LE HAVRE, France — So by easing up and finishing second in its Women’s World Cup group — which would require losing, an outcome foreign to Jill Ellis’s squad — the U.S. national soccer team would dodge a potentially perilous quarterfinal with France next week.
Consider: Passage to the round of 16 has already been secured and regardless of whether they finish first or second, the Americans will play a second-place side Monday. No team wants to face the hosts and their flag-waving, La Marseillaise-singing supporters in a rocking stadium either.
Oh, who are we kidding?