After rolling past its first two opponents in Group F at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and earning a spot in the knockout rounds with one match left to play, the USA will now face long-time European power Sweden to decide first place in the group. The match will take place in northern France at Stade Oceane in Le Havre (3 p.m. ET on FOX and Telemundo). As the USA holds a far superior goal difference, which is the first tie-breaker should teams be tied on points, the Americans need a win or a draw to top the group and earn a Round of 16 match against the second place team from Group B on June 24 in Reims. A second-place finish for the USA would mean a Round of 16 match against the second-place team from Group E on June 24 in Paris. The USA is one goal away from tying and two goals away from setting a record for most goals scored by a single team in group play during the Women’s World Cup. The match against Chile was the 122nd on the bench for U.S. head coach Jill Ellis, moving her ahead of the late Tony DiCicco and into second place for most games coached in U.S. history. She is just two games from tying April Heinrichs (124) for most games coached in U.S. WNT history.
|
Team |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
GF |
GA |
GD |
Pts. |
|
USA |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
16 |
0 |
+16 |
6 |
|
Sweden |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
1 |
+6 |
6 |
|
Chile |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
-5 |
0 |
|
Thailand |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
18 |
-17 |
0 |
|
2019 FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP – USA Schedule |
|||
|
Date |
Opponent |
Kickoff / Result |
Venue; City |
|
June 11 |
Thailand |
13-0 W |
Stade Auguste-Delaune; Reims, France |
|
June 16 |
Chile |
3-0 W |
Parc des Princes; Paris, France |
|
June 20 |
Sweden |
3 p.m. ET |
Stade Océane; Le Havre, France |
|
June 24 |
TBD – Round of 16 |
TBD |
TBD |
This will be the sixth time – and fifth World Cup in a row – in which the U.S. has played Sweden in the World Cup. The teams met in the USA’s first Women’s World Cup match in 1991 and also met in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015, all in the group stage. The USA is 3-1-1 against the Swedes at the Women’s World Cup.
The Americans’ last loss at the World Cup came against the Swedes – a 2-1 defeat in 2011. The USA is 9-0-3 in World Cup games since.
In the second match of group play at the 2015 Women’s World Cup, the teams tied 0-0 in Winnipeg.
The USA and Sweden met most recently in Gothenburg on June 8, 2017, as Rose Lavelle scored the game-winner in the 56th minute for the 1-0 U.S. victory.
The match was the first between the teams since quarterfinal of the 2016 Olympics which saw Sweden triumph in a penalty kick shootout after a 1-1 tie through regulation and overtime. Blackstenius scored for Sweden and Alex Morgan scored for the USA. The USA out-shot Sweden 27-6 in the match. Sweden would go on to win the Olympic silver medal.
The USA has played Sweden 38 times dating back to 1987 – the fourth most of any country (behind Canada, China PR and Norway).
In the last 13 matches with Sweden dating back to 2010, the USA is 5-3-5, making for one of the most competitive rivalries among the top teams in recent years.
Before the victory in Gothenburg in the summer of 2017, the USA had failed to beat Sweden in the previous four games between the teams, losing 1-0 at the Algarve Cup in 2014, tying 1-1 at the Algarve Cup in 2013, tying 0-0 in group play at the 2015 Women’s World Cup and falling in penalties at the 2016 Olympics.
GOALKEEPERS (3): Adrianna Franch (Portland Thorns FC; 1/0), Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride; 21/0), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 48/0)
DEFENDERS (7): Abby Dahlkemper (NC Courage; 42/0), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars; 21/1); Crystal Dunn (NC Courage; 86/24), Ali Krieger (Orlando Pride; 101/1), Kelley O’Hara (Utah Royals FC; 119/2), Becky Sauerbrunn (Utah Royals FC; 159/0), Emily Sonnett (Portland Thorns FC; 34/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Morgan Brian (Chicago Red Stars; 83/6), Julie Ertz (Chicago Red Stars; 84/19), Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC; 70/9), Rose Lavelle (Washington Spirit; 28/9), Allie Long (Reign FC; 46/6), Samantha Mewis (NC Courage; 51/14)
FORWARDS (7): Tobin Heath(Portland Thorns FC; 151/30); Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC; 276/113), Jessica McDonald (NC Courage; 8/2), Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride; 164/106), Christen Press (Utah Royals FC; 118/48), Mallory Pugh (Washington Spirit; 55/17), Megan Rapinoe (Seattle Reign FC; 154/45)
World Cup Rosters: Lloyd (4); Krieger (3), O’Hara (3), Sauerbrunn (3), Heath (3), Morgan (3), Rapinoe (3); Harris (2), Naeher (2), Brian (2), Ertz (2), Press (2); Franch (1), Dahlkemper (1), Davidson (1), Dunn (1), Sonnett (1), Horan (1), Lavelle (1), Long (1), Mewis (1), McDonald (1), Pugh (1).
