United States, Sweden a "championship" match

Soccer Betting Lines

09/13/2007 - Chengdu, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - U.S. coach Greg Ryan didn't hesitate to say Friday's game against Sweden is like a "championship" match.

After starting the tournament with a 2-2 draw against North Korea on Tuesday, the top-ranked United States faces an historically tougher opponent with its tournament possibly on the line.

The United States and Sweden, ranked third in the world and the 2003 World Cup runners-up, both tied on Tuesday. If either team pulls out a win on Friday, it would grab a comfortable three-point edge on the other with just one game left in the group stage.

The scenarios are endless, but if the United States lost to Sweden and Group B's other game between North Korea and Nigeria didn't end in a tie on Friday, the Americans would need a victory in their final game just to have a chance to advance.

"(Friday's) an important match, just like every other match at the World Cup and we know that. Obviously, the draw wasn't what we were looking for, but we are going to learn from it and move on," U.S. forward Lindsay Tarpley said.

The United States doesn't want to put itself in a situation where it needs to watch the scoreboard on Monday morning when its playing its last game. That's why Ryan didn't understate the importance of the Sweden game.

"I think this group is like playing a semifinal and a final in our first two games," Ryan said. "That's the quality of the teams."

If there's any advantage between the two world powers on Friday, it goes to the United States.

The Americans lead the all-time series 14-3-5, and are 2-0 in the World Cup against Sweden. The United States beat Sweden in the group stage of the '91 tournament, 3-2, and in the group stage of the '03 event, 3-1.

The United States has also won the last two meetings between the teams, 3-2. Overall, the winner of the last five meetings between the teams - Sweden's only win during the stretch was in March of 2004 - has scored three goals.

Ryan expects offense - especially off set plays - to again be the difference, and he has to feel good about having an offensive duo as good as any. Captain Kristine Lilly has 126 goals in her career, and Abby Wambach - who scored in the tie with North Korea - has 78.

If there is a country that can come close to matching the American stars, it's Sweden. Hanna Ljungberg has 71 career goals and Victoria Svensson - who scored the team's lone goal in a 1-1 tie with Nigeria - has 59.

"Usually it's the big players that decide games. Not always, but now it's a question of 'can the USA's top players create that advantage for the U.S.? Can Sweden's top players create the advantage?'" Ryan said.

Both sides have plenty of other firepower as well, as the United States showed with Heather O'Reilly scoring the crucial tying goal against North Korea. The Swedes also feature young 6-foot striker Lotta Schelin, Sweden's Female Player of the Year in 2006.

"Sweden is very good in the air and very strong," U.S. midfielder Shannon Boxx said.

Although the United States failed to win its opener for just the second time in five World Cups - it tied China in its first game in 1995 - it should be a little more settled after six players made their Cup debuts on Tuesday.

The United States has won its second game in the previous four World Cups by combined scores of 19-1, but it hasn't faced a team as good as Sweden in its second match before.

Although Sweden's tie against Nigeria was a bit of a shocker, it was the first result the Swedes have ever gotten in their first game of a World Cup. Sweden was winless in its previous four Cup openers.

"We were unlucky at times (against Nigeria), but now we have to get our heads right and come out better in our next two games," Svensson told FIFA.com.

Neither team has ever failed to reach the quarterfinals in any of the previous four World Cups.

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