U.S. Women feel more pressure with more attention?

FRANKFURT, Germany — A week ago, there were so few people following the U.S. women’s team they could hold their daily media sessions around a small table in their hotel lobby.

Now they need an entire ballroom.

The frenzy of attention surrounding the Americans ahead of Sunday’s final against Japan is something they’ve never experienced before, and it has the potential to fire them up — or heap even more pressure on what is already the biggest game of their careers. But the Americans insist they won’t let this newfound stardom detract from their initial goal: Winning the World Cup for a third time.

Abby Wambach says the teams wants these last few days to mean something, and the only way that will happen is with a victory.