USA vs Sweden stay rating, end result, updates, highlights from USWNT in Girls’s World Cup 2023 Spherical of 16

The USA, reeling on their heels far sooner than they — or anybody — anticipated, look to spark a turnaround and stave off elimination as they face outdated nemesis Sweden within the Spherical of 16 on the 2023 Girls’s World Cup.

Following an underwhelming group stage the place the USWNT have been overwhelmed in midfield and wasteful within the assault, the time is now to behave just like the match favorites and No. 1 ranked group on the planet, or be swept apart by extra decided title contenders.

Getting into the match as two-time defending Girls’s World Cup champions and the favored decide to win an unprecedented third straight, the USWNT barely escaped the group stage with their lives, seeing Portugal hit the publish within the 92nd minute on what would have meant their surprising elimination had it discovered the goal.

Ending second in Group E, they now discover themselves matched not with a bunch runner-up, however as an alternative with a Sweden facet ranked No. Three on the planet on the backs of a dominant group displaying. Peter Gerhardsson’s facet thumped Group G, securing a most 9 factors whereas scoring 9 targets and conceding only one.

MORE: Dive into the criticism USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski has confronted on the 2023 WWC

The Sporting Information is following the USA vs Sweden match stay, offering rating updates, commentary and highlights as they occur.

USA vs Sweden stay rating

Predicted lineups:

USA (4-3-3, proper to left): 1. Naeher (GK) — 19. Dunn, 4. Girma, 8. Ertz, 23. Fox — 10. Horan, 17. Sullivan, 9. DeMelo — 20. Rodman, 11. Smith, 6. Williams.

Sweden (4-2-3-1, proper to left): 1. Musovic (GK) — 14. Bjorn, 13. Ilestedt, 6. Eriksson, 2. Andersson — 16. Angeldal, 23. Rubensson — 19. Kaneryd, 9. Asllani, 18. Rolfo — 11. Blackstenius.

USA vs Sweden stay updates, highlights, commentary

2 hours 15 minutes to kick: One truth stays true via the primary three matches of the 2023 Girls’s World Cup: the U.S. want extra from Alex Morgan. With no aim contributions so far, Morgan has been missing service, which is not her fault, however she’s additionally missed some massive alternatives as nicely.

It might be a well-recognized opponent is the medication she wants. Morgan has the second-most targets towards Sweden by a U.S. participant, behind simply the nation’s all-time main scorer Abby Wambach.

6 – Alex Morgan has scored 6 targets towards Sweden in her @USWNT profession. Solely Abby Wambach (10) has scored extra. Behavior. pic.twitter.com/hueAgU3etC

— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) August 5, 2023

2 hours 30 minutes to kick: An enormous storyline for this sport is the absence of Rose Lavelle for the U.S. ladies. It is possible that Savannah DeMelo, who was uncapped when named to the World Cup roster, will begin in her stead. DeMelo began the primary two group matches whereas Lavelle constructed her health again, and carried out comparatively nicely.

She was subbed off at halftime for Lavelle towards the Dutch, which was comprehensible but additionally harsh, as she was one of many few brilliant U.S. gamers within the first half, however Rose Lavelle is in a league of her personal.

Lavelle wasn’t glorious towards Portugal, however she was nonetheless one of many higher U.S. gamers even whereas compelled to do a whole lot of work on her personal, with the midfield struggling total. DeMelo can have big footwear to fill on this sport.

“Once I acquired the chance to play for the U.S. it was a no brainer.”@JennyTaft joins the @USWNT’s Savannah DeMelo as she share her journey to representing the Crimson, White & Blue 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/XcViloIRTA

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 29, 2023

2 hours 45 minutes to kick: Tonight’s referee is among the highest stature. French official Stephanie Frappart will take cost of the USA vs. Sweden match, with an in depth resume at her disposal. Frappart turned the primary girl to function most important official for a males’s World Cup match, appointed to take cost of the Germany vs Costa Rica group stage sport.

That is simply certainly one of many groundbreaking appointments Frappart has been handed, taking cost of the lads’s 2022 Coupe de France remaining in addition to UEFA Champions League video games and World Cup qualifiers. This match will theoretically be in good fingers, a welcome sight for the U.S. who’ve been the recipients of some doubtful officiating so far.

pic.twitter.com/yY2JhrWZRE

— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) August 4, 2023

Three hours to kick: There was some gentle and humorous social media sparring between these two groups previous to the match. The USA account posted a photograph of the group coaching in Melbourne with the caption “Below the lights in Melby.”

