A U.S. national team stocked with players from Northwest pro soccer teams faces its toughest test to date at the FIFA Women's World Cup.
Team USA takes on top-ranked Germany Tuesday in a semifinal match in Montreal, Canada.
American striker Alex Morgan said a wrinkle is that she'll have to score against a Portland teammate. Nadine Angerer starts in goal for the Portland Thorns when she's not doing the same for the German national team.
"For Nadine, she's a gamer,” Morgan said. “With Portland you saw how in training she always wants to show her best no matter what. We would have competitions all the time. It's going to be interesting knowing her strengths and weaknesses, but her knowing mine as well."
The veteran German keeper has allowed just a handful of goals in this 2015 World Cup. That's bested by American goalkeeper Hope Solo's record of four straight shutouts. Solo plays professionally for the Seattle Reign.
Solo’s Seattle teammate Megan Rapinoe returns to the national team lineup Tuesday after sitting out one game due to yellow card accumulation.
