U.S. Faces Tough Sweden Team

CHENGDU, China (Ticker) -- United States' coach Greg Ryan admits the game against Sweden on Friday will prove a similar test to that of playing in the final of the World Cup. The U.S. and Sweden, ranked first and third in the world respectively, will lock horns at the Chengdu Sports Center stadium looking to secure the victory that would propel them closer to qualification to the knockout stages.

Group B is currently wide open after the Americans played to a 2-2 draw with North Korea on Tuesday while Sweden played Nigeria to a draw. Ryan admits the first two games of the group could end up proving to be the toughest two his side will have to face in tournament. "I think this group is like playing a semifinal and a final in our first two games because that is the quality of the two teams," Ryan said. "This start is unbelievably challenging.

The North Korea game was a very unique situation. You look at their team, they are on par with that 1999 China team and if they can survive set-pieces they are going to go a long way. "I picked a group of players that I thought would be able to beat North Korea and in the end I thought things went pretty well apart from the time we were short-handed," he said. "The team is ready. They are going to come out and give it everything they have got and they will be prepared."

Striker Abby Wambach hopes the game against Sweden will see the United States hit top form as its looks to secure a third World Cup trophy and a second on Asian soil. "We knew coming into this World Cup that we were put in a really complicated group," Wambach said. "Sweden will be a tough test for us, just like Korea was a tough test." "We have yet to play our best football and hopefully against the Swedes," Ryan said. "We can hit our stride and show what we're capable of. Wambach suffered a head injury in the game against North Korea but should be fit for the game."