It's been only a year since the United States fell in the World Cup final to Japan, a match where the USA actually looked like they had control multiple times before ultimately conceding two equalizers through the contest. Then Japan eventually dominated penalty kicks en route to a stunning upset and the World Cup crown.
Now Amy LePeilbet of Arizona State and the rest of her United States teammates look to win gold this year, and they'll have to get through Japan once again. The Japanese are a very intimidating team to deal with, and their possession skills are almost unparalleled. If the USA finds themselves behind they might have trouble getting back into it because Japan can literally grind the clock away. It'll be imperative for the United States to get off to a good start and get going early.
You can watch the gold medal match around 11:45 AM PT; it should be viewable on the NBC Sports Network and NBC's Olympic Soccer Channel. NBCOlympics.com will be live-streaming the event.
Stick with the SB Nation Arizona StoryStream for more coverage of local athletes at the 2012 Olympic Games. For more on the 2012 Olympic Games, make sure that you check out SB Nation's dedicated Olympics hub.