We look ahead to this 2023 Women’s World Cup Group E match at the Wellington Regional Stadium with our United States vs Netherlands preview and prediction.
United States vs Netherlands Stats: Quick Hits
- The USWNT are favourites to win this one, with the Opta supercomputer giving them a 56.7% chance of victory. The Netherlands have just a 19% chance of pulling off a win.
- This will be the second time the USA and the Netherlands have met at the FIFA Women’s World Cup; the last time was in the 2019 final, which saw the USA run out 2-0 winners.
- The Netherlands are winless in their last nine meetings with the USA in all competitions, losing eight times and conceding at least two goals in each of those games (28 in total).
Match Preview
The expanded tournament means titanic group stage battles are a less common occurrence at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, and this is arguably the most eye-catching game of the first round. Top spot in Group E is up for grabs and it is likely that this game, between the two finalists at the 2019 Women’s World Cup, will decide who finishes in first. The USA beat the Netherlands 2-0 in the 2019 final and, after opening their 2023 campaign with a 3-0 win over Vietnam, have now won 13 straight matches at the Women’s World Cup, a run stretching back to 2015, when they drew a group stage game against Sweden.
They have also won seven of their last eight games against European opposition, winning the last six. After enjoying near total domination against Vietnam – Alyssa Naeher became the first starting goalkeeper to have fewer than 10 touches (9) in a Women’s World Cup game since the start of the 2011 tournament – they will be confident of continuing that run even though these opponents will unquestionably be tougher.
The Netherlands opened their WWC 2023 campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Portugal. They took the lead early on through Stefanie van der Gragt and never really looked like surrendering it, though a stubborn Portugal defended resolutely and didn’t make it easy for their opponents.
The Dutch got the win, though, and with it, took a big step towards the knockout stage. A win over Vietnam in their final game will see them though regardless of the result here; this game is very much a free hit for the Netherlands.
United States vs Netherlands Head-to-Head
The USWNT have a very good record against the Dutch. They have not lost to them since a friendly in April 1996, remaining unbeaten in the teams’ last nine meetings. USA have won eight of those and scored an average of 3.1 goals per game.
However, the Netherlands are a much-improved outfit these days, and their run to the 2019 final was no fluke. They aren’t quite giants of the women’s game like their opponents, but having won five of their seven group stage games at the Women’s World Cup (one draw, one loss), including all four since the start of the 2019 tournament by an aggregate score of 7-2, they are clearly no pushovers. Set-pieces are a real weapon for the Dutch, and the delivery of Sherida Spitse could be key. Since the start of the 2019 tournament, Spitse has five assists, all of which have come from set plays.
Even though those have come in her last eight appearances at the tournament, Spitse also leads the way for set-piece assists at the Women’s World Cup since the start of the 2011 edition.
The USA have tonnes of quality in their ranks, though, and will be confident of another win against familiar opponents. Sophia Smith scored twice and assisted another on Matchday 1, and in doing so became just the fourth player since the beginning of the 2011 edition to be involved in three or more goals in her Women’s World Cup debut game. The 22-year-old could be one to keep an eye on in this tournament.
United States vs Netherlands Prediction
The Opta supercomputer makes the US favourites to win this one, with a 56.7% chance of victory. The Netherlands have just a 19% chance, but with a 43.3% chance of taking at least a point, this one isn’t a foregone conclusion by any stretch.
United States vs Netherlands Squads
United States: Aubrey Kingsbury, Casey Murphy, Alyssa Naeher, Alana Cook, Crystal Dunn, Emily Fox, Naomi Girma, Sofia Huerta, Kelley O’Hara, Emily Sonnett, Savannah DeMelo, Julie Ertz, Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle, Kristie Mewis, Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, Alyssa Thompson, Lynn Williams
Netherlands: Daphne van Domselaar, Lize Kop, Jacintha Weimar, Kerstin Casparij, Caitlin Dijkstra, Merel van Dongen, Stefanie van der Gragt, Dominique Janssen, Aniek Nouwen, Lynn Wilms, Jill Baijings, Danielle van de Donk, Damaris Egurrola, Jackie Groenen, Wieke Kaptein, Victoria Pelova, Jill Roord, Sherida Spitse, Lineth Beerensteyn, Esmee Brugts, Renate Jansen, Lieke Martens, Katja Snoeijs
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