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If you are a fan of the United States women’s national team who slept through the draw for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, either by choice or by accident, do not feel guilty. It was the smart play. Any hours you can bank between now and July can only help.
In some ways, the schedule of games presented to the USWNT might be tougher on their fans than on the players pursuing the unprecedented distinction of three consecutive world championships. Depending on your timezone, you’ll need to get up early or stay up late to see whether Megan Rapinoe can reach a fourth final and raise the trophy a third time.
If the No. 1-ranked USWNT can win their group — which they have for seven of the eight World Cups staged — they will find nearly all the most significant challengers to the crown in the opposite side of the bracket. The Americans would not have to face world No. 3 Germany, No. 4 England or No. 5 France unless they reach the final.
No. 6 Spain, which defeated the Americans in a friendly earlier this month, would not be an opponent until the semifinals if the U.S. takes care of business in Group E. The same is true of Sweden, whose 3-0 victory in last summer’s Olympics was the most one-sided result to go against the USWNT in recent memory.
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This will not be like 2019, when the U.S. had to survive a gauntlet of Spain, France, England and the Netherlands in the knockout rounds. Only Spain was not ranked in the top 5 at the time.
With a first-place group finish, the U.S. could be looking at a Round of 16 game against No. 14 Italy, a quarterfinal with No. 11 Japan, then the challenges that would be expected in the semis and final.
The decision to place the tournament in Australia and New Zealand is logical given the absence, previously, of a senior-level FIFA event in Oceania. When the 2000 Olympics were in Sydney, though, organizers managed to make the occasion somewhat friendly to American television audiences. Not this time. Not in the least. The group games are expected to be assigned start times of 11 p.m., 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. ET.
Staging the World Cup in two countries also contributed to the one notable element of danger in what otherwise was a fortunate draw for the USWNT, who will face the Netherlands, messi jersey sold Vietnam, and a playoff winner among Cameroon, Portugal and Thailand in Group E.
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Because world No. 22 New Zealand was elevated to Pot 1 as co-host, the No. 8-ranked Netherlands wound up in Pot 2. And that’s the team that emerged to be placed with the U.S.
The two teams played in the final of the 2019 Women’s World Cup, a game won 2-0 by the Americans. They also met in the 2021 Olympic Games, which the U.S. won in a penalty shootout. Their game July 27 at Wellington Regional Stadium in New messi kits Zealand has not yet been assigned a start time.
“I think it’s going to be a challenge,” USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski told Fox Sports. “It’s two quality teams playing against each other. It’s going to be a good game.”
The Netherlands were a top-3 team and European champion when they faced the U.S. i psg jersey men paris saint germain t shirt 2020 messi 30 n the 2019 final, but this has been a challengin women's messi jersey g year for the Oranje. They fell 1-0 to France in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Euros, and that might have been one of the better performances by a team now struggling to defend against top opposition. France beat the Dutch 3-1 in a February tournament. England beat them 5-1 in a pre-Euro friendly. Norway shut out them out 2- psg jersey dogs 0 in their most recent game, earlier this month.
The Netherlands’ record in all games this year is 9W-4L-2D, with no wins in six tries against top-20 opposition.
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Neither has it been an extraordinary messi t shirts psg year for the USWNT, as Andonovski attempted to revamp the attack around young stars Sophia Smith and Mallory Pugh while lacking the program’s most exciting talent, injured Catarina Macario, and important veterans Sam Mewis (injury), Crystal Dunn and Julie Ertz (pregnancy).
They won 13 of their first 14 games, but only a 1-0 victory against Canada in the CONCACAF W Championship game came against top opposition.
They since lost consecutive road games psg away kit 2122 against England and Spain that were impacted by the absences of striker Alex Morgan and Pugh. They’ll try to do better in two games against Germany next month. Those games will be in the early evening for American viewers. Don’t get used to it.