Australians instantly flocked to the mentions, claiming that no one calls the town “Melby” and the U.S. missed the mark with their playful textual content.

The Sweden official account took full benefit, posting coaching pictures of their very own which sported the caption “Below the solar in Melbs,” which the Australians had claimed was the right nickname. Bought em!

Below the solar in Melbs 😌#SWE | #FIFAWWC https://t.co/HTIy7SBPcC pic.twitter.com/tLx3zlqH5O

— Svensk Fotboll (@svenskfotboll) August 5, 2023

Three hours 15 minutes to kick: One facet of the sport the U.S. should enhance is ending. Whereas the optics of their assault have been putrid, showing disjointed, remoted, and ineffective, the numbers counsel one thing considerably totally different. In reality, the U.S. generated possibilities at an appropriate fee, even when they needed to depend on particular person brilliance slightly than group cohesion to take action.

By the group stage, the U.S. created the second-most “massive possibilities” of any group within the match, behind simply the prolific Japanese. However on the flip facet…additionally they missed probably the most. 13 of them, to be exact. Alex Morgan, together with her 4 massive possibilities missed, was probably the most wasteful participant on the Girls’s World Cup via the three group video games.

Listed here are your #FIFAWWC group leaders in massive possibilities and large possibilities missed.

It is fairly unbelievable that, as terrible as they’ve seemed to the attention, the #USWNT are nonetheless 2nd on the match in alternatives on web.

They common 21 photographs per sport (2nd) however simply 5.7 SOT (eighth). pic.twitter.com/Sti4kcoIFF

— Kyle Bonn (@the_bonnfire) August 3, 2023

Three hours 30 minutes to kick: Rather a lot was product of Carli Lloyd’s feedback after the Group G finale towards Portugal. In reality, she did not actually say something terribly inflammatory. Certain it was important, however from somebody in and round that group for some time, she has the professional platform to make the feedback she did. Doesn’t suggest we should always take each phrase she uttered at face worth, however she has the correct to make these feedback.

In all truthfully, nothing she stated was inherently fallacious, however perhaps it wasn’t your best option to kick the group once they have been down. It was a bit simple to unleash the beast at that second.

The group responded with grace, unwilling to get right into a disagreement. After all Vlatko Andonovski denied the insinuations Lloyd was making, however total, they refused to be drawn additional. It is run its course. If the U.S. exit tonight, the efficiency all through the Girls’s World Cup can have been extra than simply “uninspiring,” it is going to have been lethally poor.

USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski responded to criticism from former participant Carli Lloyd. pic.twitter.com/v6oTsQwRuP

— ESPN (@espn) August 1, 2023

Three hours 45 minutes to kick: No matter you consider Vlatko Andonovski’s lineup selections this match, do not anticipate him to vary a lot heading into this match.

“We have now to stay to our ideas, we’ve got to stay to our sport mannequin, and we’ve got to stay to our philosophy,” Andonovski stated in his pre-match press convention the day prior. Like it or hate it, he is sticking to their preparation slightly than making important mid-tournament alterations.

That possible means Julie Ertz will proceed at center-back, and Andi Sullivan will stay in midfield. I’ve been vocal about my ideas on this setup, however for Andonovski, he’s going to stay or die by his hand, not another person’s.

Megan Rapinoe, in 29 minutes on the wing, acquired 35 touches.

Andi Sullivan, in 90 minutes on the No. 6 spot, acquired 41 touches.

There isn’t any universe the place that must be true on the No. 1-ranked group on the planet. #USWNT

— Kyle Bonn (@the_bonnfire) August 1, 2023

Four hours to kickoff: There isn’t any doubt that, not like previous Girls’s World Cup tournaments, the U.S. is getting into the knockout stage flirting with catastrophe. With the USWNT’s struggles via this Girls’s World Cup, there was discuss of the US dropping their stranglehold on the ladies’s sport globally, and one common level of blame has been expertise growth.

