Three Keys To A USA World Cup Championship

It's been four years since the United States crushing World Cup Finals loss to Japan. On Monday night they will begin the story of its redemption, kicking off vs. Australia in Winnipeg, at 7:30 p.m.. The Americans are currently ranked No.2 in the world behind only the Germans.

Many believe that this current USA roster is comparable to the 1999 World Cup squad that won the World Cup, with stars like Mia Hamm, Cindy Parlow, and Shannon MacMillan.

Manager Jill Ellis', will need a united effort from everyone on this roster, as this will be the last World Cup for some of the United States greatest players to ever do it. For that to happen they need three big contributions.

Goalkeeper Hope Solo

Many know Solo for her off the pitch disasters.  Details regarding her arrest on domestic violence charges have just been released. There's no doubt Solo is arguably the best goalkeeper in the world, but she needs to have a big performance, to rectify her not being kicked off the squad.

Ellis has supported Solo, saying, "Hope's been fantastic. That [case] was a long time ago. I'll be honest, we've moved on, and she's been a fantastic player and teammate. None of that has even resonated with us, and I'm sure some of the players aren't even aware of it."

Whether or not the team's aware of it, the general public is, and are always waiting to bring her off the field troubles up.

A Cast Supporting Abby Wambach

Alex Morgan, who is usually paired up with Abby Wambach in the United States forward spot, has been sidelined for roughly two months with a bone bruise in her left knee, and is not yet ready to play a full 90 minutes.

This leaves the team with a spot to fill, that has been the USWNT most strongest area on the pitch. This will give the likes of Canadian born player now U.S citizen, Sydney Leroux (Image Right) to have her chance to shine on the biggest stage.  Leroux, arguably the most athletic player on the team, will need to show the chemistry with Wabach, like when they had against  against Mexico, and not the disfunction they when playing South Korea.

Others to look out for pairing up with the 36-year-old Wambach is, Christen Press, and Amy Rodriguez.

Defense Getting Up The Pitch

The American defense has been called shaky in the months leading up to the World Cup. This is a defense that you know what you're going to get,  Lori Chalupny, Kelley O’Hara, and Christie Rampone playing sound defensive soccer.

With that said the full-backs will have to put immense pressure on the oppositions wings. With the likes of a Leroux, and the other amazing athleticism the U.S has on its wings, this will surely be something to look out for.