The USA women’s national team faces perhaps their toughest test of the group stage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 on Wednesday night when they meet the Netherlands in Wellington, New Zealand. The game is a highly anticipated rehash of the 2019 World Cup Finals, which the USWNT won 2-0. But that doesn’t mean that Wednesday won’t be easy at all.
Both teams won their opening games, with the USA beating Vietnam 3-0 and the Netherlands beating Portugal 1-0. Now they meet for an important meeting in Group E.
We’ve put together everything you need to know before kick-off.
How to watch USA vs Netherlands game:
+ The game will be broadcast on FOX and the FOX Sports App. Coverage begins Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. ET. Full replays of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 will be available on FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App. This way you can watch every game of the tournament.
What you should know about the Netherlands match:
+ What do US fans need to know about the Netherlands? In his scouting report, Doug McIntyre detailed what makes the Dutch dangerous, which key players they play and their history with the USWNT.
+ The US took a good look at the Dutch on Sunday. And compared to Vietnam, the Netherlands will mean a huge leap in quality. Victory in this game is essential if the USWNT wants to achieve its original goal, which was to win its group and secure the cheaper round of 16 that comes with it.
+ The USA women’s national team missed a number of golden chances against Vietnam. Those are chances the United States must not miss on Wednesday against the Netherlands in what USWNT legend Carli Lloyd calls “a final within the group stage”. How can Americans be more ruthless in front of the web? Few know it better than Lloyd, whose 134 goals for both men and women rank her country fourth in international football history.
+ Talented, skillful and determined, the Dutch are unusually well positioned to take on world champions USWNT, but in one area the USA feel they have the edge. be scary. Throughout the history of the national team program, USA have grown and stayed great by being stronger, more ruthless and more intimidating than the team unfortunate enough to rise to the challenge. As for the Netherlands, however, the team say they are not afraid.
video is loading…
This browser does not support the video element.
+ USWNT superstar Alex Morgan tries to come back from a missed penalty – a mistake she knows the team against the Netherlands can’t afford to repeat. Luckily for an American at the World Cup, it’s less common for his penalty kick to actually be saved by a goalie than for it to go flat out missing the goal. Morgan became the first USWNT player to have her PK saved since US icon Mia Hamm’s 2003 defeat by Norwegian goaltender Bente Nordby. (As for Alex Morgan, she’s also excited about her first World Cup experience as a mom. “When she’s here, I know I have two roles, mom and soccer player,” she said.)
+ Sophia Smith lives up to the hype — and more. The young USWNT star pulled off a feat in the team’s first game against Vietnam, scoring two goals and one assist (which put her in a good position in the Golden Boot race). Expectations leading up to the tournament were that Smith would be celebrating his moment more than any other USWNT player this summer. And her supreme confidence definitely helps. “I’m a winner from day one,” Smith said. “I have to win. It makes me sick to lose anything. card games, everything. When it comes to football, I just find a way.”
+ Will Rose Lavelle regain her starting spot against the Netherlands? The USWNT could use Lavelle’s finesse and skill to get out of tough situations on the field and create chances, especially against the Dutch, who pose a greater tactical and physical threat than Vietnam. And the team has reason to believe the 2019 World Cup hero is primed for an encore.
+ Julie Ertz was stable despite an unexpected move to central defense and was present on the field against Vietnam. She was always talking to her teammates, keeping the defense in order and not leaving a single Vietnamese player behind. She made important tackles and also had some scoring chances. Will Ertz stay there?
+ It’s hard to argue too much about a decisive win by scoring multiple goals at a World Cup and conceding at the other end, but USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski and his players also know they need to be far more efficient in front of the goal against the Netherlands than they were against Vietnam.
+ The World Cup NOW team – Jimmy Conrad, Leslie Osborne, Melissa Ortiz and Stu Holden – previewed the colossal upswing and explained how the Dutch can reveal some weakness in the US squad.
video is loading…
This browser does not support the video element.
Introduction to the USWNT:
+ Are you familiarizing yourself with this version of the USWNT? Check out our full guide to the 23-man roster and Carli Lloyd’s look at the top 15 US players. Our FOX panel of experts also debated the most important player on the team.
+ Lindsey Horan’s name might not come to mind as quickly as Alex Morgan’s or Megan Rapinoe’s — at least not yet. But the co-captain of the USWNT has a clear goal: she wants to help her team. “There are a lot of young players coming to this World Cup,” she said. “But it’s more about giving them the greatest possible confidence in their abilities.”
+ The USA women’s national team has a chance to make even more history this summer as they win a record-breaking fifth title and third straight. Only four teams competed in a row. No nation has managed the Dreitorf. Learn more about the US quest here. Incidentally, the entire US title hunt for a Netflix docuseries is being tracked.
+ Wondering how the US will get out of this opening phase? First, get to know the Group E teams. Then, look at which teams we think pose the biggest threat to US hopes of a three-point win.
video is loading…
This browser does not support the video element.
Editorial tips – our favorite foreplay is:
+ The USWNT is based on one simple goal: to leave the game better for posterity than you found it. It is based on a bond created and nurtured through mentoring and proudly passed down through generations. This year’s team features three players who exemplify this perfectly. (Read Laken Litman on the USWNT Mentoring Circle)
+ Trinity Rodman is a USWNT Breakthrough Star contender — and yes, she’s Dennis Rodman’s daughter. Not only has she watched Dennis’ basketball highlights online for years, but she still uses his hardwood techniques in her own soccer game. “I’ve watched my dad play a lot more times than people really know,” she said. “My brother [USC transfer DJ Rodman] I lived to watch my dad’s clips. (Read Martin Rogers on how Trinity modeled her game on her father’s)
+ For the US women’s national team, world champion 2015, the ’99s were the inspiration. But for this version of the national team, the 2015 squad is the touchstone. (Read Doug McIntyre on how this young squad was shaped by the 2015 squad)
+ Alex Morgan’s dad Mike never misses his daughter’s games. Literally. Mike estimates that Alex has been at every single game since he was 14. “He can literally do anything,” said Megan Rapinoe. (Read Laken Litman about the ultimate football dad)
+ The 2023 USWNT version has three mothers in the roster, matching a previous record set in 2015. But that wasn’t always the case. “I’m really grateful to the women before me who fought for mothers of athletes,” said Alex Morgan. (Read Laken Litman about USWNT’s “badass” OG mamas)