Women's World Cup Preview: U.S. Verses Sweden

Dont forget to set up that TiVo: the second U.S. group game at the World Cup against Sweden begins at 1:55 a.m. Friday on ESPN.

The last two games between the U.S. and third-ranked Sweden, in July 2006 in Blaine, Minn. and at the Algarve Cup in Portugal in March, ended in 3-2 victories for the Americans.

These are experienced teams: Sweden has five players on the roster with more than 100 caps, the U.S. six, while striker Abby Wambach will make her 98th appearance for the national team.

Both team's sport dangerous forward partnerships: Sweden boasts Hanna Ljungberg (71 international goals) and Victoria Svensson (59 goals), while the U.S. answers with Kristine Lilly (126 goals) and Wambach (78).

"This group is like playing a semifinal and a final in our first two games," said U.S. Coach Greg Ryan. "That's the quality of the teams. North Korea is fantastic and Sweden was in the final game of the last World Cup. We got Greece in the Olympics in our first game, so this start is unbelievably challenging."

"We're ready to get back out there," said South Bay native Shannon Boxx. "We're both great in the air, so you are going to see a battle there. I think the biggest thing is that it's going to be an up and down game. We are going to defend, but we're going to get forward and so are they.”

Unlike the first game, torrential rain is not expected. AP has a preview.