‘It’s a new game, a new team’ Lavelle and Andonovski on facing again the Netherlands at the World Cup
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The Women’s World Cup continues as the defending champions USA face the Netherlands in a rematch of the final four years ago.
Last week, the US kicked off their bid for a third World Cup in a row as they defeated tournament debutants Vietnam 3-0, but the Netherlands are set to be their biggest test in Group E.
The Dutch, who opened their campaign with a 1-0 win against Portugal, come into the World Cup without star forward Vivianne Miedema but remain one of the top contenders for the title.
Four years ago, the US won their fourth World Cup crown in Paris as they defeated the Netherlands 2-0 four years ago, with Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle on target, but the defending champions have a new-look squad this time around.
There are 14 players in the US group who are playing at the World Cup for the first time, including forward Sophia Smith, who scored twice in the 3-0 win against Vietnam.
Follow the latest World Cup scores, updates and news in today’s live blog
Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest updates
The Women’s World Cup continues in Australia and New ZealandUSA face Netherlands rematch in Group E with kick-off at 9pm ET (2am BST)Portugal and Vietnam go in search of first World Cup points in Group EWorld Cup co-hosts Australia can book place in last-16 against Nigeria Show latest update
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Women’s World Cup LIVE: USA vs Netherlands
Megan Rapinoe, 38, burst onto the global stage at the 2011 World Cup in Germany when she scored a screamer against Colombia and celebrated by grabbing an on-field microphone placed near the corner flag and crooning Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA”. A star was born.
Since then, the iconic neon-haired winger has won gold at the London 2012 Olympics, bronze at the Tokyo 2020 games and both the 2015 and 2019 FIFA World Cups as an integral part of the US Women’s National Team (USWNT).
She was named player of the tournament at her last World Cup in France four years ago after scoring six – including a spotkick in the final against the Netherlands – and picked up both the Golden Boot and that year’s Ballon d’Or Feminin.
Jamie Braidwood27 July 2023 01:32
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Women’s World Cup LIVE: USA vs Netherlands
US Women’s National Team (USWNT) striker Alex Morgan, 34, is one of the biggest stars in women’s football, already an Olympic gold medallist and a two-time World Cup winner.
The American is heading into her fourth FIFA Women’s World Cup and ranks in the top 10 in USWNT history in goals, assists and multi-goal games.
Jamie Braidwood27 July 2023 01:19
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Lineups released ahead of hotly anticipated USA-Netherlands World Cup match
The USA’s starting lineup has been released as the Stars and Stripes prepare to square off in under an hour against the Netherlands in Wellington / Te Whanganui-a-Tara.
1-Alyssa Naeher, 4-Naomi Girma, 8-Julie Ertz, 9-Savannah DeMelo, 10-Lindsey Horan (Capt.), 11-Sophia Smith, 13-Alex Morgan, 17-Andi Sullivan, 19-Crystal Dunn, 20-Trinity Rodman, 23-Emily Fox.
It’s the same lineup that led the Americans to victory against Vietnam in their tournament opener last week.
And here’s the Dutch squad.
Josh Marcus27 July 2023 01:14
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Women’s World Cup LIVE: USA vs Netherlands
The US Women’s National Team (USWNT) kicked off their Women’s World Cup with a 3-0 win over Vietnam in Auckland, New Zealand, on Saturday 22 July. And one of the team’s forwards took the moment to remember an absent friend.
After striker Sophia Smith had slammed home her second goal of the game, she put her fingers to her lips and made a zipping motion across her mouth in honour of former Stanford Cardinal teammate Katie Meyer, whose iconic celebration it was.
Meyer had gone viral after making precisely that gesture when the college side secured the 2019 NCAA College Cup with a penalty shootout win in which she was instrumental but tragically died on 1 March 2022, aged just 22, after taking her own life.
