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.
USA vs. Germany, World Cup 2015; Time, TV schedule and team news
The top two teams in the world square off for a spot in the World Cup final.
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.
United States vs. Germany
Key player: Carli Lloyd
Against China, Lloyd was given the freedom to get forward and rewarded Jill Ellis with a game-winning goal. Lloyd has a knack for doing that in huge games, but against Germany, it’s inevitable that she’ll have to do a bit more defending. Can she stay disciplined positionally while also asserting herself as a serious goal-scoring threat for her team?
Key matchup: Germany's CBs vs. Alex Morgan
There's certainly nothing wrong with Germany's central defenders -- their team doesn't have a true weakness -- but they've looked a tad shaky in their only games against top teams. And while Alex Morgan hasn't been the best version of herself at this tournament, she looks like she's finally hitting full fitness. Germany will need to keep Morgan quiet, and the United States will need her to be the best version of herself.
Match date/time: Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Quebec
TV: FOX (U.S. - English), NBC Universo (U.S. - Spanish), CTV, TSN, RDS (Canada), BBC3, Eurosport 1 (U.K.), ARD Das Erste, SRF zwei (Germany)
Online: FOX Soccer 2 Go (U.S. - English), NBC Deportes en vivo extra (U.S. - Spanish), TSN (Canada), BBC player, Eurosport player (U.K.), ORF TV Live Streaming, Das Erste live (Germany).
Listings via Live Soccer TV.
