USA vs. Canada Women's Olympic Soccer: Hope Solo's Squad Too Talented to Trip Up

Team USA is too talented.

Canada knocked out the undefeated Great Britain in the quarterfinals of the women’s Olympic soccer tournament, but the U.S. is a different animal. No club has come close to defeating the Americans yet and it’d be a shocker if the Canadians pulled it off on Monday.

Since France scored two goals in a 4-2 Team USA triumph, no one has kicked a ball past Hope Solo. The U.S. shut out Colombia, North Korea and New Zealand in its last three matches.

Rob Klemko of USA Today reported that Solo believes that the defense in front of her has improved greatly since the squad surrendered two goals against the French, but she can’t be entirely sure. She said:

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It's hard to say because we haven't been really tested. I'm still waiting to get tested, but that's what happens when you're ranked No. 1; you only have one or two games to really see.

"

Will Canada provide another one of those games? Who knows? But they do have the talent at forward to give the U.S. a challenge.

Melissa Tancredi and Christine Sinclair have combined for seven goals in London. Tancredi is one of only two women to score four goals thus far and Sinclair is one of just four with at least three. Of course, the American strikers aren’t too bad themselves.

Abby Wambach just happens to be that other footballer with four goals in the tournament. Alex Morgan, Team USA’s other top-notch forward, has scored two goals in London thus far and they both came in the game against France.

While the Canadian strikers are impressive, the Americans are just as, if not more, talented. Combine that with the fact that the American defense is better—they have allowed two goals compared to Canada’s four—and tougher, and the match is theirs to lose.

Team USA has been to the final match in every single Olympic Games since women’s soccer was added in 1996. Don’t expect 2012 to be any different.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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