Julie Ertz will be a key figure for USWNT vs. New Zealand. (Jack Gruber-USA TODAY Network)
After a disappointing loss to Sweden to open the Tokyo Olympics, the U.S. women’s national team will look to bounce back against New Zealand when the teams meet on Saturday on the second matchday of the Summer Games.
Kickoff is at 8:30 p.m. local/7:30 a.m. ET at Saitama Stadium in Saitama, Japan and the match will be broadcast in the United States on NBCSN and Telemundo, with streaming coverage also provided at NBCOlympics.com and through the Telemundo Deportes App. The match will also be replayed later that day on the USA Network at 5:30 p.m. ET and will be available for viewing on NBCOlympics.com.
The USA opened the Games with a 3-0 defeat to Sweden on July 21 at Tokyo Stadium. The loss – which was the USA’s second defeat in regulation at an Olympics – ended the USWNT’s 44-game unbeaten streak, the second longest in program history. The USWNT also lost the opening match of the 2008 Beijing Games, a 2-0 setback to Norway, but went on to win the gold medal.
New Zealand is also looking to get back in the win column following a 2-1 defeat to rivals Australia oWednesday. The Matildas jumped out to a two-goal lead at the half before the Football Ferns pulled one back in second-half stoppage time, courtesy of 20-year-old Gabi Rennie, who scored in her international debut.
Following the match, the USA will finish group play against Australia on July 27 (4 a.m. ET) at the Ibaraki Kashima Stadium in Kashima. That match – which will be played simultaneously with the other Group G game between Sweden and New Zealand – will be broadcast on the USA Network and Telemundo, with streaming coverage also provided at NBCOlympics.com and through the Telemundo Deportes App.
With three points and a plus-three goal differential, Sweden leads Group G following the Olympic matchday, followed by Australia, who also sit on three points following a 2-1 victory over New Zealand. Plenty of points remain in play over the next two group stage matches, beginning with Sweden vs. Australia on July 24 at 5:30 p.m. local/4:30 a.m. ET at Saitama Stadium, followed by USA-New Zealand.
The top two finishers in each group plus the two best third-place teams advance to the quarterfinals. Should teams be level on points and the end of group play, the first tiebreaker is superior goal difference followed by most total goals scored. The winner of Group G will meet a third-place team from Group E or F in the quarterfinal. The second-place finisher in Group G will face the first-place team from Group F, while the third-place team in Group G could meet the first-place team from Group E to open the knockout round.
USA roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): 22-Jane Campbell (Houston Dash; 5), 18-Adrianna Franch (Portland Thorns FC; 6), 1-Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 74)
DEFENDERS (7): 17-Abby Dahlkemper (Manchester City, ENG; 72/0), 12-Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars; 35/1), 2-Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC; 117/24), 20-Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars; 34/0), 5-Kelley O’Hara (Washington Spirit; 141/2), 4-Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC; 189/0), 14-Emily Sonnett (Washington Spirit; 56/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6): 8-Julie Ertz (Chicago Red Stars; 111/20), 9-Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC; 99/22), 16-Rose Lavelle (OL Reign; 57/14), 19-Catarina Macario (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 7/1), 6-Kristie Mewis (Houston Dash; 27/4), 3-Samantha Mewis (North Carolina Courage; 78/23)
FORWARDS (6): 7-Tobin Heath (Unattached; 172/35), 10-Carli Lloyd (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 307/126), 13-Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride; 181/110), 11-Christen Press (Unattached; 150/63), 15-Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign; 180/59), Lynn Williams (North Carolina Courage; 37/11)
New Zealand roster
GOALKEEPERS (3) : 22-Victoria Esson (Avaldsnes IL, NOR), 18-Anna Leat (East Coast Bays AFC), 1-Erin Nayler (Unattached)
DEFENDERS (8) : 19-Elizabeth Anton (Unattached), 8-CJ Bott (Vålerenga IF, NOR), 8-Claudia Bunge (Melbourne Victory, AUS), 8-Abby Erceg (North Carolina Courage, USA), 3-Anna Green (Lower Hutt City AFC), 5-Meikayla Moore (Liverpool, ENG), 7-Ali Riley (Orlando Pride, USA), 20-Marisa van der Meer (Unattached)
MIDFIELDERS (6): 14-Katie Bowen (Kansas City, USA), 15-Daisy Cleverley (Georgetown University, USA), 12-Betsy Hassett (UMF Stjarnan, ISL), 10-Annalie Longo (Melbourne Victory, AUS), 2-Ria Percival (Tottenham Hotspur, ENG), 16-Emma Rolston (Arna-Bjornar, NOR)
FORWARDS (5): 11-Olivia Chance (Brisbane Roar FC, AUS), 9-Gabi Rennie (Indiana University, USA), 21-Michaela Robertston (Lower Hutt City AFC), 13-Paige Satchell (Unattached), 17-Hannah Wilkinson (Unattached)