Editor's note: This story appeared in the June 2015 edition of New England Soccer Journal. Its author, Tony DiCicco (Wethersfield, Conn.), sadly passed away in July 2017 at age 68, two years after the U.S. women's national team captured its third FIFA Women's World Cup. Dicicco led the USWNT to their first title in 1999.
The last U.S. team to win a senior-level World Cup was my team in 1999. That was 16 years ago, and, although we were close in 2011, time flies when there is a World Cup only once every four years.
Our current U.S. national team has a wonderful chance to hold both Olympic and World Cup titles. This team won the Olympic gold medal in London in 2012 and now aims to become World Cup champion again. The women certainly are talented enough and their focus is ONLY on winning the championship … nothing short of that will satisfy them.
So, what does the World Cup championship mean?
