2011 Women's World Cup Preview - United States

Jun 25, 2011 - 9:53 PM Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Christie Rampone is the one remaining link the United States has to its last Women's World Cup title, and the connection to the storied years of the team's past could be broken this summer.

The U.S. remains one of the favorites to win the 2011 Women's World Cup, but a title in Germany - which is the two-time defending champion - this summer will be "the most difficult World Cup to win ever," U.S. coach Pia Sundhage said.

Although the U.S. enters the tournament ranked No. 1 in the world, it finished third in the last two world cups - a disappointment for a team that captured the 1991 and 1999 titles - and has struggled over the last year.

Since winning the inaugural tournament in 1991, the U.S. has always featured a talented roster of past World Cup winners. But Rampone, who will turn 36 two days before the tournament starts, is unlikely to be around in four years.

U.S. forward Abby Wambach, who has 118 goals in 157 appearances and will play in her third World Cup this summer, believes a title this summer takes on even more significance because the link could be broken otherwise.

"Of course, we can go back to '99 and only one player on our roster has won a World Cup title and for me, personally," Wambach said, "I take that to heart."

Despite being named alongside Germany and Brazil as the favorites, the U.S. is under pressure this year just to escape the group stage - something that never crossed the world's mind in the first five tournaments.

With Sweden, North Korea and Colombia in Group C, the U.S. has to prove it has grown from the last nine months, a span that includes losses to Mexico, Sweden and England - three World Cup qualifiers.

The Americans' poor stretch started last October with a 1-1 draw against China - a team that missed the World Cup for the first time. Then, Mexico pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the sports history with a 2-1 win in November.

That loss forced the U.S. to win the third-place match in CONCACAF qualifying, an easy victory over Costa Rica, and a two-match playoff against Italy in which it won both legs 1-0, just to advance to the World Cup.

A 2-1 defeat to Sweden in January at the Four Nations Tournament extended the poor stretch, then the U.S. lost a friendly to England, 2-1, in April. So even Sundhage admitted "the road to the World Cup has been bumpy."

The question is whether the U.S. can smooth things out when it matters most.

Other than Rampone and Wambach, Shannon Boxx is the only other player to play in at least two previous World Cups, and 13 players on the team will be making their first World Cup appearance.

Sundhage was confident the "bumpy" ride would only make the U.S. "stronger" in Germany, something Rampone also believed.

"We went through some rough times with this team, which we haven't really experienced with the U.S. team," Rampone admitted, "so I think that's going to help going into this tournament."

Even after the hard stretch, the U.S. remains among the teams to beat and that is "a good thing," according to Sundhage.

"We like high expectations, but I will say that it will be tough and hard, but we will find a way to win," Sundhage said.

Otherwise, Sundhage could be coaching her last tournament with the U.S. After finishing third four years ago, former manager Greg Ryan was fired despite his 45-1-9 record. The lone loss coming in the semifinals in 2007 to Brazil.

But more important than protecting Sundhage's future, the mystique surrounding the U.S. - and its link to the past - is on the line.

PAST ACHIEVEMENTS:

-- FIFA World Cup qualifier: 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011.

-- FIFA World Cup first: 1991, 1999.

-- FIFA World Cup third: 1995, 2003, 2007.