London 2012 Soccer: Magnificent Run Will Create a New Generation of US Stars

The U.S. women’s soccer team has captured the hearts of America in a way that we haven’t seen since the infamous late 90s squad.

Their miraculous 4-3 Olympic win over Canada in the semifinals was one of the most exciting and exhilarating matches of any sport in 2012, and it was so good that the NBC crew decided to replay it on their primetime coverage hours later after broadcasting it live.

Social media can’t stop talking about them and the overall media coverage has been extraordinary.

Part of their appeal is the personalities on the roster.

Morgan is the 23-year-old heart throb who has garnered plenty of attention thanks to her good looks and knack for timely goals. She was the one who knocked home the game-winner at essentially the buzzer against Canada.

Then there’s the goalie Solo, who has appeared on the cover of ESPN The Magazine naked, spilled the beans on the copious amount of sex in the Olympic village and has appeared on ABC’s hit reality show Dancing With the Stars.

Then there’s Wambach, the no-nonsense leader of the team who is mentally far and away the best player currently in her sport. Forcing the ref to call a six-second call on the Canadian goalie in the final minutes down a goal which eventually lead to a penalty kick for Wambach was one of the more brilliant gamesmanship moves the sport of soccer has ever seen.

Combine the trio along with a slew of other bubbling personalities and you have the sort of team America can get behind. With the way Olympic events can inspire the next generation of young women who are looking to compete in sports, soccer has emerged as the big winner in London.

This isn’t the first time America has been introduced to this team either. After making a thrilling run to the finals of the World Cup last year, they were defeated in penalty kicks by Japan to first show up on the country’s proverbial radar.

Guess who they play in tomorrow’s gold medal match?

The chance for redemption is right in front of the Americans, and for the first time in over a decade the entire country will be eagerly watching. This is a Hollywood script that’s just missing an ending.

The motto is “Inspire a generation” and they are doing just that. Morgan admitted to being moved by the World Cup winning team in her interview with Al Michaels on NBC on Wednesday. Now an entirely new generation has now been given the same inspiration.

One more win to go.

Follow Eric Ball on Twitter.