Women's soccer: Damned if you cruise, damned if you lose

I promised Dr. Pants I would write something about the calamity/catastrophe (depending on which source you read) in Cancun otherwise known as the US Women's National Team's loss to Mexico last weekend. The team placed third in the CONCACAF tournament (Canada won earning a berth in the World Cup next summer) which means they must play on in order to get to Germany themselves.
I watched the third-place game on ESPN3, after the fact, mostly because I was interested in the commentary. Pretty much the first words from commentators: "It is literally do or die" for the American women. No; because literally do or die means someone dies. I know Abby Wambach has a bunch of stitches in her head from the game against Mexico, but no one is dying.
And of course, it didn't matter because the US soundly beat Costa Rica 3-0. It will play Italy in Italy and then in Chicago (who chooses Chicago in late fall?). Most goals goes to Germany.
The US has strong competition whenever it plays in a tournament, i.e. it is never a guarantee that they will win the whole thing. But often I hear commentary about how the game isn't interesting or worth watching because the US dominates.
But things get interesting when the US loses a game they were supposed to win. So interesting that ESPN opted to actually cover this game against Costa Rica. According to the television schedule, they weren't even going to carry the final--which again, the US was expected to be in. Of course I am glad that ESPN aired it.
But calamity in Cancun? Do or die? Not airing a final of a World Cup qualifying tournament?
Such a rhetorical commotion amidst ESPN's practice of virtually ignoring women's soccer.
Also found this little blip about how FIFA officials once predicted women's soccer was the future of the game and yet shares so very little about the women's game on their very own website.