The FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011™ comes to a conclusion on Sunday, with two-time world champions USA bidding to complete a hat-trick of titles against the technically accomplished Japanese, who are making their first appearance in the Final and have yet to record a win against the Americans.

It promises to be a tight encounter between two evenly matched sides who reached the final in identical style: the Stars and Stripes recording a 3-1 semi-final win over France, and the Japanese beating Sweden by the same scoreline.

The game
Japan-USA, Sunday 17 July, Frankfurt @ 7.45pm (Nigerian local time)

The stakes
Inspired by their 32-year-old midfield linchpin Homare Sawa, the Nadeshiko have produced some exquisite football at Germany 2011 and scored some excellent goals. Their only defeat to date came in their final group game against England, by which time they had already secured a place in the last eight, where they stunned the hosts before going on to end Sweden’s run.

[img]http://api.ning.com/files/TQrxniPGR*NdRex*i4yXyxusn5rCJcHYG7NlkMMwranEvw5wcmL9EtmpnUPe1DBpaXYW*ifWNayRzrm8iU9HwExztDxb1gSR/JapanNationalWomensTeamPhoto.jpg[/img]
_{Japan's National Women's Team}

USA have a similar record, losing top spot in their section after losing to the Swedes and then hitting the heights with a dramatic quarter-final win over Brazil, the prelude to their clinical defeat of the French.


_{USA's Women National Team}


Coaches Norio Sasaki and Pia Sundhage are well acquainted. Three times their sides have faced each other in the last year, and three times the Americans have emerged victorious. Nor did the Japanese fare too well in the 25 previous meetings between the teams, drawing three and losing the rest.

Japan are the second Asian team to reach the FIFA Women’s World Cup Final after China at USA 1999, a tournament won by the hosts. The Japanese have another daunting statistic weighing against them: USA’s record in the final, which reads played two, won two.

The stat
12 - The number of FIFA Women’s World Cup goals USA striker Abby Wambach has amassed in her career, the same number her compatriot Michelle Akers achieved in the 1990s. Wambach has scored three goals at Germany 2011, all of them with her head, and at the age of 31 the Boca Raton magicJack goal-getter is just two short of all the time tournament record, held jointly by Germany’s Birgit Prinz and Marta of Brazil.

The words
“Japan came out very strongly when they played Germany and Sweden, but we’ll be looking to control possession. That’s the message Pia will be giving us. We want the ball and we want to win by playing good football. I’m absolutely confident we can do that,” Carli Lloyd, USA midfielder.

"We are going to do our best to enjoy the game as we always do. We need to go into the match with a feeling of momentum and without fear of making mistakes," Norio Sasaki, Japan coach.

all4naija:
[b]People are judging the Asian girls based on their defeat of Sweden and, that is okay. [/b]Well, soccer is not mathematics as somebody rightly said so, I would keep my fingers crossed till the winner of the game comes out.

I think Japan's 1-0 victory over Germany in the quarter-finals was even more impressive than their comfortable 3-1 victory over Sweden in the Semi's cos of their sleek passing, team work and the way the moved the ball around effectively in that match. Against Sweden Japan didn't really get going and the goals conceded by Sweden were more of defensive errors and not as a result of Japan's brilliant play.

USA is more physical, have the height advantage and could hurt Japan from set-pieces like corner kicks and free-kicks. I doubt the Japanese girls can neutralize the aerial threat of Abby Wambach cos the babe na ''headful''. She brought the USA back from the dead against Brazil in the Quarter-Finals and single-handedly wrecked France in the Semi-Finals.

Even if the game drags into extra-time, USA is more likely to win cos they've got a stronger bench (in peeps like Megan Rampinoe and Alexandra Morgan) and penalty kicks is almost a sure bet for USA cos of their goalie, Hope Solo. Japan for all their ''Barca-style'' passing lacks that ball penetration in the final third. . . while USA can score goals from anywhere and half chances.

I want Japan to win badly but I placed a 1k bet with a friend on USA winning this match. . . .any which way I win

By the way, any info on whether Obama will be at the stadium to watch the match?

dinggle:

The design of the female world cup is sexy,

semid4lyfe:

Less than 30 mins to the match and it's raining cats and dogs here

Abeg, make una helep me beg the rain o cos if e nor stop, I no go fit watch (and I want to badly) the match cos dish no dey take eye see rain