Underwhelming U.S. staff slumps into Girls’s World Cup knockout sport towards acquainted foe

Sports activities

The US and Sweden have met many a time earlier than, however this time the People aren’t any assure to make it out of their subsequent match-up.

United States’ Rose Lavelle, middle, talks with a referee after receiving a yellow card through the first half of the FIFA Girls’s World Cup Group E soccer match between Portugal and america at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. (AP Photograph/Abbie Parr) AP

By ANNE M. PETERSON, Related Press

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Frequent rivals Sweden and america will meet meet as soon as once more on the Girls’s World Cup, however this time the stakes are tremendously greater.

  • US slips into spherical of 16 of Girls’s World Cup after scoreless draw with Portugal

  • Zambia’s Barbra Banda scores the a thousandth objective in Girls’s World Cup historical past

The 2-time defending champion People are struggling heading into the spherical of 16 match on Sunday towards the Swedes, who they’ve performed typically in each the World Cup and the Olympics.

“We all the time discover a approach to play them in these massive tournaments, so we all know they’re an excellent staff. Each time that we play them it’s a large battle,” U.S. captain Lindsey Horan mentioned forward of the match in Melbourne, Australia.

The US is vying for an unprecedented third consecutive World Cup title, however skirted into the knockout spherical with just one win in group play. The People had been almost eradicated by Portugal on Tuesday — a stoppage time blast from Ana Capeta hit the put up to protect a 0-0 draw that pushed the People by means of.

The US appears to be like nothing just like the staff that received the 2015 and 2019 titles. That American staff pounced early on its opponents received all of its seven matches in 2019.

This yr, the People have simply 4 targets and coach Vlatko Andonovski is built-in 14 newcomers making their World Cup debuts.

Sweden has received all of its group matches at this World Cup and has outscored opponents 9-1. The staff capped the opening stage with a 2-0 victory over Argentina on Wednesday.

“It’s the Spherical of 16, they’re going to be facet and it’s going to be a tricky battle,” U.S. ahead Lynn Williams mentioned. “However (we’re) simply primarily specializing in what we are able to do and what makes us particular, and hopefully go on the market and win this sport.”

The US has performed Sweden six instances within the group stage on the World Cup, most lately in 2019 when the People received 2-0. The US went on to win its report fourth total title within the match.

General, america has received 4 of these matches towards Sweden, misplaced one and performed to a scoreless attract 2015.

However, the Swedes have held the benefit on the Olympics lately. The US didn’t medal on the Brazil Olympics in 2016 after being ousted by Sweden within the quarterfinals.

They performed to a 1-1 draw earlier than Sweden superior on penalties, marking the earliest U.S. exit from an Olympics. Afterward, U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo triggered controversy by calling the Swedes “cowards” for bunkering in on protection.

Sweden additionally beat the People 3-0 within the group opener on the Tokyo Olympic s. The loss snapped a 44-match U.S. unbeaten streak that had dated again to January, 2019.

The Swedes knew they’d face america earlier than their group last towards Argentina, in order that they had been in a position to relaxation their starters and used 9 lineup modifications within the group finale.

However, Sweden has one much less day of preparation than the People going into the Sunday match.

“If you’ll go all the way in which, you’ll must play this type of opposition eventually. And the U.S. are ranked No. 1. It could be higher to play them Sunday as an alternative of a semis or a last,” Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson mentioned.

“There’s not something we are able to do about it,” he continued. “We’re taking part in them on Sunday and we’ll do all the things that we’re in a position to mobilize, each in power and above all, braveness, which is one thing you need to do towards groups of that high quality.”

The US will probably be with out midfielder Rose Lavelle for the match as a result of she picked up a pair of yellow playing cards in group play. That’s going to harm the People as a result of Lavelle has been one among their few power sparks.

She got here off the bench within the second half of a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands and despatched a nook kick to Horan for the tying objective.

The People try to be upbeat about the place they stand: on the ropes going through a robust Swedish opponent.

“We don’t wish to be disillusioned in ourselves, we nonetheless made it to the spherical of 16. Clearly we wish to play higher, we wish to carry out higher, we wish to entertain our U.S. followers extra,” Horan mentioned. “However the expectations are all the time going to be there for this nationwide staff, and so they’re all the time going to be nice.

“We’re all the time going to be within the stress cooker and we love that. So, we simply want to lift our requirements, which we all the time do, and we transfer ahead and we exit and we do all the things in our energy to arrange ourselves for this subsequent sport.”

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