Picking the USWN Team to Face France in Olympic Opener

The 2012 London Olympics are less than a month away, and football will be the sport to debut. The United States women's national team is set to face France in their opening match, and players like Abby Wambach and Hope Solo will be Pia Sundhage's first pick.

In 2011, the USNWT defeated Les Bleues 3-1 at the World Cup semifinals. Lauren Cheney, Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan scored for the Stars and Stripes, while Sonia Bompastor made a goal for France.

This will be the first time these teams face each other at the Olympics. While the United States sit first in the FIFA ranking, France is sixth.

Goalkeeper

Hope Solo has been capped 131 times with the national team. Last year she played every minute of the FIFA Women's World Cup held in Germany.

She won the Golden Glove and the Bronze Ball, the first time a goalkeeper was picked to be amongst the top three players of the tournament.

Solo is a key player of the squad. This season she has only let in eight goals in 15 appearances.

By the way, Hope received a public warning after testing positive for Canrenone. The goalkeeper said (via USADA) that she took a medicine prescribed by her doctor for pre-menstrual issues.

This won't affect her status for the Olympic tournament.

Defenders

The back line will be commanded by captain Christie Rampone. The backbone of the defense, she's the most experienced player in the team, with 260 caps since her debut in 1997. 

Rachel Buehler will join her in the center. Although she debuted with the team in 2008, she became a key player last year, when coach Pia Sundhage used her in five of the six games the team had at the FIFA Women's World Cup.

The other defender who must start is Amy LePeilbet, who received the Defender of the Year award in 2009. The 30-year-old can play any defensive role, although she usually serves as an outside-back supporting the midfield.

Completing the four-player line is Kelley O'Hara, who, at age 23, has made quite an impression as a right-back. O'Hara used to be a forward when she attended Stanford, but now she's one of the most talented defenders, especially because her speed allows her to make runs through the right sideline.

Midfielders

There should be four players in the midfield, starting with Megan Rapinoe. She's fast and strong and knows how to kick the ball from long distance. She made her first appearance with the USWNT in 2006, at age 21. She currently plays for the Seattle Sounders.

In the center, Shannon Boxx is a no-brainer. The 35-year-old veteran has 168 caps and 23 goals in her account. Boxx has played in three FIFA Women's World Cups and two Olympics (2004 and 2008). Some of her best-developed skills are ball control and distribution, creating plays and assisting her teammates.

Along with Boxx, expect to see Carli Lloyd in the center of the pitch. Lloyd has been capped 135 times, and like Boxx, she also knows how to score, with 36 goals to her name. She is a true No. 10 who, aside from being a creative footballer, provides depth to the squad.

On the other sideline, Heather O'Reilly should help the forwards with lethal and accurate crosses, which she has proven to do right. This 27-year-old can also run all the way to the penalty area in hopes of finding Alex Morgan.

Strikers

Pia Sundhage shouldn't make any changes in the attacking zone. Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach have played from the start in the last 12 matches.

Morgan has missed one game this season, but this doesn't mean she has diminished her performance. In 2012, Alex has scored 16 times, including a hat trick against Sweden at the Algarve Cup. She has a mean long-distance shot but also knows how to get into the penalty area and shoot in front of the goalie.

Meanwhile, Wambach has recorded 13 goals in the 16 games of this year's schedule; she has also started all of them. She takes advantage of her height (5'11") to score with accurate and deadly headers. She is very good with the right foot.