The USA moved into the final of the Algarve Cup for the fifth straight time after winning Group B thanks to a 3-2 win over Sweden on Monday.
Greg Ryan‘s Americans needed a win to make the championship game, and two goals from forward Abby Wambach and another from midfielder Carli Lloyd, her third in three games, proved just enough.
The USA will face Denmark for the title on Wednesday in Vila Real de San Antonio. Denmark won Group A despite a 3-0 loss to Germany in its final group match earlier on Monday.
The USA came out in its regular 4-3-3 formation and dominated the Swedes, outshooting the world’s fourth-ranked team, 11-1, in the first half and, 15-4, for the match.
Goalkeeper Carolina Jonsson kept the Swedes in the game early before the Americans broke through with goals from Wambach and Lloyd in the final six minutes of the half. Young Swedish star Josefine Oqvist reduced the deficit to 2-1 in the 71st minute, but Wambach responded a minute later to give the USA a cushion with her 68th goal in just 87 international appearances. Victoria Svensson closed out the scoring with a penalty kick for Sweden in the 83rd minute.
University of Portland junior Stephanie Lopez was outstanding for the USA at left back, helping set up all three goals.
GAME SUMMARY:
March 12 in Vila Real de San Antonio
USA 3 Sweden 2. Goals: Wambach 39, 72, Lloyd 44; Oqvist 71, Svensson pen. 83.
USA — Solo, Mitts, Whitehill, Rampone, Lopez, Osborne, Chalupny (Boxx, 63), Lloyd, Tarpley (O’Reilly, 77; Kai, 86), Wambach, Lilly.
Sweden — Jonsson, Segerstrom, Marklund, Sjoberg (Paulson, 60), Thunebro, Sjogran (Lundin, 78), Olsson (Ostberg, 51), Nordin (Oqvist, 51), Fischer, Aronsson (Svensson, 51), Schelin (Johansson, 73).
Referee: Etsuko Fukano (Japan).
Att.: 1,000.