Burning Questions for US Women's National Team at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Fourteen months after capturing their first FIFA Women's World Cup title in 16 years, the United States women's national team travel to Brazil in search of an Olympic gold medal repeat.

Some of the stars from the 2015 title-winning side remain on the squad, like Carli Lloyd and Alex Morgan, but there are plenty of new faces ready to don the red, white and blue in a major tournament for the first time.

The USWNT will begin their quest on August 3 against New Zealand before playing France on August 6 and Colombia on August 9. 

Although the Yanks are considered one of the favorites to win the gold, they still have some questions to answer. 

Here's a look at the biggest burning questions surrounding the USWNT's gold medal quest.

When Megan Rapinoe went down with a torn ACL during the USWNT's World Cup victory tour, there were plenty of doubts about her ability to play in the Olympics.

Credit to Rapinoe for battling back to earn a spot on the Olympic roster, but the tournament is going to be a test for her, especially with only three days in between matches. 

When she is fully fit, the 31-year-old is one of the most dynamic wingers in the world. She is able to spread out opposing defenses and keep more focus off players like Lloyd and Morgan in the middle of the pitch. 

Don't expect Rapinoe to play in every single group game since the USWNT have ample replacements to fill in on the wing, and manager Jill Ellis should save her for the knockout stage. 

If everything is handled correctly, Rapinoe should be one of the top impact players at the Olympics. But if she fails to display her world-class ability, the USWNT could be in a bind without her big-game experience.

One of the other key storylines for the USWNT entering the Olympics is the significant roster changeover that occurred in the last year. 

Abby Wambach, Sydney Leroux, Amy Rodriguez, Lauren Holiday and Christie Rampone are out of the picture as new names like 18-year-old Mallory Pugh take their spots. 

Pugh, Crystal Dunn, Morgan Brian and Lindsey Horan are a part of a younger generation ready to take over the prestigious program. 

Brian was a crucial part of the USWNT's success at the World Cup, and she is expected to play an even bigger role in August. Pugh, Dunn and Horan may not be big names yet, but they all have the potential to break out on the international stage whether it be in a starting role or off the bench.

The USWNT thrived in Canada last year due to the superb play of the back four led by Becky Sauerbrunn and Julie Johnston. 

The Yanks recorded clean sheets in five matches and only gave up three goals throughout the entire tournament. 

The center-back pairing of Sauerbrunn and Johnston is still the rock of the back four, while Meghan Klingenberg, Ali Krieger and Kelley O'Hara are still on the roster on the flanks. 

If the center-backs are able to dominate like they did at the World Cup, the full-backs will have plenty of space to bomb forward in support of the attack. 

Achieving that task will be difficult given the opposition in Group G, but the defensive unit is certainly capable of shutting down any dynamic attack they go up against.

The Olympics present a unique schedule that few major tournaments present. 

The Yanks and everyone else entered in the women's competition will play every three days in the group stage. There will be four days between the quarterfinals and semifinals and then three between the final four and the gold medal match. 

USWNT boss Jill Ellis also has to find a way to manage a squad that contains five fewer players than the World Cup roster of a year ago. 

Certain players like Hope Solo and Lloyd will probably play every single match regardless of opponent, but Ellis will have to deal with little injuries, Rapinoe's fitness and matchups along the way. 

If Ellis adjusts like she did during the World Cup, when she inserted Brian into a holding midfield position, she should be able to guide the USWNT through the treacherous fixture list.

Now that Abby Wambach is completely out of the picture, Alex Morgan will be fully thrust into the role of top forward. 

The role isn't unfamiliar to Morgan, who has 67 goals in 112 international appearances, but she still needs support behind her on the depth chart in case she hits a slump. 

Christen Press, Crystal Dunn and Mallory Pugh are the three forwards positioned behind Morgan on the depth chart.

Press is a proven scorer with 34 goals in 70 appearances, but there's a possibility she'll shift out to the wing on occasion throughout the tournament. 

Dunn and Pugh are top talents, but they haven't been tested on the world's biggest stages yet. If the pair of youngsters can provide quality minutes off the bench, the Yanks shouldn't have trouble scoring goals on a consistent basis. 

Joe Tansey covers U.S. Soccer for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @JTansey90.