The U.S. girls’s nationwide workforce and head coach Emma Hayes will step right into a high-stakes match on Saturday. The USWNT and Japan will kick off the Olympic knockout rounds as the perimeters will compete within the quarterfinals. The winner will go on to the semifinals and meet the winners of Canada and Germany.
The Stars and Stripes have an extended historical past towards Japan and Saturday’s quarterfinal would be the forty first all-time assembly between the outdated rivals. The 2 groups have confronted one another in three earlier world championships, with Japan victorious throughout the 2011 FIFA Girls’s World Cup and america as champions throughout the 2012 London Video games and 2015 World Cup.
This is the whole lot you might want to know in regards to the upcoming match:
Viewing data
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 2 | Time: 9 a.m. ET
- Location: Parc des Princes — Paris, France
- TV: USA Community, Telemundo | Reside stream: Fubo (strive free of charge)
- Odds: USWNT -150; Draw +320; Japan +370
USWNT lineup projection
USWNT beginning XI: Naeher, Fox, Girma, Sonnett, Dunn, Albert, Horan, Lavelle, Smith, Swanson, Rodman
Storylines
USWNT: Head coach Emma Hayes instructed media in France that she’s ready until the final doable second to make any roster selections relating to defender Tierna Davidson. She sustained a knee contusion towards Germany and was unavailable towards Australia. Emily Sonnett has slotted into the backline in her place, and Hayes can also be utilizing warning with ahead Jaedyn Shaw who has been out with a leg harm because the workforce arrived in France. Croix Bethune stays an lively member of the roster in Shaw’s place, and Hayes is defending her rotation decisions heading into the knockout rounds.
The piling-up accidents, and yellow card accumulation to midfielder Sam Coffey, will possible power Hayes’ hand at making changes to her most popular beginning lineup. However do not count on. a lot on the attacking line, Mallory Swanson, Sophia Smith, and Trinity Rodman have emerged because the USWNT’s finest weapons — the trio scored 9 targets over three video games towards Olympic competitors
Japan: Former 2011 World Cup champions and Olympic runners-up in 2012, this system elevated its standing as a contender as soon as once more after a formidable 2023 World Cup. Head coach Futoshi Ikeda has a robust roster that is primarily layered with younger athletes and gamers of their prime. Veteran Saki Kumagai is the lone consultant from the 2011 World Cup successful roster and transformed a penalty kick towards Nigeria to assist seal second place within the group.
However Japan’s means to be technical, affected person, and bodily when wanted makes them a tricky opponent. They’re additionally very scientific and have six completely different aim scorers within the match and may join at any second.
Prediction
The 2 groups have performed to slim scorelines in latest conferences so search for extra of the identical. It is the elimination rounds and there will probably be a gap half the place there are stretches of methodical play, however either side will discover the again of the web once they select their moments of assault. Choose: USWNT 2, Japan 1
