Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Care About the US Women's Soccer Team

Now that our women's soccer team has made it to the World Cup Final, in search of its 3rd World Cup victory (this is only the 6th competition ever), here are the top 5 reasons that you should care and/or watch the Championship Game on Sunday at 2:45 PM ET:

5. This is the World Cup


The biggest stage of all.  And probably a caveat to #5 should be that we're also competitive.  Unlike the mens team, which we've sort of gotten used to seeing fall short rather early, despite them continuing to get better, the women's team is competing for yet another World Cup title.  You see, winning is fun; we like winning.  Now, in front of the entire world, the United States gets to show that soccer is not (entirely) a joke here, even though not too many people (including myself) care about it outside of the World Cup.  But either way, OUR team is 90 minutes (and however many minutes of stoppage time the referee arbitrarily decides to take on) away from becoming World Champions.

PS... this time "World Champions" actually means "World Champions" despite the fact that we call Super Bowl winners and the likes "World Champions" when they're really just "American Champions".

PS #2... After writing "American Champions", I now know why they say "World Champions" here.

4. We are Americans


You may not have noticed, but we are also Americans.  They play on our behalf.  Unlike when fans talk about their favorite teams here in the professional US leagues and say "we", as in "yeah, we just signed Player X" when they have no direct correlation to the team other than being a fan, this team actually is ours; we can say "we" and not be a tool.  In all seriousness though, this team plays for us and our country and it's time to give them the recognition they have more than earned.  That and it's fun to see us whoop other countries' asses and get to rub it in their faces.

We got Swag.

3. There is Magic in This Team


This team's adventure through this World Cup perfectly captures our spirit as Americans; we never give up.  The Quarterfinals against Brazil had plenty of examples of this.  Up 1-0, we were called for a questionable foul inside the box, giving Brazil a penalty kick... oh, and we got a bogus red card for it so we had to finish out the game with 10 players.  Brazil's Cristiane takes the kick only to have it blocked by goalie Hope Solo, who made a spectacular dive to preserve the lead.  Only wait, it has to be retaken because a player on our team may have crept into the box a tad early.  Sure, it may have technically been the right call, but in a game and play of that magnitude to make such a close call is a little distasteful.  Then, with the game now in extra time (the equivalent of our overtime, just not sudden death), Brazil scores to take the lead despite a player being offside, more controversy.  Then, in the last minute of stoppage time in extra time, the US nods the game at 2 on a miraculous header by Abby Wambach.  We then went on to win in penalty kicks.  The announcers had already pronounced us dead, but at no point did the team gets down and give up, no matter how easy it would have been to blame the referees and take our ball and go home.  Even against France in the Semis, when tied 1-1 and the French were outplaying us and had all the momentum, we persevered and scored twice more in the last 12 minutes to seal the game.  There's something special about this team. They do not quit. Period.


2.  Football is Still in a Lockout


I know it's close to being over, or so they say, but there is still no football.  Trust me, it hurts nobody more than me to see the football season not being underway with OTAs, rookie camps, free agency, and fantasy football talk, but it's not here yet.  So why not tune in to see our girls kick some Japanese ass on Sunday?  Just do it.  If you do tune in and it's your first time watching this team, then the #1 reason will be a pleasant surprise and treat.

And now the top reason why you should care about this team and watch the game on Sunday...

1. Forward Alex Morgan and Goalkeeper Hope Solo are total BABES


If nothing else I said can entice you into watching on Sunday, this should do it.  In addition to other attractive girls like Ali Krieger and Lauren Cheney (kinda), Alex "Don't Call Me Katie" Morgan and (I) Hope (She's) Solo are sexy.  Morgan still has that cute element because she's younger, but looks mature enough at 23 to be labeled as hot or sexy.  That and the fact that she just is.  And Hope Solo just has those eyes that make her look extra sexy; she's just hot.  If you watch this one, notice both of them, and don't rewind it (if you have DVR) or make a point to look for them from there on out, then only one conclusion can be drawn: you are either gay (surprise!) or a straight woman (which may be an even bigger surprise for some...)

Babe #1: Alex Morgan.  Told you.

Babe #2: Hope Solo.  Told you again.

-TA