After beating Vietnam 3-0 in its opening match at the Women’s World Cup behind a brace from forward Sophia Smith and a goal from midfielder Lindsey Horan, the U.S. Women’s National Team will face the Netherlands at Wellington Regional Stadium in Wellington/Te Whanganui-a-Tara on July 26 (1 p.m. NZT; 9 p.m. ET on FOX, Telemundo, Universo and Peacock).
The second group stage contest is a rematch of the 2019 Women’s World Cup Final and the first time in Women’s World Cup history that the two finalists from the previous tournament meet in the group stage.
The Dutch head into the match after earning a 1-0 win against tournament debutants Portugal on July 23 off a set-piece goal from towering defender Stefanie van der Gragt, but the U.S. currently sits atop Group E on with a plus-three goal differential. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Round of 16.
This will be the second time the USA and Netherlands have faced off at the World Cup and the first since meeting in the final of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, a 2-0 victory for the USA behind goals from Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle
The USA and Netherlands have played 10 times previously and this is their third meeting at a major tournament. The U.S. leads the overall series with eight wins, one draw and one loss (8-1-1), the lone defeat to the Dutch coming in a 4-3 defeat during the first matchup between the teams in 1991. Since then, the USA is unbeaten in its last nine games against the Netherlands, though each of the last six meetings between the teams has been decided by two goals or fewer.
U.S. roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit; 1), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage; 14), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 92)
DEFENDERS (7): Alana Cook (OL Reign; 25/1), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage; 30/1), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC; 133/24), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC; 17/0), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign; 31/0), Kelley O’Hara (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 158/3), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign; 75/1)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC; 2/0), Julie Ertz (Angel City FC; 119/20), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 130/28), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign; 89/24), Kristie Mewis (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 51/7), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit; 25/3), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit; 46/3)
FORWARDS (6): Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC; 208/121), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign; 200/63), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 19/4), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC; 31/14), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; 5/0), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 53/15)
Netherlands roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Daphne van Domselaar (Aston Villa LFC, ENG), 16-Lize Kop (AFC Ajax), 23-Jacintha Anouchka Weimar (Feyenoord Rotterdam)
DEFENDERS (7): 2-Lynn Anke Hannie Wilms (VfL Wolfsburg, GER), 3-Stefanie van der Gragt (Unattached), 4-Aniek Nouwen (Chelsea FC, ENG), 5-Merel van Dongen (Atlético Madrid, ESP), 15-Caitlin Dijkstra (FC Twente), 18-Kerstin Casparij (Manchester City, ENG), 20-Dominique Janssen (VfL Wolfsburg, GER)
MIDFIELDERS (8): 6-Jill Roord (Manchester City, ENG), 8-Sherida SPITSE (AFC Ajax), 10-Daniëlle van de Donk (Olympique Lyonnais, FRA), 12-Jill Baijings (FC Bayern München, GER), 14-Jackie Groenen (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA), 17-Victoria Pelova (Arsenal FC, ENG), 19-Wieke Kaptein (FC Twente), 21-Damaris Egurrola (Olympique Lyonnais, FRA)
FORWARD (5): 7-Lineth Beerensteyn (Juventus, ITA), 9-Katja Snoeijs (Everton FC, ENG), 11-Lieke Martens (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA), 13-Renate Jansen (FC Twente), 22-Esmee Brugts (Unattached)
