Team USA on high in Women's soccer

The highly anticipated Women's World Cup kicks off today with an opening ceremony in Berlin.

Sitting at No. 1 in the FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World ranking, the U.S. team will give soccer fans around the country a reason to watch as the world's best converge in a contest for the Cup. The event will provide enthusiasts with three straight weeks of fierce competition and beautiful soccer.

Although the U.S. holds the No. 1 ranking coming into the tournament, it has not been sitting comfortably. Suffering a loss to Mexico, the U.S. had to battle for a spot in the Cup with a narrow 1-0 playoff victory over Italy last November. Despite the disappointment, U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage insists the loss to Mexico was a humbling stepping stone in preparation to compete for the Cup.

"We have had a bumpy road, but I think the situation has strengthened us," Sundhage said.

With the U.S. team's accomplishments, the squad has every reason to be confident in its chances this year. It has fared amazingly well in the Cup since its beginnings in 1991.

Team USA holds the title of leading scorers at the FIFA Women's World Cup finals with 85 goals overall. In addition, the team has finished in the top three at all five previous tournaments, emerging victorious in two. Although eight women on the present team have played in a World Cup, Christine Rampone is the only current U.S. player with that particular title under her belt.

With an ideal balance of young talent and experienced leaders, the U.S. took the Algarve Cup in March with wins over Japan and Norway. The team will look to utilize this mix again in the next couple of weeks.

With strong players like Abby Wambach and Amy Rodriguez, the U.S. will be tough contenders. Hope Solo, one of the best goalkeepers in the world, has been out with an injury but is expected to return for the tournament. If not, Nicole Barnhart has proved herself a capable alternate.Three LCD Screen Guards / Protectors for Apple iPod Touch 4 / 4G / 4th Gen

The U.S. will compete in Group C, which seems to be the most difficult of the four. The group includes three of the top six teams in the world with U.S. at No. 1, Sweden at No. 4 and Korea DPR at No. 6. Colombia is the final team in Group C and is making its debut in the Women's World Cup.BlueRigger High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet 6.6 Feet (2m) - Supports 3D and Audio Return [Latest Version]

The USA will open with Korea DPR on Tuesday in Dresden. The last big game matchup between the two was at the FIFA Women's World Cup in China four years ago. The contest ended in a 2-2 draw with Abby Wambach in need of emergency stitches.Energizer Max AAA Batteries, 16-CountApple iPod touch 32 GB (4th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

The meeting with North Korea DPR will be the fourth consecutive matchup in the Cup, beginning with the 1999 tournament. It will be the second time they open group play against one another. With the tenacity of the two, it promises to be an exciting matchup.Transcend 16 GB Class 10 SDHC Flash Memory Card TS16GSDHC10E

The U.S. will then meet Colombia on July 2, followed with coach Pia Sundhage guiding the Americans against her native Sweden on July 6.Xbox 360 4GB Console with Kinect

Sundhage participated for Sweden in the 1991 and 1995 FIFA Women's World Cups. She took the helm of Team USA in 2007 and has since led the squad to victories at the Algarve Cup in 2008, and gold in the Beijing Olympics. She's assisted great coaches and mentors and brings a different style of play to the U.S. team.Motorola Vehicle Power Adapter micro-USB Rapid Rate Charger