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The U.S. had its pre-match training today at the Tokyo National Stadium, which will host both semifinal matches, and it certainly met with their approval. The 48,000-seat venue was built for the 1964 Summer Olympics and is in remarkably good shape for such an old venue.

The field is in fantastic condition and big crowds are expected for both matches with the bigger of course filing in to watch the Japan-Germany game at 7:30 p.

News broke earlier today that USWNT star goalkeeper Hope Solo tested positive for the banned substance canrenone. Solo gave a urine sample back on June 15th and the positive result came from that test. Canrenone is considered to be a specified substance, which means that if the substance is found in an athlete's sample, the consequences are not as severe.

On a brutally hot day in Utah, the USWNT continued their strong run in form, besting rivals Canada in the last game the two teams will play before the Summer Olympics. Despite the heat, both teams played hard in front of a decent crowd at Rio Tinto Stadium. It may not have been the prettiest of games, but it had good pace and was entertaining throughout.

For those not accustomed to having the beautiful game on their televisions, this week must have come as a shock as soccer dominated the airwaves. ESPN made sure all the twist and turns of Euro 2012 were not missed by anyone, while Major League Soccer came back with a vengeance and some upsets along the way.

With the Olympics quickly approaching, it would seem the USWNT are prepared to take on whoever will be thrown at them when they head to London. Pia Sundhage's squad played a great game of football in front of a sold out crowd at PPL Park on Sunday, coming up with a big win against China. This match also marked the debut of new matching kits for both the USMNT and the USWMNT, who put them to good use.

45 seconds left, penalties are all but a certainty. Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan make their way into the box. Heather O'Reilly puts the ball in...and an eruption of cheers. Alex Morgan scores arguably the most important goal of her career, setting up one of the most hyped rematches in soccer history; USWNT versus Japan, this time for Gold in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Two games into the Summer Olympics and the USWNT have already reached the quarter-finals. Earlier today, the United States took on Colombia, defeating the country 3-0. Don't let the score fool you though, the Colombians gave the US a run for their money all match long. Despite a lack of shots from Colombia, their squad played strong defensively, making tackles and blocking a barrage of shots from the USWNT.

It was scary there for a bit.

The United States women's national team went down early, two goals after fourteen minutes, to France, but scored four unanswered to win their first match of the 2012 London Summer Olympics. A series of defensive blunders put the Lady Nats on the back foot before goals from Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan (2), and Carli Lloyd eased the jitters.

One of the major story lines of this match is the fact that Peter Nowak will not be coaching. This is the final game of his suspension for entering the field of play after Gabriel Farfan's red card tackle in the Union's match against Chivas USA. The Seattle Sounders may be missing keeper Michael Gspurning, more on that will come out today, but are as healthy and fresh as can be for their Saturday midday game against the Philadelphia Union.

Hello, Hot Time in Old Town readers, it's your friendly soccer literature "expert" checking in with a mini-review. The next book review is on a 1000 page behemoth, so as an appetizer, I tracked down a MLS-centric academic paper and wrote a short, casual review on it. Join me!

With "Transforming Soccer Talk in the United States: The Misapplication of a Formulaic Announcing Methodology", what the author - Aaron DeNu - proposes is that every sport deserves a different commentating format.

We may not have taken any golds yet at London 2012 but both the men and women's GB football teams have quietly gone about their business and are in good shape to progress to the last 8.

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A shock win for Senegal over Uruguay means Stuart Pearce's men sit top of their group with one fixture to come against the South Americans tomorrow in Cardiff.

The 2012 London summer Olympics offer an appetizing platter of soccer, despite the roster age restrictions. Brazil is featuring close to a full strength squad, while Spain's B team could probably win a proper World Cup with a bit of luck. Thus, we asked a few Americans what they thought about the London games.

Courtney Frerichs, Nixa Eagles (2011)