So, That's How Much They Missed Abby

Okay, so everyone will say to not get to excited or to put too much on the United States' 2-0 loss over Norway in the first game of the women's football (Soccer) tournament.

Rightfully so. The Norwegians were the biggest threat to the Americans in the group stage. Team USA should win its next two games and if it does that (or even just wins one and draws the other) then the defending gold medalists have a good chance (and should) advance to the knockout stages of the tournament.

Such is the set up of the women's tourney in the Olympics, with only 12 teams qualifying. There's a lot of leeway for a team to make it to the quarters.

Also, a team scoring two quick goals is an anomaly. Especially two quick goals in the first half off of two very huge mistakes.

But that forced the U.S. to change its gameplan. And instead of the possession-oriented game that we were all supposed to see out of Pia Sundhage's team, we saw the Americans play the way they did in last year's World Cup--a more direct, long-ball style of play that works when you have someone like Abby Wambach in the lineup. This was all because Norway began to sit back and defend with eight or nine players in its half of the field.

Wambach is probably the best target player in the world and one of the best pure strikers. Without her, Team USA's attacks fizzled when it got to the attacking third. Poor finishing didn't help either.

Would Wambach's presence have changed that? Would she have been able to net a few of those oh-my-why-didn't-you-put-that-into-the-back-of-the-net opportunities that the U.S. had?

Maybe. But the Americans don't have Wambach and I'm not going to let them use it as a crux as to why they lost today.

What we saw is the United States' inability to change its gameplan when things go awry.

Maybe they were shell-shocked, but they are the No. 1 team in the world. And I'd expect the No. 1 team in the world to play like it, whether their up by two, or down by two.

Now, the Americans are at the bottom of the table. When was the last time that happened?