http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2015/06 ... game-notes
WWC SEMIFINAL BRINGS TOGETHER TOP RANKED TEAMS IN THE WORLD: No.1 v. No. 2 The U.S. Women’s National Team will contest a semifinal match for the seventh time in its history of Women’s World Cup play (the only country to achieve that feat) when it takes on Germany on Tuesday, June 30, 2015 at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Canada, at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The match will be broadcast live on FOX and NBC Universo at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT). Fans can follow all the action on Twitter @ussoccer_wnt and @ussoccer_esp, and follow the team along its journey on Instagram and on Snapchat (ussoccer_wnt). The USA and Germany will play the first of two semifinal matches, as Japan meets England on July 1 in Edmonton, with the USA earning its way into the final four with a 1-0 victory against China PR on June 26 in Ottawa.
http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2015/6/3 ... d-cup-news
The top two teams in the world square off for a spot in the World Cup final.
For the first time in a very long time, the United States are entering a Women's World Cup semifinal as underdogs. The Americans are the No. 2 ranked team in the world, but their opponents, Germany, are No. 1. They're also the reigning UEFA Euro champions and the leading scorers in this competition.
However, Germany haven't quite lived up to expectations in this tournament -- they racked up those big goal totals against Thailand and the Ivory Coast. They drew Norway in the group stage, then appeared to find their form in the Round of 16 against Sweden, but got outplayed by France in the quarterfinal. Only some poor finishing by Les Bleus and a penalty shootout saved them.
If they were totally healthy, the Germans would be huge favorites in this match, given that the Americans have also been far from their best. But midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsan, perhaps the best player in the world, is not expected to start due to an ankle injury. With her out, the playing field is a bit more level than it would have been.
The last time these two teams met was in 2013. The United States beat Germany in the Algarve Cup final, then drew with them, 3-3, in a friendly rematch a few months later.
