TONIGHT U.S. women’s national team vs. Finland, 6:30 p.m.

Site -- Home Depot Center.

TV -- ESPN2.

Update -- Media darlings after the 1999 World Cup, the U.S. women’s national team has been out of the spotlight for a while, or at least since its gold medal-winning swan song at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Not because the current team is not good -- it is on a 46-game unbeaten streak -- but because there is no more Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Brandi Chastain or Joy Fawcett. Only Kristine Lilly remains from the group known as the “91ers.”

As the U.S. team prepares for next month’s Women’s World Cup in China, the players say they want to win the title to prove themselves. “We’re composed of some veterans and more rookies this year, but we’re strong and we’re confident going into this World Cup. I’m excited to get a chance to go over there and show the country who we are and, really, how good we are,” forward Abby Wambach said.

The rebuilding process continues tonight against Finland, the U.S. team’s last game before flying to Chengdu, China, to play North Korea, 2003 runner-up Sweden and Nigeria in Group B. The U.S. is 11-0-0 against Finland.

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-- Jaime Cárdenas

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Send-off series

Results from the U.S. women’s soccer team’s summer series leading up to the World Cup in China next month:

*--* Date Opponent Site Result June 16 China Cleveland W, 2-0 June 23 Brazil East Rutherford, N.J. W, 2-0 July 14 Norway Hartford, Conn. W, 1-0 July 28 Japan San Jose W, 4-1 Aug. 12 New Zealand Chicago W, 6-1 Today Finland Home Depot Center *--*

WORLD CUP ROSTER

Goalkeepers -- 1 Brianna Scurry, 18 Hope Solo,

21 Nicole Barnhart.

Defenders -- 2 Marian Dalmy, 3 Christie Rampone, 4 Cat Whitehill, 8 Tina Ellertson, 14 Stephanie Lopez, 15 Kate Markgraf.

Midfielders -- 7 Shannon Boxx, 10 Aly Wagner,

11 Carli Lloyd, 12 Leslie Osborne, 16 Angela Hucles, 17 Lori Chalupny, 19 Marci Jobson.

Forwards -- 5 Lindsay Tarpley, 6 Natasha Kai,

9 Heather O’Reilly,

13 Kristine Lilly, 20 Abby Wambach.

Source: ussoccer.com