AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — The United States and the Netherlands meet once more on the Women’s World Cup stage — with smaller stakes than the 2019 title sport gained by the Americans — and the Dutch group gathering accidents at a horrible time of the event.
The Netherlands will most definitely be with out ahead Lineth Beerensteyn, who was harm early in her group’s 1-0 victory over Portugal to open the event, once they play the Americans on Thursday in New Zealand’s capital metropolis of Wellington.
The Americans are the two-time reigning World Cup champions and Netherlands coach Andries Jonker stated on the eve of the match “we would need a miracle” for Beerensteyn to be able to play.
”And if that doesn’t occur, then she gained’t take part,” he stated.
The Netherlands got here to the event in Australia and New Zealand already lacking main scorer Vivianne Miedema, who ruptured her ACL whereas taking part in for Arsenal in December. The ahead is the Netherlands’ main scorer with 95 objectives.
Just earlier than the group’s first match in opposition to Portugal in Dunedin, Miedema posted a photograph of herself on social media as slightly lady cheering for her group. She’s cried, she stated, watching the Netherlands play with out her.
“Although I’ve known I won’t be able to play in this World Cup for about seven months now, it’s still been pretty tough and emotional,” she wrote.
Jonker stated the group is contemplating shifting gamers to shore up its assault, and he might strive a one-to-one alternative with Katja Snoeijs.
Thursday’s sport is a rematch of the 2019 World Cup remaining, which the United States gained 2-0 for the group’s second straight title and fourth total.
The United States is undefeated in all however considered one of its conferences with the Dutch – the primary sport in 1991.
“America has been one of the best teams in world for a long time. I think they still have so much quality on the pitch,” Netherlands midfielder Jackie Groenen stated. “But I think we’re growing, too. And that makes the distance maybe different now than it was before.”
The United States, a 3-0 winner over Vietnam within the opener, and the Netherlands are even on factors atop Group E. But the Americans maintain the sting with extra total objectives. The outcomes of Thursday’s match will likely be essential to find out placement within the spherical of 16.
The high finisher within the group opens the knockout spherical in Sydney in opposition to the second-place finisher in Group G, which incorporates Sweden, South Africa, Italy and Argentina.
The second-place finisher heads to Melbourne in opposition to the highest Group G group.
AUSTRALIA-NIGERIA
Australia opened the event with star participant Sam Kerr out injured for at the least two matches, and now Kerr’s alternative is harm, too, heading right into a Group B match in opposition to Nigeria.
Mary Fowler joined Kerr on the damage listing someday earlier than the Thursday match in Brisbane. Fowler, a striker who additionally performs for Manchester City, suffered a concussion in a current follow.
The Matildas pulled out a 1-0 victory over Ireland of their opening match and now their depth will likely be examined.
“I think we could play any one of us right now in the starting 11 and it would be the same as what we do on the training pitch,” midfielder Tameka Yallop stated earlier this week. “I think everyone has that ability and capability to step up and be a star at any point.”
Building depth has been a precedence for Tony Gustavsson all through his first three years answerable for the Matildas. Shortly after he was employed, a December 2020 efficiency report launched by Football Australia confirmed this system had the least total depth of the 12 main nations analyzed.
The Matildas’ struggles to interchange injured defender Clare Polkinghorne in the course of the 2019 Women’s World Cup contributed to their exit within the spherical of 16, their worst end since 2003.
Nigeria was happy with its 0-0 draw in opposition to Canada within the opening match, and the Super Falcons have stored a clear sheet in three of their final 4 matches. The huge second for Nigeria was when goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie stopped Canada star Christine Sinclair’s penalty kick.
PORTUGAL-VIETNAM
One group might earn its first ever victory within the Women’s World Cup when Portugal and Vietnam meet in Group E.
Odds had been stacked in opposition to each groups once they landed in the identical group because the United States and 2019 runner-up the Netherlands. It’s the primary look on the World Cup for each Portugal and Vietnam, and each had been losers within the opening matches in opposition to the 2 powerhouses.
Portugal’s event began with a 1-0 loss to the Dutch and Vietnam dropped a 3-0 match to the Americans. Both groups now have an opportunity to attain their first World Cup objectives within the match performed in Hamilton, New Zealand, and, even perhaps seize a win.
The loser of this match will probably be eradicated from advancing within the event with a sport remaining in group play.
“When you come to the World Cup in this situation everything is new – first goal, first game, first winner, first draw, everything is new,” Portugal coach Francisco Neto stated. “We worked a lot to give this happiness to the Portuguese people. We felt a lot the support of the Portuguese, and we want to give that to all our supporters so we will try our best.”
Portugal with play with out midfielder Fatima Pinto, who’s injured.
The Selecao are a good defensive group and have given up solely two objectives of their final 4 matches. The Vietnam match provides Portugal its first shot at a group ranked decrease on the earth – Portugal is ranked twenty ninth; Vietnam is ranked thirty second – however Neto isn’t overlooking the opponents. He was impressed with how Vietnam performed the U.S. in defeat.
“I think the Vietnam team were very brave. They had a great performance against the world champions,” Neto stated. “It is the first time that we are playing with a team that is lower than us in the ranking. That does not affect anything – the pressure, or the responsibility of representing our country. None of that changes, depending on your opponent.”
Even although Vietnam was not steamrolled by the United States, its squad didn’t get a single shot off and had been dominated in time of possession as Vietnam managed the ball simply 34% of the sport.
Vietnam has not scored in its final three video games.
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