Breaking Down US Women's National Team Path to Gold After Group Stage
The United States women's national team have three games left to attain a gold-medal repeat at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
While the medal round may be within reach, there are still plenty of steps the Yanks have to take in order to be deemed worthy of taking first place on the international stage for the second consecutive year after their 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup triumph.
Despite topping Group G with wins over New Zealand and France and a draw with Colombia, Jill Ellis' side have displayed plenty of flaws, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
In order to get past Sweden in the quarterfinal round and win two more matches after that, the Yanks have to follow these guidelines.
Attacking Strategy
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The USWNT have attempted to attack opposing defenses in a few different fashions during their first three matches in Brazil.
We've seen a good amount of driving wing play from Tobin Heath, Mallory Pugh and Megan Rapinoe, and we've also witnessed a more direct attack that tried to take advantage of Alex Morgan's ability on the ball.
However, the one thing the Yanks are lacking at the moment is a dominant central part of attack. Carli Lloyd may have two strikes to her name, but she hasn't been able to make a significant impact for long stretches.
However, we've seen this trend before at the 2015 World Cup where Lloyd didn't come alive until the knockout round.
We're sure the 34-year-old has the big-game goals in her pocket once again, but the Americans must sustain a well-rounded attack, especially if they run into hosts Brazil in the semifinal round.
As long as the Yanks can successfully spread the ball around against Sweden, they will set the tone for a strong run through the knockout phase.
Defensive Strategy
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At this point a year ago in Canada, we knew all about the defensive strengths of the USWNT.
Heading into Friday's match in Brasilia, we're aware of the flaws that have the potential to undo them in an instant.
The biggest issue surrounding the USWNT defense right now is conceding and marking on set pieces. A silly foul by Kelley O'Hara on the right wing set up Catalina Usme's game-tying free-kick goal in the 90th minute on Tuesday.
There's no doubt that Becky Sauerbrunn is still one of the most commanding defenders in the game, but her supporting cast has given up little fouls that have led to free-kicks which in turn have morphed into unnecessary concessions.
Goalkeeper Hope Solo also showed cracks in her armor on both of Colombia's tallies in Manaus on Tuesday as she lost concentration on the opener and a poor punch led to the equalizer.
If the Yanks can find a way to fix their mistakes in the short time period between Tuesday and Friday, they will be able to reinforce their status as gold-medal favorites.
Quarterfinal Approach
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The USWNT face one of the toughest tests entering the knockout round as they try to recover from the humid conditions in Manaus in just three days to be ready for a major game.
The biggest opponent they'll face is themselves since they have to mentally deal with a late concession to Colombia and the physical struggles of recovering in a short time period.
The good news for the Yanks is Heath will come into Friday with fresh legs after a match off and Lloyd only played 45 minutes against Colombia.
With two key players having fresh bodies and Rapinoe potentially coming off the bench in some capacity for 20-25 minutes, the USWNT attack should have enough physical strength to match up with Sweden, but most of the defense has played the majority of the 270 minutes in Brazil.
Sweden boast a familiar face on the bench in former USWNT boss Pia Sundhage, but they barely got into the knockout round as the second-best third-place team.
Getting past the Swedes will not be an easy task, but the Yanks should have enough firepower and big-game experience to move on to the semifinals.
Semifinal Approach
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Winning the semifinal may be a harder task than conquering the championship match for the USWNT given their expected opposition.
If everything plays out like it should, the Yanks will take on Brazil in a must-see showdown at the Maracana on Tuesday.
The Yanks have already dealt with the opposition to them from the crowd in Brazil, especially Solo, but it will be amplified if they face off with Marta and the rest of the dominant home side.
On the pitch, the USWNT will also face one of their biggest challenges since Brazil have been one of the hottest squads at the Olympics in women's soccer.
Brazil outscored South Africa and Sweden by a combined score of 8-1 in their first two Group E matches and five different players found the back of the net.
Containing every facet of the Brazilian attack will be a difficult task as well as containing possession so that the hosts don't dominate from start to finish.
If the Yanks are able to limit the quality chances of the Brazilians and create plenty of their own from the start, they will be able to silence the crowd and move on to the final.
Final Approach
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Any one of the four teams in the bottom half of the knockout-round bracket could reach the final.
And just like the USWNT's half of the draw with Brazil, there will be at least one big-time matchup that features two heavyweights of women's soccer, starting with the quarterfinal between Canada and France.
Regardless of who the opponent is on August 19 at the Maracana, the Yanks must have full trust in their championship abilities, especially with Lloyd and Morgan on the field.
However, not all the players in the American squad will take the field with title-match experience. If the younger players in the squad handle the moment with poise, they will be a major asset to the polished veterans.
If the strategies mentioned prior to this slide are applied throughout the knockout phase and a few other things are tweaked during the ride to the final, the Yanks should repeat as gold-medal winners.
Joe Tansey covers U.S. Soccer for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @JTansey90.
