(Photo credit score: Jenna Watson-USA TODAY Sports)
Exhibiting the kind of confidence normally displayed by the two-time defending champion U.S. girls’s nationwide staff, Sweden is keen to tackle the Americans within the knockout spherical of the Women’s World Cup in Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday.
The U.S. is coming off its fewest group stage factors ever (5; 1-0-2) for second place in Group E. It was solely the second time in 9 World Cups the U.S. did not win its group. The lackluster displaying introduced criticism for lack of focus, cohesion and creativity after the world’s top-ranked staff scored simply 4 targets.
“For anyone to question our mentality hurts a little bit but at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter, I don’t really care,” U.S. ahead Lindsey Horan stated. “We are going to move forward, it’s a new tournament starting now, it’s the knockout stages.”
The third-ranked Swedes gained all three of their Group G matches and defeated the Americans 3-0 the final time they met in a serious match — the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. They additionally tied the USWNT 0-0 within the 2015 World Cup and claimed a victory the next 12 months on penalties on the Rio Olympics.
“We have played really good group-stage games, we have won all three of them, and we also beat them in the Olympics,” Swedish ahead Sofia Jakobsson stated. “We are a confident team and looking forward to playing these games where it really matters and you have to win to move forward.”
Added Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson, “From a psychological perspective we know we can beat them. I think the players are convinced they can definitely win on Sunday and I believe that, too.”
Because of yellow card accumulations, star U.S. midfielder Rose Lavelle is suspended towards the longtime nemesis. This would be the sixth time the nations have met within the World Cup.
“I feel like it wouldn’t be a major tournament if we weren’t facing Sweden,” Horan stated. “We always find a way to play them in these big tournaments.”
Sweden or the U.S. will play the Norway-Japan winner from Saturday within the World Cup quarterfinals on Aug. 11 in Auckland, New Zealand.
–Field Level Media