Of the 23 players named to the roster, Lloyd has the most experience, having played in 20 matches while scoring 10 goals, one in 2011, six at the 2015 tournament and three so far in 2019. Lloyd is the oldest player on the roster at 36 and against Chile became the oldest player to score at least twice in a Women’s World Cup match.
Five players own double-figure World Cup caps: Lloyd (20) Krieger (14), Morgan (13), Rapinoe (13) and Heath (11).
Sixteen players on the roster have represented the USA in a FIFA WWC at the U-17 level, U-20 level or both.
Davidson is the youngest player on the roster at age 20. Pugh turned 21 on April 29. Brian was the youngest player on the 2015 World Cup Team at 22. Just under half the roster (11 players) are in their 30s and 12 are in their 20s.
Allie Long and Jessica McDonald made their first World Cup roster at age 31. Long was a member of the 2016 Olympic Team, and McDonald is the top American scorer in the history of the NWSL. McDonald is also the only mother on the World Cup Team. She has a seven-year-old son.
The average age of the U.S. roster is just under 29 years old, about the same as the USA’s 2015 Women’s World Cup Team.
Six players had previously scored in a Women’s World Cup tournament that are on the roster. Four of the seven goal scorers against Thailand made their World Cup scoring debuts. Current all-time World Cup goal scorers on the roster are: Lloyd (10), Morgan (8), Rapinoe (4), Lavelle (2), Mewis (2), Ertz (1), Horan (1), Pugh (1), Heath (1), O’Hara (1) and Press (1).
The roster features players from 13 different states. Five players on the roster are from California, three are from Georgia, while two each are from New York, New Jersey, Arizona and Colorado.
The roster includes 11 first-time participants, three more than the team that won the World Cup four years ago. This roster is also tied for the third-most rookies among U.S. teams since the Women’s World Cup began in 1991.
IN FOCUS: Sweden
FIFA World Ranking: 9
UEFA Ranking: 5
Women’s World Cup Appearances: 8 - 1991 (3rd), 1995 (5th), 1999 (6th), 2003 (Runners-Up), 2007 (10th), 2011 (3rd), 2015 (16th), 2019
Best Women’s World Cup finish: 2003 – 2nd Place
Record vs. USA: 6-21-11
Head Coach: Peter Gerhardsson
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Hedvig Lindahl (Chelsea, ENG), 12-Jennifer Falk Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC, 21-Zecira Musovic FC Rosengard
DEFENDERS (7): 2-Jonna Andersson (Chelsea, ENG), 3-Linda Sembrant (Montpellier HSC, FRA), 4-Hanna Glas (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA), 5-Nilla Fischer (VfL Wolfsburg, GER), 6-Magdalena Eriksson (Chelsea, ENG), 13-Amanda Ilestedt (Turbine Potsdam, GER), 15-Nathalie Bjorn (FC Rosengard)
MIDFIELDERS (7): 7-Madelen Janogy (Piteå IF), 9-Kosovare Asllani (Linköpings FC), 14-Julia Roddar (Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC), 16-Julia Zigiotti (Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC), 17-Caroline Seger (FC Rosengard), 22-Olivia Schough (Djurgårdens IF DFF), 23-Elin Rubensson (Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC)
FORWARDS (6): 8-Lina Hurtig (Linköpings FC), 10-Sofia Jakobsson (Montpellier HSC, FRA), 11-Stina Blackstenius (Linköpings FC), 18-Fridolina Rolfo (FC Bayern München, GER), 19-Anna Anvegard (Växjö DFF), 20-Mimmi Larsson (Linköpings FC)
Like the USA, Sweden comes into the match with six points, but did struggle a bit to put away Chile in its opening game before scoring twice late for the 2-0 victory, and then dispatched Thailand with aplomb, winning 5-1.
Sweden’s seven goal scorers so far are: Kosovare Asllani (2), Madelen Janogy, Linda Sembrant, Fridolina Rolfö, Linda Hurtig and Elin Rubensson.
Sweden’s top finishes in major tournaments were at the 1984 EURO (Champions), the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup (runners-up) and at the 2016 Olympics (runners-up)
Sweden’s leading scorers in World Cup qualifying were Asllani (4 goals) and Stina Blackstenius (3 goals).
Sweden has world class players numerous positions, including at goalkeeper with Hedvig Lindahl, at defender with Nilla Fischer and Linda Sembrant, in the midfield with Kosovare Asllani and Caroline Seger and up front with Sofia Jakobsson and Stina Blackstenius.
Despite having one of the most competitive professional leagues in the world, Sweden has nine players playing for top clubs outside the country, three in England, three in Germany and three in France.
Sweden will be aiming to win all three of their Group Stage matches at a World Cup tournament for just the second time, having also done so in 2011.