Summary:
- The U.S. women's soccer team is preparing for a knockout round match against Sweden after struggling in the group stage.
- The team faces criticism for its performance but is focused on the upcoming match against Sweden, a formidable rival.
- Fans are hopeful that the U.S. team will advance to the next round in the highly competitive Women's World Cup.
Finally tonight, the U.S. women's soccer team is prepping for its first game of the knockout round tomorrow against Sweden. But unlike in the past, the team is no longer dominating its opponents. Nancy Chen reports from Australia.
A New Playing Field
Women's national team as they practice Saturday in Melbourne, Australia. The round of 16 match against Sweden Sunday comes as the team has struggled in the group stage against lesser opponents and barely made it to the knockout round after a close call with Portugal. The team was heavily criticized for its performance, but says it is focused solely now on Sweden, a frequent powerhouse rival that is so far soared through the tournament. Yeah, hasn't been the tournament that I would have hoped, but at the same time, having this incredible opportunity in front of us, we're highly motivated to play in this game tomorrow. The team well aware of what's at stake as it plays for an unprecedented third repeat championship. It certainly is the most important game of the tournament. It's a knockout stage and there's no room for mistakes.And the women's game is taking off across the world, right? And now they're hoping the U.S. doesn't join the list of early exits. It's going to be so much fun to be there anyway, so win, lose or draw. I love this team. I respect U.S. star player Alex Morgan recognizes as she and the team prepare for their biggest challenge yet. There's one team at the end out of 32 that are going to be smiling. And that's hard, but we're all fighting so hard to be that one team. A familiar matchup with stakes higher than any before on the world's biggest stage. Nancy Chen, CBS News, Melbourne, Australia.