REIMS, France (AP) Spain coach Jorge Vilda says part of the challenge in facing the United States is making sure his players arent intimidated by the defending Womens World Cup champions.
Spain faces the top-ranked U.S. team Monday in Reims, marking the first time La Roja will appear in the knockout round at the World Cup.
We need to insure that it doesnt get in our head. Weve had the right level of competition, and we hope that tomorrow that we can put our best foot forward, Vilda said Sunday through a translator. When the girls look at the players in front of them they are not going to see stars, they are going to see a team like any other. They are a good team, but we are also a team that has been known to be up to scratch and shown what we can do on the pitch.