2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Team USA Watch-On To The Championship Match

For the first time since 1999, the Team USA women's footballers will play in the FIFA Women's World Cup championship match.   They earned that trip to Frankfurt am Main by beating France 3-1 in today's semifinal matchup in Monchengladbach.   

Once again they got off to a fast start with an early Lauren Cheney goal in the ninth minute and took a 1-0 lead into halftime.  The French struck back in the 55th minute with the equalizing goal from Sonia Bompastor and outplayed Team USA for most of the match until Abby Wambach's goal in the 79th minute put the USA back on top to stay.   Alex Morgan's goal in the 82nd minute clinched it and the opportunity to win our record setting third FIFA women's world championship.  

Their opponents will be Japan, who knocked off Sweden 3-1 in the other semifinal matchup in Frankfurt.    Sweden scored their first goal courtesy of an uncharacteristic error from Japanese captain Homare Sawa who had a tenth  minute pass get intercepted by Josefine Oqvist.  She raced through the Japanese defense and put it past their keeper Ayumi Kaihori on a lucky deflection for an early 1-0 lead.

In the 17th minute later Nahomi Kawasumi scored the first of her two goals to even the match, and Sawa scored the go ahead goal in the 59th minute and fourth of the tournament to atone for her defensive error.

The Nadeshiko Japan have made a long heartwarming run through this year's FIFA Women's World Cup tournament and have had their shock the world moments as well.

The FIFA number four ranked squad finished second in their group to England, but had never beaten a European team until they knocked off the two time reigning champion Germany 1-0 on Sunday and now have sent Sweden packing to make it to their first ever FIFA Women's World Cup final.

Both teams are on storybook runs.  This USA squad after getting beat in CONCAFAF qualifying play by Canada and Mexico was the last team to qualify for this edition of the Women's World Cup tournament.  They dropped their showdown Group C match against Sweden to finish second, which revived concerns they didn't have what it took to win it all.

They played with 10 women and needed a miracle goal from Abby Wambach in the 122 minute against Brazil to tie their quarterfinal match and send it to penalty kicks.   They've been doing it the hard way, but it has been enough to propel them to the third  championship match in USA team history.

The Nadeshiko Japan are playing to lift the spirits of an entire nation after the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami and is using this tournament as a way to put smiles on the faces of the people back home.

It has fueled their determination to advance as far as they can.  In the process they have gained fans from  around the world hoping to see them win their first FIFA world championship. 

It'll be France and Sweden playing on Saturday in the third place match in Sinsheim.

Both the USA and Japan will have much to play for and it should be a fun one to watch.  We'll see who holds the trophy aloft on Sunday.