By Jim Stevenson
Washington
29 August 2007
 

Sixteen teams are preparing to compete next month in the FIFA Women's World Cup football [soccer] tournament in China.  One of them is the United States, which has been playing on home soil in a so-called "Send-Off Series" of friendly matches.  VOA's Jim Stevenson took in a couple of those games and has a report on the team currently ranked number one in the world.

Part of the 2007 U.S. Women's Soccer team lines up during the playing of the National Anthem

Ahead of this year's World Cup tournament, the U.S. team has again worked its way to the top of the world rankings.  Only four players remain from the 1999 team, including 36-year-old captain Kristine Lilly, and victory this time will rest with several new faces.

Coach Greg Ryan

"Once we step onto the field, our veterans look across at the young ones and say, 'Hey, that player can be just as good as me today.'  And so it is a real respect that has grown.  And the young players had to earn that.  And the veteran players had to help them attain that.  It could not be any better than it is,” he said.

Captain Kristine Lilly

One of the newcomers to the U.S. team is 21-year-old defender Stephanie Lopez.  The high standards of the veterans have motivated her to play at their level.

Stephanie Lopez

Coach Ryan has used more than 60 players during his two-year tenure.  In the World Cup, the United States will face very different opponents in North Korea, Sweden and Nigeria.  Ryan plans to use his full roster to create different starting lineups for each game.

The United States begins its campaign on September 11th with a difficult Group-B encounter with North Korea in Chengdu.