For one day Cleveland, Ohio will be the center of the soccer universe. Two of the world’s top women’s soccer nations meet tomorrow at 6 p.m. ET at Cleveland Browns Stadium in a match televised live on ESPN2. The clash between the USA and Germany marks the first meeting in the United States between the two perennial powers since the Germans took down the USA in the semifinal of the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The match will be the seventh international for the U.S. women this year (tickets) as preparations continue for the CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup, which will serve as Women’s World Cup qualifying, to be held in late October/early November with dates and venues still to be determined.
While the USA is without several key players due to injuries – Carli Lloyd (ankle), Tobin Heath (ankle), Kelley O’Hara (foot) as well as missing Lauren Cheney (personal commitment). Germany is also without several of their top players – most notably Fatmire Bajramaj, Babett Peter and Anja Mittag — due to the UEFA Women’s Champions League Final that pitted Turbine Potsdam against Olympic Lyon of France on May 20.
Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) will be taking the weekend off from competition so none of the players will be missing any club matches. While U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage has called in 22 players for the match, she will name 18 to suit up against the Germans. Since coaching her first game for the United States in January of 2008, Pia Sundhage has compiled an overall record of 46-1-3 with the only loss in regulation time coming in the first game of the 2008 Olympics. She coached her 50th match for the USA in Sandy, Utah, on March 31 against Mexico, a wild 1-0 win played in ankle-deep snow.
