In the early hours of Thursday morning, the United States will do battle with the Netherlands as both sides aim to extend their 100% starts to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The United States claimed an easy 3-0 victory over Vietnam in their opening match, while the Netherlands secured a 1-0 win against Portugal.
A sequence of important events 📸 pic.twitter.com/xPQRkrNuly— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) July 22, 2023
A sequence of important events 📸 pic.twitter.com/xPQRkrNuly
As a result, the two sides are locked on three points at the top of Group E, with Portugal and Vietnam occupying the bottom two places.
Sophia Smith bagged a brace as the United States made light work of Vietnam, while Lendsey Horan completed the scoring.
Not only did the Stars and Stripes enjoy 66% possession in their opening game, but they also racked up 28 shots, preventing Vietnam from registering a single attempt on goal.
Including friendlies, the United States have now won each of their last 10 games across all competitions, keeping eight clean sheets in the process.
Having won each of the previous two World Cups – and four of the eight tournaments overall – the USWNT will be confident of going deep into this year’s event.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands edge out Portugal in their first match, with Stefanie van der Gragt scoring the only goal of the game in the 13th minute.
The Dutch chalked up 12 shots throughout the contest, while Portugal recorded a solitary attempt on target. Plus, the Netherlands enjoyed the lion’s share of possession.
Thanks to the victory over Portugal, the Netherlands head into this clash on a three-game winning streak across all competitions.
After suffering a 2-0 defeat to the US in the 2019 World Cup final, the Dutch will be eager to make amends and gain revenge this time around.
Head-to-head: The United States and the Netherlands have faced each other on five occasions over the years, with the Dutch failing to win between 2013 and 2021.
The Stars and Stripes won the first four meetings by an aggregate score of 10-2, before the US defeated the Dutch on penalties at the Olympic Games in 2021.
Team news: The US are expected to stick with a 4-3-3 formation, meaning Alex Morgan – who has scored 121 goals in 208 international games – will start in attack.
On the flip side, the Netherlands will likely opt for a unique 3-1-4-2 formation, with Jackie Groenen anchoring the midfield.
Although the Netherlands are one of the top European nations, the United States shouldn’t struggle to overcome the 2019 runners-up.
With that in mind, Forebet predicts that the United States will score over 2.5 goals and keep a clean sheet on their way to dispatching the Dutch.