USWNT Defense Stands Tall in Women's World Cup Draw vs. Sweden

The United States remained unbeaten at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup after playing out a scoreless draw against Sweden and former coach Pia Sundhage on Friday night in Winnipeg, Manitoba. While concerns remain over the team's overall performance, especially in the attacking third, coach Jill Ellis will be pleased with her four starting defenders, and in particular Julie Johnston.

Ahead of kickoff, most of the headlines revolved around Sundhage's recent comments about some U.S. players, and the Americans' supposed desire to exact revenge. By full time, however, the defense and Johnston were the main stories.

Simply put, Johnston was the game's star performer. Making just her second World Cup start, the Chicago Red Stars defender provided a commanding presence at the heart of the American back line.

Throughout the 90 minutes, the 23-year-old made key interceptions, cut out attacks and even posed a threat in the attacking third on set pieces. With excellent speed and positioning, she and center-back partner Becky Sauerbrunn made sure Sweden's forwards had few clear looks on goal.

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One moment early in the second half stood out. After joining the U.S. attack for a set piece, Johnston raced the length of the pitch to end a potentially dangerous counter by Sweden. Then, late in the match, as the Europeans pushed for a winner, Johnston made a perfectly timed tackle near the byline.

“For a young player, she shows a lot of poise,” Ellis said, per Laken Litman at USA Today. “She’s tough. Her timing is excellent. Her timing in winning balls and in the air. She’s shown a lot of maturity already.”

It was a superb all-around performance, and it should reassure Ellis after the opening match against Australia. In that game, the Matildas caused all kinds of problems for the American defense, especially in the early portions of the match. But against Sweden—admittedly a team with less speed than Australia—the U.S. defense stood tall. All four members of the back line deserve credit, but Johnston was undoubtedly the star.

Not that she was alone in making game-altering plays. The most dramatic moment of the match came in the 77th minute, when Sweden's Caroline Seger poked what appeared to be the winning shot on target. But Meghan Klingenberg, who stands 5'2", headed the ball onto the bar to preserve the tie, and eventually the draw.

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With the point, the U.S. remained unbeaten and alone in first place atop Group D, the so-called "group of death." With four points through two matches, the Americans can win the group if they beat Nigeria in their final group match.

But issues remain. For a second straight match, the U.S. midfield did not play all that well, struggling to break down Sweden with poorly timed and ill-advised passes. At Sports Illustrated, Grant Wahl called the American attack "disjointed," writing:

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With Abby Wambach not starting, you figured that the U.S. would play fewer balls in the air and more on the ground. But the Americans struggled to connect, with several players mistiming and mis-hitting their passes, including central midfielder Lauren Holiday (who’s the last person you’d expect to do that very often).

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As the tournament progresses, it will become even more important for Ellis to find the right balance in midfield and up front. But for now, the most important consideration is that the U.S. remains atop Group D, with a great chance to win the group on Tuesday.

Without the strong performance of the U.S. back four, and especially Johnston, that might not be the case. Thanks to their efforts, the Americans are still in control of the group of death.

Follow @MiguelCominguez