The U.S. women’s national team plays the Netherlands in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup on Wednesday. This group stage match is a rematch of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup final, which the U.S. won 2-0 to secure their fourth overall Cup and second consecutive title.
This will be the 11th matchup between the two teams. The Netherlands has only beat the U.S. once, back in 1991, according to U.S. Soccer.
While history is on the side of the U.S., the two teams look significantly different than when they faced each other in the last World Cup. Both teams have new coaches and are missing key players. The Netherlands are without star Vivianne Miedema, who tore her ACL in April.
When is the U.S. vs. Netherlands?
The match starts at 7 p.m. MDT on Wednesday. This could be the last game the U.S. plays at a decent viewing hour for fans in the U.S. The team’s next match against Portugal is at 4 a.m. MDT.
If the U.S. finishes at the top of its group, the Americans play at 8 p.m. MDT on Aug. 5, but if they finish second, they’ll play at 3 a.m. MDT on Aug. 6. The rest of the games through the final will be played from 1 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. MDT.
How to watch the U.S. vs. Netherlands
The game will be broadcast on Fox and will be available for streaming on FoxSports.com and the Fox Sports App.
Fans in Utah can also attend a watch party hosted by Salt Lake City, the Downtown Alliance and the Utah Royals FC, one of the National Women’s Soccer League’s incoming teams in 2024.
The game will be broadcast at the Gallivan Center in Salt Lake City. The family-friendly event will be from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The prematch festivities will include food trucks, giveaways and celebrity guests, according to the Royals’ website.
What to look for in the U.S. vs. Netherlands
Both teams are coming off victories. The U.S. beat Vietnam 3-0 with a brace from Sophia Smith and a goal from Lindsey Horan on Friday. But the Netherlands is a tougher opponent.
The U.S. will want to win this match and secure its spot as the top team in Group E. This will give the Americans a slightly easier opponent in the knockout round and will allow them to avoid playing Sweden, which has been a thorn in the team’s side.
Can the U.S. capitalize on its chances against the Netherlands?
The U.S. missed several chances to increase its lead against Vietnam, including a missed penalty kick from Alex Morgan. The Americans can’t afford to do the same against the Netherlands. They need to build their goal differential, which could be used as a tiebreaker for seeding.
Will there be any changes to the U.S. lineup tonight?
The lineup for the match against Vietnam was different than the lineup for the send-off match against Wales on July 9. Will head coach Vlatko Andonovski keep Smith, Alex Morgan and Trinity Rodman up top? Will midfielder Rose Lavelle start the game?
Andonovski announced that Lavelle, who scored the game-winning goal of the 2019 final against the Dutch, has been cleared to start the game, according to Just Women’s Sports. She played 27 minutes off the bench against Vietnam, which was her first time playing since April after sustaining a knee injury.