Bidens to lead presidential delegation to Women's World Cup Soccer finals
Vice President Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, will attend the Women's World Cup soccer finals in Vancouver on July 5, the White House announced.
The U.S. will play Japan in the final on Sunday. Japan, the defending champion, barely escaped defeat in the semifinal because of a freak own goal by the British team, while the U.S. team dispatched Germany in its semifinal. CBS Sports points out that the teams have met 31 times, and Japan has only beaten the U.S. once. The teams have faced each other on two other occasions in international finals, with split results. Japan won in their 2011 matchup in the World Cup, while the U.S. prevailed in the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Soccer legends Mia Hamm and Cobi Jones are also part of the delegation, as well as the U.S. ambassador to Canada, Bruce Heyman, and Evan Ryan, an assistant secretary of state.
Hamm was part of the U.S. Olympic team that won the gold medal in 1996 and 2004, and she was on the Women's World Cup winning teams in 1991 and 1999. Jones is a three-time U.S. men's World Cup player who has logged more appearances in international games as a member of the U.S. national team than any other player.