But legendary Sporting Information author Mike DeCourcy posits a unique angle: slightly than blaming the youth on this nation, a unique subject has been introduced — the U.S. develops a lot expertise, that the surplus has been exported throughout the globe and aided in closing the hole on the No. 1 ranked group.

DeCourcy factors out that upwards of 10 % of the gamers concerned on this Girls’s World Cup have been born in the US. Nigeria, for instance, surprisingly certified for the knockout stage with the assistance of 4 such gamers, three of them starters. You’ll be able to learn the complete story right here.

It appears a stretch to say the U.S. isn’t growing ladies’s soccer gamers nicely sufficient when USWNT gained final two World Cups — and 10 % of gamers in #FIFAWomensWorldCup2023 are US residents. So how is {that a} dialogue level? https://t.co/RidP2Mgr3y

— Michael DeCourcy (@tsnmike) August 5, 2023

USA vs Sweden lineups & group information

The largest absence for the US on this match is Rose Lavelle, who’s suspended for yellow card accumulation. Lavelle has been one of many few constructive performers on the USWNT via the group stage video games, and her absence might be closely felt in midfield. It is possible that Savannah DeMelo might be deployed after she began the primary two matches of the match whereas Lavelle labored again to match health following damage.

Vlatko Andonovski’s lineup deployments have been closely criticized thus far via this Girls’s World Cup, and a giant query forward of this match is whether or not he’ll make modifications or stick to the selections which have seen him come below heavy hearth.

Most notably, he has performed Julie Ertz at center-back via all three group stage video games. Whereas Ertz has carried out to plain, it has meant Andi Sullivan is chosen on the No. 6 spot, and he or she has struggled mightily thus far. It has meant that regardless of being the presumed starter in protection earlier than the match, Alana Cook dinner has but to play a single minute on the World Cup.

There are additionally questions on the wing, as except for the brace Sophia Smith scored towards Vietnam, no one has carried out nicely within the attacking trio. Trinity Rodman began the primary two video games, whereas Lynn Williams acquired the decision towards Portugal. 34-year-old Alex Morgan has not been her normal self within the center and might be rotated out for youthful legs.

MORE: Injured Mallory Swanson for a second thought for a time she might be accessible for WWC obligation

USA projected beginning lineup (4-3-3): Naeher (GK) — Dunn, Girma, Ertz, Fox — Horan, Sullivan, DeMelo — Rodman, Smith, Williams.

USA subs (12): (Lineups launched one hour previous to kickoff)

Sweden head coach Peter Gerhardsson rotated his squad closely for the ultimate group stage match towards Argentina, having already confirmed a spot within the knockout spherical, however he ought to return to his first-choice lineup right here with the stakes raised.

This group can discover targets from wherever on the pitch, highlighted by the truth that defender Amanda Ilestedt is their main scorer thus far with three within the group stage. Her center-back associate Magdalena Eriksson is probably the most recognizable participant on the roster, having been a Chelsea star for years earlier than a tearful goodbye this summer time preceded a transfer to Bayern Munich. Chelsea goalkeeper Zecira Musovic will return between the sticks after Jennifer Falk earned the beginning towards Argentina.

The one notable damage for Sweden to fret about is to younger midfielder Hanna Lundkvist, who had simply damaged into the nationwide group fold earlier than an ankle damage of their pre-tournament pleasant towards the Philippines wrecked her possibilities of making the World Cup squad.

Sweden projected beginning lineup (4-2-3-1): Musovic (GK) — Bjorn, Ilestedt, Eriksson, Andersson — Angeldal, Rubensson — Kaneryd, Asllani, Rolfo — Blackstenius.

Sweden subs (12): (Lineups launched one hour previous to kickoff)

How you can watch USA vs Sweden

Followers in choose areas of the world can stream the Girls’s World Cup stay on FIFA+, together with in Japan, Brazil, Indonesia and Thailand. 

USA vs Sweden betting odds & traces

Regardless of the poor group stage displaying, the U.S. stay as favorites on this match, though not by almost the margin they’re used to previously. Certainly, religion has waned significantly because the USWNT are plus-money favorites right here towards a robust Sweden facet.

Targets are anticipated to be at a premium as defensive construction hasn’t been the issue for the US, and just like the USA, Sweden solely conceded one aim in group stage play.

MORE: Preview the USA vs Sweden match in full with greatest bets and predictions