Tough start

U.S. opens World Cup against strong Swedish team

By Scott French, Soccer America

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The United States on Sunday starts its title defense at the fourth Women's World Cup against Sweden, possibly the strongest opening opponent it has faced in a major world event.

U.S. coach April Heinrichs says this is the best team the Swedes have ever fielded, an experienced, athletic group that in forward Hanna Ljungberg has a ''special'' player capable of leading them to a World Cup title.

The match is the second in Group A, this tournament's ''Group of Death.'' North Korea and Nigeria meet Saturday in Philadelphia.

Brazil faces South Korea in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader at RFK Stadium in Washington.

Sweden has had little success over the years against the U.S. women, posting a 2-10-5 mark, but the teams tied, 1-1, in an Algarve Cup showdown in mid-March. The Swedes lost their World Cup openers in 1991 at China, 1995 at home and 1999 in the United States.

''It's hard to compare teams, but we have a very good, balanced team,'' Sweden coach Marika Domanski Lyfors said Thursday. ''I think Hanna is very important, but other players have had very good years since 1999. With the other players, I think that makes us better this year.''

The Swedes rely on an experienced backline led by Karolina Westberg and Kristin Bengtsson, play through central midfielders Malin Mostrom and Malin Andersson, and team Ljungberg up front with Victoria Svensson, whose runs from underneath her heralded teammate cause havoc.

Svensson has scored 22 goals in 19 games this season in the Swedish Damallsvenskan, and Ljungberg has 18 after netting a record 39 last year. They've combined for 82 international goals, with Ljungberg scoring her 49th (in 90 appearances) and Svensson her 33rd (in 85) in a 2-2 tie with China on Monday.

Ljungberg has scored 11 international goals this year, tallying in nine of 12 games as Sweden has gone 7-0-5.

''Stopping Hanna is like trying to man-mark Mia Hamm,'' Heinrichs said, ''but it would be a mistake to key in on Ljungberg or say all you have to do is stop Ljungberg.''

The Americans, seeking their third World Cup title, boast exquisite talent, experience, versatility and depth. In addition to Hamm, goalkeeper Briana Scurry, defenders Joy Fawcett and Brandi Chastain, midfielders Julie Foudy and Kristine Lilly, and forward Abby Wambach will be critical to U.S. success over the next three weeks.

Heinrichs won't hint at the lineup or system she'll utilize against Sweden, but in training sessions leading to the match -- and in a 3-0 loss earlier this week to the University of Virginia's men's reserves -- she fielded a 4-3-3 with newcomer Shannon Boxx as the holding midfielder, Cindy Parlow as one of three forwards and Christie Pearce as an outside back. None had been expected to be starters; Heinrichs said she may change her lineup with each game based on performance and tactical concerns.

USA vs. SWEDEN (Sept. 21 at RFK Stadium, Washington)

Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. ET.

TV: ABC, TeleFutura (live).

Probable Starting Lineups: USA -- Scurry, Pearce, Fawcett, Chastain, Sobrero, Foudy, Boxx, Lilly, Wambach, Parlow, Hamm. Sweden -- Jonsson, Marklund, Tornqvist, Westberg, Bengtsson, Sjogran, Andersson, Mostrom, Fagerstrom, Svensson, Ljungberg.

USA

1 SCURRY Briana, 2 BIVENS Kylie, 3 PEARCE Christie, 4 REDDICK Cat, 5 ROBERTS Tiffany, 6, CHASTAIN Brandi, 7 BOXX Shannon, 8 MACMILLAN Shannon, 9 HAMM Mia, 10 WAGNER Aly, 11 FOUDY Julie, 12 PARLOW Cindy, 13 LILLY Kristine, 14 FAWCETT Joy, 15 SOBRERO Kate, 16 MILBRETT Tiffeny, 17 SLATON Danielle, 18 MULLINIX Siri, 19 HUCLES Angela, 20, WAMBACH Abby.

SWEDEN

1 JONSSON Caroline, 2 WESTBERG Karolina, 3 TORNQVIST Jane, 4 MARKLUND Hanna, 5, BENGTSSON Kristin, 6 MOSTROM Malin, 7 LARSSON Sara, 8 NORDIN Frida, 9, ANDERSSON Malin, 10 LJUNGBERG Hanna, 11 SVENSSON Victoria, 12 LUNDGREN Sofia, 13 JOHANSSON Sara, 14 FAGERSTROM Linda, 15 SJOGRAN Therese, 16 OLSSON Salina, 17, SJOSTROM Anna, 18 OSTBERG Frida, 19 CALL Sara, 20 OQVIST Josefine.

Scott French is a senior editor at Soccer America magazine.