US-Sweden clash starts TV weekend off right

It’s hard to get fired up to play a country that gave us ABBA and the Swedish Bikini Team, but we’ll give it a shot.

If the United States needs any extra motivation for Friday’s women’s World Cup match against Sweden (5 p.m., Fox (5)), it need look no further than comments made by Swedish coach Pia Sundhage, who guided the Americans to two Olympic gold medals and a World Cup final from 2008 to 2012 before returning to her homeland.

Sundhage ripped several of her former players in a New York Times story, saying U.S. midfielder Carli Lloyd “was a challenge to coach” because her psyche is “so delicate” and that goalkeeper Hope Solo — who was arrested on domestic violence charges last year — was one of the most challenging players she’d ever coached, “especially when it comes to trouble.”

Sundhage also said that forward Abby Wambach wouldn’t be a starter — as the 35-year-old was in the Americans’ 3-1 win over Australia in Monday’s World Cup opener — if she was still the U.S. coach.

“I said that to Abby,” Sundhage recalled. “I told her, ‘If I stayed, you would be a sub. The best sub ever. But a sub.’ There was no question about that in my mind.”

Mamma Mia!

FRIDAY

BEST OF REST: MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres (7 p.m., Cox (96)), Oakland Athletics at Los Angeles Angels (7 p.m., FSW (49)), Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants (7 p.m., Prime (50)); Arena Football League: Las Vegas Outlaws at Spokane Shock (7 p.m., CBSSN (333)).

SATURDAY

NHL Stanley Cup Finals, Chicago Blackhawks at Tampa Bay Lightning, Game 5 (5 p.m., NBC (3)): This evenly-matched series, tied 2-2, is only the third in Stanley Cup Finals history to have each of the first four games decided by one goal. The others took place in 1951 — when the Montreal Canadiens and Maple Leafs went to overtime in all five games before Toronto prevailed — and in 1968, when the Canadiens swept the St. Louis Blues.

Lightning center Steven Stamkos, the NHL’s second-leading goal scorer in the regular season, has yet to score in the series and is mired in a six-game scoreless streak.

BEST OF REST: MLB: Toronto Blue Jays at Boston Red Sox (10:30 a.m., MLBN (314)), Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants (4 p.m., Fox (5)), Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres (7 p.m., Cox (96), MLBN (314)); Women’s World Cup, England vs. Mexico (1 p.m., Fox (5), KBLR (9)), Brazil vs. Spain (1 p.m., FS1 (329)).

SUNDAY

NBA Finals, Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors, Game 5 (5 p.m., ABC (13)): LeBron James’ back must be killing him from carrying the Cavaliers with a Finals-record 123 points in the first three games, breaking Rick Barry’s previous mark of 122 set in 1967. It’s a safe bet that someone who was born at Summa Akron City Hospital in Akron, Ohio, will be a key player in the pivotal Game 5. James and Warriors sharpshooter Steph Curry were both born there.

BEST OF REST: College World Series: Cal State-Fullerton vs. Vanderbilt (5 p.m., ESPN2 (31)); LPGA Tour: KPMG Championship, final round (noon, NBC (3)); MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres (1 p.m., Cox (96)), Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants (1 p.m., Prime (50)), Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs (5 p.m., ESPN (30)).

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354. Follow him on Twitter: @tdewey33.