (every team is playing on) and risked suspension whining about the refereeing.

Defense USA: The U.S. back five have been excellent, notably the central defensive pairing of Becky Sauerbrunn and Julie Johnston. The Americans haven’t allowed a goal since the 27th minute of the first match. They have conceded just four shots on target over the last three. Being resolute at the back can make up for a lot of mistakes at the front.