In the days leading up to its playoff against Italy, the U.S. women's national team emphasized that its stunning loss to Mexico was "just one game."
While the loss to Mexico put the national team's World Cup hopes in jeopardy, the U.S. rebounded with two 1-0 wins over Italy. They weren't always pretty, but they got the job done. With Saturday's triumph over Italy at home, the U.S. snagged the 16th and final spot in the Women's World Cup. Of course, when the tournament begins in Germany on June 26, it won't matter how the Stars and Stripes got there.
For now, the U.S. can breathe a huge sigh of relief.
"It's a lot of pressure," U.S. coach Pia Sundhage said of her team's road to the Women's World Cup, speaking with ESPN's Pedro Gomez after the match. "But you have to embrace it and we did."
The U.S. looked much more at ease in Saturday's game, especially in the second half, holding a 1-0 lead and knowing that the Italians needed two goals to advance. After a rough start to the game, the backline of captain Christie Rampone, Amy LePeilbet, Heather Mitts and Rachel Buehler played its best game of the year and kept Italy's dangerous Patrizia Panico in check. Abby Wambach was much more involved than she was in last week's win over Italy, and Megan Rapinoe was an imposing presence on the left flank.
There are areas of concern, though. The midfield, which has struggled at times this year, played better. But Carli Lloyd and Shannon Boxx still don't quite click. And Amy Rodriguez, who did score the game-winning goal, continues to be hit or miss in front of net.
There are definitely things to work on for the U.S., but none of the Women's World Cup's 16 teams is set and ready for the tournament -- not even clear favorite and two-time defending champion Germany.
But there is one thing the U.S. won't have to work on, namely, its ability to win tough games under intense pressure. The women's national team went 3-0, all shutouts, in the most crucial games of the year after losing to Mexico. Now the U.S. has six months to prepare for the big stage.
"We've got some fight in us," Wambach told Gomez after the match.
Players of the match: While the entire team stepped up its level of play, Christie Rampone and Megan Rapinoe were the strongest. Rampone, returning this year from the birth of her daughter, looked much more like the player who shut down Marta in the 2008 Olympics and again in the 2009 Women's Professional Soccer final. Rapinoe was a strong presence on the left flank and her shot at Italian keeper Anna Picarelli rebounded to Rodriguez for the game's only goal.
Picarelli deserves credit for her strong performance in both losing efforts. Just 5-foot-4, she kept Italy in both games when it looked like the U.S. might start running away with things. A California native who was told she wasn't tall enough to play for the American team, Picarelli came through for Italy. She hopes to play in WPS sometime soon, and undoubtedly caught the eye of a few coaches in the league.
What's Next: The Women's World Cup draw will take place Monday at 1:40 p.m. ET on ESPN3.com, as the U.S. will find out who it'll face in the opening three games of the tournament.