U.S. Women Pick Up Impressive 3-1 Win In Sweden

There is a little less than one month left before the 2012 Olympics begin in London and the U.S. women appear to be in the right form.

They beat Sweden 3-1 this afternoon in Halmstad, Sweden. It was an important victory for the top-ranked women's team (who improved to 12-1-1 in 2012) as they beat the No. 4 team in the world on their home turf, a squad that they could very well see in London.

Abby Wambach scored an unbelievable goal in the 8th minute. She caught the Swedish goalkeeper too far off her line and beat her with a dipping shot that was from 35 yards away. It was Wambach's 136th of her career. She's only 22 behind the all-time U.S. leader-Mia Hamm.

Alex Morgan showed that she can score goals in many ways as she simply outworked a Swedish defender in the 22nd minute for her team-leading 15th of the year. She used her body to shield away the defender then coolly slotted it home.

Sweden's star striker Lotta Schelin scored on a pretty strike of her own in the 35th minute. She took advantage of a U.S. defender that slipped and ran onto the ball that had been one-touched into space. With U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo coming out of the net, Schelin chipped it in with the outside of her right foot.

The U.S. nearly added to its lead in the dying seconds of the first half as Megan Rapinoe found Morgan in front with a cross but Morgan uncharacteristically hit it over. In the beginning of the second half, Heather Mitts headed the ball off the crossbar.

Substitute Tobin Heath was the unlikely goal-scorer in the 56th minute for the Americans as she headed in Wambach's cross for a 3-1 lead.

The U.S. women meet their biggest threat-No. 3 Japan-on Monday morning (7 a.m. on Universalsports.com; 10 a.m. tape delayed on Universal Sports Network) in Sweden.

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