USA vs Sweden: What U.S. Women Must Do to Beat Swedes Again

The last time the U.S. women faced Sweden, they won by a score of 4-0.

Now, as the USA gets ready for the upcoming 2012 London Olympics, it has yet another match against the Swedes, and you can bet the No. 4 team in the world will be looking for some payback.

The U.S. women will head into Halmstad, Sweden, on Saturday in the first ever Volvo Winners Cup. And, of course, they still have forward Alex Morgan, goalkeeper Hope Solo and striker Abby Wambach.

Here's a look at what the U.S. must do to beat the Swedes again.

Get Alex Morgan Going Early

Since bursting into the national spotlight in the 2011 World Cup, Alex Morgan has become a star. She has 14 goals and eight assists in 12 appearances for the U.S. in 2012. 

Beyond that, the 22-year-old was huge for the U.S. on March 7 against Sweden, scoring a hat trick in the third-place match of the Algarve Cup. She scored less than five minutes into the game, and went on to have a marvelous match.

The U.S. probably knows this by now, but Morgan will be key in their matches at the London Olympics this summer and beyond.

Continue Dominant Defense

The defense as a whole has been spectacular for the U.S. in 2012, headed by Hope Solo. Solo's statistics thus far reflect her dominance: 12 appearances, four goals allowed, seven shutouts.

The U.S. women haven't allowed more than one goal in any game in 2012 and have registered some blowouts against Sweden, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. Defense is one of the main reasons why the U.S. is ranked No. 1 in the world.

Get Others Involved

Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach may be the stars of the offense, but they're certainly not the only ones who can create havoc.

Carli Lloyd has eight goals and one assist in 13 appearances for the U.S. this year. Amy Rodriguez and Sydney Leroux have seven goals apiece, with Leroux using just nine appearances to do so. Then there's Lauren Cheney, who has 10 assists on the year.

The U.S. obviously has some big names on its squad, but it takes a team effort to be No. 1 in the world. There is a wealth of talented players who can contribute in any given game, and don't be surprised if some of the lesser-known players make a big impact against Sweden on Saturday.