Jamie Braidwood27 July 2023 01:05
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Women’s World Cup LIVE: USA vs Netherlands
The USA’s 18-year-old forward Alyssa Thompson on going from watching the 2019 World Cup final at home to playing against the Netherlands four years later:
“I just remember how intense it was and how back and forth it was, and it was a tough game and I was really nervous for the team.
“In that moment, I wasn’t really thinking about, ‘Oh, the next one, I’m going to be at,’ because it felt like so far away. But being here now is crazy to me, because I didn’t think about it in the moment.”
On her World Cup debut she said: “I was pretty nervous just to play my first World Cup game. But once I was on the sideline, I was kind of overcome with happiness and excitement, just because I was going into my first World Cup, and I wasn’t feeling any other emotion.”
Jamie Braidwood27 July 2023 00:45
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Women’s World Cup LIVE: USA vs Netherlands
Netherlands midfielder Jackie Groenen on facing the USA: “We all know America has been one of the best teams in the world for a long, long time. I think they still have so much quality on the pitch but I think we’re growing too.
“We have two teams with different kind of qualities who are going to match up really well.
“We have a lot of respect for America. We’re also not trying to dwell on what’s been.”
Jamie Braidwood27 July 2023 00:30
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Women’s World Cup
Rose Lavelle on facing the Netherlands, who the USA also defeated on penalties at the Olympic quarter-finals two years ago:
“Every time we play them, it’s a very physical, intense match. They’re technical, good on set pieces. So I think it’s going to be a tough game, but I think we’re really excited for it.”
Jamie Braidwood27 July 2023 00:20
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Women’s World Cup LIVE: USA vs Netherlands
Netherlands coach Andries Jonker is promising must-watch football when his team face four-times champions United States on Thursday in the Women’s World Cup group stage.
In a highly anticipated rematch of their 2019 final, the two sides will clash in Wellington with plenty on the line.
The United States are gunning for an unprecedented third straight title while the Dutch will want to revive the spirit of their 2017 European Championship win.
“This will be an example of modern women’s football. It will be a fight from the first minute until the last with teams who want to compete, teams who want to win, teams who respect each other, who both have no fear,” Jonker told reporters.
“Both want to win the group so this is going to be a really good match.”
(Getty Images)
Jamie Braidwood27 July 2023 00:10
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Women’s World Cup LIVE: USA vs Netherlands
Midfielder Rose Lavelle has fond memories of beating the Netherlands in the Women’s World Cup final four years ago but is bringing a brand-new mindset to the United States’ rematch in Wellington on Thursday.
Her goal in the 2019 final, a stellar individual effort that built on team mate Megan Rapinoe’s earlier penalty, catapulted the Lavelle into a new level of stardom in American soccer.
But with a new coach and 14 World Cup newcomers on her team comes a new mindset against the Netherlands, said Lavelle, in what will almost surely be the biggest hurdle of the Americans’ group stage.
“I don’t think we ever look back and feel we’re defending something,” Lavelle told reporters.
“We have the mindset that we’re attacking something and that’s how we feel … (2019 is) a fun memory, but I think we just have to take it one game at a time and kind of be present – don’t look too far in the past, don’t look too far forward.”
(Getty Images)
Jamie Braidwood27 July 2023 00:05
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Welcome
The Women’s World Cup continues with one of the fixtures of the group stage as the defending champions United States face the Netherlands in a rematch of the final four years ago.
The US kicked off their bid for a third World Cup in a row as they defeated tournament debutants Vietnam 3-0 last week, but the Netherlands are set to be their biggest test in Group E.
The Dutch, who opened their campaign with a 1-0 win against Portugal, come into the World Cup without star forward Vivianne Miedema but remain one of the top contenders for the title.
The US won their fourth World Cup crown in Paris as they defeated the Netherlands 2-0 four years ago, with Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle on target, but the defending champions have a new-look squad this time around.
There are 14 players in the US group who are playing at the World Cup for the first time, including forward Sophia Smith, who scored twice in the 3-0 win against Vietnam.
Follow the latest World Cup scores, updates and news in today’s live blog
Jamie Braidwood27 July 2023 00:00
