Group C action continues (Sweden beat Columbia 1-0 earlier this morning) in Dresden, Germany.
The U.S. gets its 2011 World Cup underway and expectations are high for Pia Sundhage's squad. They struggled in qualifying and haven't won the tournament since 1999 but they have as much talent as anybody.
North Korea is the youngest team in the 16-team field.
Lauren Chaney got the late start and she just had the first real opportunity of the game. Her shot from outside the 18 was easily handled by North Korea's goalkeeper.
The U.S. won in 1991 (the first Women's World Cup) and '99.
Chaney hasn't started since March.
U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo (who looks like Fergie of Black Eyed Peas' cousin) is rocking an all purple jersey and shorts combo.
Heather O'Reilly wins the first corner kick of the game, for the U.S. Ugh, the goalkeeper bungles it but the U.S. can't really get a foot on it. North Korea clears it out before the U.S. regains possession but hits a cross right to the goalkeeper.
Carli Lloyd gets free at the top of the box but can't put anything on the shot.
Haha ESPN's Ian Darke talked about the North Korea's men team from last summer's World Cup 2010. The team was publicly humiliated and the coach was sent to work at a building construction site. Fun times, who wants to go to North Korea?
Ouch, Lloyd takes a really scary fall on her back/neck but she seems fine. She went up high for a header but was hit by a North Korean player in the air and landed awkwardly.
North Korea wins its first corner kick but doesn't do anything with it.
Yikes, deflected ball by the U.S. almost leaves it on the doorstep for North Korea.
Wow that's creepy, the U.S. women's team is the oldest at the 2011 World Cup (average age 27 years, 9 months which is almost exactly my age).
Another slippery play by the North Korea goalkeeper leads to a U.S. corner. Looking like the U.S. men, they don't do anything with it.
Ali Krieger is the only U.S. player that doesn't compete in the WPS. She plays in Germany.
Chaney gets another good chance but the puts it right at Myong-Hui (3 shutouts in the Asian Cup).
Solo with a nice save on the 16-year-old North Korean star. Corner kick for North Korea.
Lloyd with another chance, right at Myong-Hui. Lloyd and Chaney are getting loose, Wambach has been pretty invisible so far in the first half which is not good for the U.S.
Holy crap, North Korea played a slight cross along the goal line and Solo completely whiffed. Luckily for the U.S., nobody connected for North Korea.
10 of North Korea's players are teenagers. Who's their coach, Justin Bieber?
Amy Rodriguez got free but her shot was blocked by a North Korean defender. It could have possibly gone in, good chance.
The U.S. has been held scoreless three times in first halves during group play, twice against North Korea.
Yikes, this is like watching the U.S. men's team. The women's backline is leaky and almost cost them a goal there, Solo had to come up big.
Nice counterattack by Rodriguez but she couldn't find Wambach who was tightly marked.
Damn, I was just thinking that Rodriguez was pretty cute and they said she's getting married soon along with O'Reilly (what a shame).
Lloyd hits a nice cross of a free kick but nobody on the U.S. can touch it. If they redirected it, would have been 1-0.
North Korea takes a long shot from outside the box that goes wide.
Halftime: U.S. 0 - North Korea 0
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