They meet again. At the 2011 Women's World Cup, Japan beat the United States in a shootout to win its first title. On Sunday in Vancouver in the first repeat Women's World Cup final, will Japan become just the second nation to repeat as champion, or will the U.S. become the first team to win three World Cup titles? Our panelists make their picks, and espnW's Julie Foudy weighs in with her X factors.
Which team will win: United States or Japan?
Our experts say the United States is the heavy favorite over defending World Cup champion Japan.
9 -- United States
2 -- Japan
Foudy's X factors: Japan had a poor performance against England in the semifinal largely because of the pressure England applied. Japan never got into its world-renowned offensive rhythm. If the U.S. women can come out aggressively again -- as we saw against Germany -- on both sides of the ball, they can also disrupt Japan's possession. The key for the United States will be pushing the pace, pushing players forward, establishing possession (which gets numbers in the box), and most importantly, finishing the team's chances. The U.S. women still remember the missed early opportunities in the World Cup four years ago and know this time must be different.
The United States will win this game if it doesn't allow Japan to settle in -- "make them uncomfortable," we used to say. Four years is a long time to wait to get another opportunity. As a player, you are thankful you get another chance. This one will not slip away.
History: Japan won the title on penalty kicks in 2011 after a 2-2 (3-1) draw in which Japan trailed twice. In fact, Sunday will mark the third straight major final between the two teams. In 2012, the U.S. defeated Japan 2-1 for Olympic gold in London.
Key stats: Each team has scored nine goals in six games at this tournament, with the U.S. allowing one goal; Japan has given up three. Japan has completed a tournament-high 80 percent of its passes, compared to 74 percent for the United States. Japan's 458 completed passes per game are second-best in the tournament, 125 more than the U.S.
The WSPI says: According to FiveThirtyEight's WSPI, the U.S. is a 67 percent favorite to beat Japan.
espnW experts: Who voted?
A list of our voting panel:
Andrea Canales
Jim Caple
Jeff Carlisle
Kate Fagan
Julie Foudy
Ben Gladwell
Graham Hays
Kristine Lilly
Kate Markgraf
Doug McIntyre
Elizabeth Merrill