There were a number of hero narratives around Tuesday night's takedown, which gives the U.S. a place in the Women's World Cup final in Vancouver on Sunday.
In a battle between a fantastic attack and a fantastic defense, the latter prevailed, as two penalty kicks — one made, one whiffed — and a late insurance goal gave the U.S. the win.
The win sets up a No. 2 vs. No. 1 matchup when the Americans will face Germany on Tuesday, as the U.S. continues its pursuit of its first World Cup title since 1999.
The U.S. team, which plays Nigeria tonight at the Women's World Cup, is a tournament favorite. But Nigeria's funtastic fans deserve a cup of their own.
The Americans had hoped for more against their trash-talking former coach, who now leads the Swedes, but Friday night's tie in Winnipeg still leaves them atop their group.
The organization's secretary-general said it would be "nonsense" to begin the bidding process amid the turmoil. FIFA said its executive committee would discuss the process at a meeting later.
Another lavish $215 million arena built for last year's event is now a homeless shelter. Touted as one of the best World Cups in history on the pitch, it's left a hangover of waste and mismanagement.
Soccer's governing body also announced that it would not revisit the bidding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, because there were no legal grounds to do so.
The U.S. team didn't give up a single goal in the 5-game CONCACAF tournament. They capped off their performance Sunday with a near-perfect 6-0 game against Costa Rica.