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The United States glided through the group stage and now face their first test in the first round of the knockout stage. Sweden, who finished third behind China and Brazil in Group E, have one especially familiar face, head coach Pia Sundhage. Sundhage was the United States women’s national team boss from 2008 to 2012, winning Olympic Gold medals in the previous two Olympics and leading the women to a 2011 World Cup Final where they lost to Japan on penalties.
After an insipid performance against Colombia and all the storylines swirling around Sweden, even more pressure is on the United States to get a result against Sweden. Carli Lloyd said we shouldn’t be worried, though. “Everyone needs to take a deep breath and relax. We tied against Colombia, but it’s all good. I think it will motivate us even more,” she said to the media on Thursday. Is Lloyd right? Was Colombia a one-off poor game or is there truly cause for concern? Let us know in the comments and be sure to follow along.
How to watch
Kickoff time: 12:00 PM EST
Available TV: NBCSN, NBC Universo
Available Streaming: NBC Sports App, NBC Sports Live Extra, nbcolympics.com