In search of a first Women's World Cup title since 1999, the U.S. national team kicks off against Australia on Monday.
It almost seems like a mistake. But even after double- and triple-checking it, the fact remains: The U.S. national team hasn't won the Women's World Cup in 16 years.
Yes, the Americans have won three straight Olympic gold medals. And they've been ranked No. 1 for the better part of the past decade. Yet the World Cup title has eluded them since Brandi Chastain struck that clinching penalty kick in 1999, with semifinal exits in 2003 and 2007 followed by a shootout loss to Japan in the final four years ago.