Women's World Cup 2015: Breaking Down the Twitter Buzz Ahead of USA vs. Germany

At this stage of the 2015 Women’s World Cup, the paths the four semifinalists have taken to advance this far are inconsequential.

So far throughout the tournament, Germany has had no trouble scoring goals, the United States has had plenty, the defending champs nearly lost to upset-minded Australia and England knocked off the host country, Canada.

But none of that matters at this stage—all that matters is that these are the four teams left with a chance. For the United States, facing a German team ranked No. 1 in the world on Tuesday at 4 p.m. PT, fans of the red, white and blue might be feeling a bit uneasy about their team’s chances.

Fear not, my fellow Americans. Captain John H. Miller of the 2nd Ranger Battalion of the U.S. Army is here for us.

There is a lot to love about Tom Hanks’ Team USA player card—his club is the Rockford Peaches, he’s a Saturday Night Live five timer and he often talks to the ball.

But the U.S. women’s national team’s Twitter account saved the best for last when it noted how Hanks “has some experience taking it to the Germans.”

The image of Hanks wearing that No. 9 jersey should alleviate any visions Americans might have of Germany’s Celia Sasic, the tournament leader in goals scored, sneaking one past Hope Solo.

As prolific as the Germans’ attack has been, the Americans’ defense has been just as stellar. The U.S. has not allowed a goal since the opening game against Australia, when Lisa De Vanna scored in the 27th minute.

The Americans have not trailed at any point during this World Cup, and it will be critical for the team to keep the high-octane German attack at bay, especially in the opening minutes. Germany has scored in the first 24 minutes in four of its five matches so far, including twice in the first six minutes.

Should the U.S. fall behind, though, fans should take comfort in knowing that another star-studded group of American women have fallen behind the Germans earlier this year, only to rally for a victory and world championship.

The German national team might not have as good a nickname as Das Sound Machine, but The National Eleven is just as intimidating considering that the Germans won the World Cup in 2003 and 2007 and took eventual champion Japan to penalty kicks in the quarterfinals in 2011.

The U.S. will have its hands full, but considering just how close the team came to a championship four years ago, it would be a shock to see the Americans wilt under the pressure against Germany. Regardless of what lineup head coach Jill Ellis decides to go with, expect the United States to be aggressive early and rely on its back line to continue its strong play.

One thing is for sure—there will be plenty of support for Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan and the rest of the national team as it plays in the biggest match in team history.

Amid the lineup turmoil, can the Americans slow down the Germans and reach the finals again? If the United States starts off on the attack, it should find itself in a great position to advance.