Wambach, U.S. face critical match with Sweden

CHENGDU, China -- Abby Wambach's bloody head has been stitched, and her toe needs to be numbed before games.

Don't worry about her, she insists. What really matters is if she and her American teammates fail against Sweden in the Women's World Cup.

"The toe is not an issue," she said. "Toe, head, whatever. I don't really care. I'll play with a broken bone."

Anything less than a victory Friday could leave the top-ranked United States -- seeking its third World Cup to go with titles in 1991 and '99 -- on the verge of elimination a few days after the start of the three-week tournament.

"The destiny is in the hands of each team," said Wambach, who injured a toe on her right foot three weeks ago and needed stitches to her head when she was hurt during Tuesday's 2-2 tie against North Korea. "Right now, the game against Sweden is going to really tell who goes on to the second round."

In Wednesday's games, Brazil overpowered New Zealand 5-0, and China edged Denmark 3-2 in Group D in Wuhan. In Group C in Hangzhou, Australia defeated Ghana 4-1, and Norway beat Canada 2-1.

Wambach is nearly indispensable to the Americans. She put her team ahead 1-0 against North Korea, her 78th goal in 97 games for the national team. Minutes later, with blood spurting from her head, she was taken off for 10 minutes to close the wound. In her absence, North Korea scored twice.

Several Sweden players have suggested Wambach drops to the field a bit too quickly in hopes of drawing fouls or penalties. Wambach says she's simply a target.

"If you're a bigger player people tend to think that they can hit you harder, and this is not the case. I bruise as easily as everybody else," she said. "I cut and I bleed as much as everybody else."

Added U.S. coach Greg Ryan: "At the end of this tournament we're going to give her the Braveheart award. She's going to end up with a sword in her side and one in her head."

The U.S. is in the toughest group. After Sweden, the Americans play five-time African champion Nigeria on Tuesday in Shanghai. The top two teams in each group make the quarterfinals. Nigeria rallied to tie Sweden 1-1 Tuesday, leaving all four teams with 1 point after the first game.

The Americans are unbeaten in 47 games -- the last loss was almost three years ago -- but they were stretched against the swarming North Koreans. They struggled for possession, didn't finish well enough and needed a 69th-minute goal by Heather O'Reilly to survive.

"There were times in that game where I felt we were getting outplayed," Wambach said. "That happens very rarely."

North Korea, Asia's best team, was a bit of a mystery. Sweden is very familiar. The U.S. has won 14 of 22 times against Sweden, but the last two games have been narrow victories -- both 3-2. Several Americans have played in Sweden's national league.

The Swedes rely on two veteran strikers -- Victoria Svensson and Hanna Ljungerg -- just as the Americans turn to Wambach and Kristine Lilly

"We've played them a lot," defender Christie Rampone said. "At the same time, you still have to act like it's the first time you're going to play them and not be too comfortable."