USA vs. France Women's Olympic Soccer: Americans to Watch in Key Opening Match

The United States women's national team begins its quest for another gold medal with a tricky test against France on Wednesday. The Americans have won gold in three of the four Olympics since the women's side of the sport was added to the Games.

Getting off to a strong start is key for Team USA, which doesn't want to make advancing from the group stage any more difficult than it has to be. Here's a look at three players who will have to lead the way if the Americans are going to grab all three points.

Abby Wambach

Wambach is one of the oldest players on the team, but hasn't shown any signs of slowing down and is still a crucial part of the team's offensive attack. She has scored 138 goals for the national team, a number only topped by Mia Hamm.

The biggest advantage Wambach has is size and strength. She towers over defenders in the box and uses that to get herself in prime scoring positions. If the ball is played in perfectly by Megan Rapinoe or another creative midfielder, it's basically impossible to stop her.

France's defense has been on quite a roll lately, not allowing a single goal over the past seven matches. It's up to Wambach to create some matchup problems and bring an end to that streak.

Alex Morgan

After spending a lot of time coming off the bench during the early portion of her international career, Morgan has found her rightful spot in the starting lineup during the Olympic buildup. She should remain there once play begins in London.

The dynamic between her and Wambach couldn't be any better. Morgan brings the speed and Wambach brings the power. It's a combination that quickly becomes a nightmare for opponents and gives the United States a huge edge.

Fans of American soccer already know about Morgan, but this is her chance to break out on a global stage. It has to start with a great game against France.

Hope Solo

Having a good goalkeeper can help a team win games. Having an elite goalkeeper like Solo is enough to provide a major confidence boost to the entire team. Her American teammates have watched her make big save after big save over the years.

The United States hasn't kept a clean sheet in any of its past four games, however. That's a long streak for the world's top-ranked team and should be a cause for concern. They need to figure out a way to improve in the defensive third.

Luckily, having Solo between the pipes should be enough to clean up most of the mistakes. She must be prepared for a lot of work against France just in case the back line isn't in top form.