FIFA Women's World Cup 2023: USA vs Netherlands Match Preview, Team News, Possible Lineups, and Fantasy football prediction

Here is the Match Preview, Team News, and the Fantasy XI prediction of the USA vs Netherlands match in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023.

Jul 26, 2023, 4:12 PM4 min read

FIFA Women's World Cup 2023: USA vs Netherlands Match Preview, Team News, Possible Lineups, and Fantasy football prediction

The Wellington Regional Stadium will host the USA vs Netherlands match on Thursday. This will be nothing but a rematch of the 2019 Women's World Cup final. The USA started their Women's World Cup 2023 campaign with a comfortable 3-0 win over Vietnam, while the Dutch managed to edge out Portugal. USA have now recorded 10 consecutive victories, scoring 24 goals, and only conceded on two occasions. They have also won 14 and drawn one of their previous 15 World Cup games. The last time they faced defeat in the World Cup was against Japan in the 2011 final on penalties.

Meanwhile, The Netherlands started their campaign with a narrow victory over Portugal with the help of Stephanie van der Gragt's 13th-minute goal. After recording a third consecutive victory, the Netherlands will now prepare for a difficult test against the defending champions. They lost to the reigning Champions by 2-0 in the Final of 2019. They would like to give them back what they received last time. For that, Andries Jonker's team has to come up with the best they can.

Read Also: The Sports Ministry allows the Indian Men's and Women's Football teams to participate in the Asian Games 2023

FIFA Women's World Cup 2023: USA vs Netherlands Match Preview

Match Details

  • Match: USA vs Netherlands
  • Kickoff time & Date: 27/07/2023 | 6:30 A.M. (IST)
  • Venue: Wellington Regional Stadium
  • Where to watch: Fancode (India) and DD Sports

FIFA Women's World Cup 2023: USA vs Netherlands | Team News

USA:

USA boss Vlatko Andonovski will most likely name an unchanged lineup for Matchday Two. Horan picked up a yellow card in their last match against Vietnam. She will have to protect herself and the team at the same time. Alex Morgan was unable to convert from the penalty spot in the first half of Saturday's encounter, but she will have her chance to open her copy against the Netherlands on Thursday. The USA will be confident of continuing their brilliant form. They have lost just one of their 25 group-stage matches at the World Cup finals.

The USA earned a 3-0 win against Vietnam in the team's opening match of the tournament. The victory was led by a brace from forward Sophia Smith and a goal from skipper Lindsey Horan. The USA Captain scored her first goal of the World Cup. They dominated the match and had enough excellent looks at goal to more than double the scoreline. Smith became the second-youngest player in USWNT history to score multiple goals in a World Cup match. She also became the first player to score multiple goals at this year's tournament.

Netherlands:

Netherlands boss Andries Jonker would like to maintain consistency and name an unchanged starting XI. Daphne van Domselaar will have a busy day for sure in goal. She will be protected by the back three of Sherida Spitse, Dominique Janssen, and Van der Gragt. Lineth Beerensteyn is in fine form. She scored 11 goals in the Serie A for Juventus. Lineth will look to bring her club form onto the international stage alongside Lieke Martens.

The Netherlands are looking prepared this time for the tough test that awaits them. They will at least be confident of troubling the scorers after finding the net in six of their seven group games at the World Cup finals. The back three of Sherida Spitse, Dominique Janssen, and Van der Gragt will have to be at their career best as the USA attack can cause some serious trouble on a stage like this. Van Domselaar just has to play the game she played in the last game or maybe more than that.

USA vs Netherlands | Head-to-Head record

This will be the second time, the USA and Netherlands will have a face-off at the World Cup and the first since meeting in the final of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France. The USA won that final by 2-0 with the help of Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle.

They have played 10 times previously and this is their third meeting at a major tournament. The USA have an overall lead with eight wins, one draw, and one loss (8W-1D-1L). The only defeat to the Dutch came in during the first matchup between the teams in 1991 by 4-3. Since then, the USA is unbeaten in its last nine games against the Netherlands

Possible Lineups

USA Women's possible starting lineup:
Naeher; Fox, Ertz, Girma, Dunn; Demelo, Sullivan, Horan; Rodman, Smith, Morgan

Netherlands Women's possible starting lineup:
Van Domselaar; Spitse, Van der Gragt, Janssen; Pelova, Roord, Groenen, Van de Donk, Brugts; Beerensteyn, Martens

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East Bengal begins IWL 2025 Journey with dominant over Kickstart FC

East Bengal made a strong statement in their Indian Women's League opener, defeating Kickstart FC with a solid performance. The team showcased exceptional skill and teamwork, set down the foundation for a promising campaign.

Jan 10, 2025, 5:27 PM2 min read

East Bengal begins IWL 2025 Journey with dominant over Kickstart FC | sportzpoint.com
Image | East Bengal FC

East Bengal commenced their Indian Women's League (IWL) 2024-25 season with a commendable 2- 0 victory over Kickstart FC at the historic East Bengal Ground on 10th January 2025. Two brilliant goals scored by Sandhya Ranganathan and Resty Nanzary are enough to take three points for the Red and Gold brigade.

East Bengal begins IWL 2025 Journey with dominant over Kickstart FC | sportzpoint.com

The home side's first goal materialized by another regular starter for India Soumya Guguloth played a crucial role in that goal. She delivered a ball from the right for Sulanjana Raul, whose header struck the crossbar. The rebound was found by Sandhya Ranganathan, who netted it with a beautiful header.

Read Also | Exclusive Shreya Hooda: Best Goalkeeper in IWL & NFC, National team and the World Cup dream

Maintaining their momentum, East Bengal doubled their lead early in the second half. In the 49th minute, Ugandan recruit Resty Nanzari, made a beautiful run from the left side of the pitch and showcased her skill by delivering a precise low shot into the near post, and securing a goal. That was enough to start a season with a commendable victory for the home side.

East Bengal begins IWL 2025 Journey with dominant over Kickstart FC | sportzpoint.com

Kickstart FC, originating from Bengaluru, attempted to penetrate East Bengal's defence but struggled to create promising opportunities in the attacking third. The host's defence was rock solid and effectively neutralized a clean sheet to start their IWL campaign on a positive note.

Read Also | Indumathi, Shilky, Shreya among the winners of IWL 2023-24 awards

The victory provided East Bengal with a solid foundation for positive progress in the IWL season, they were rock solid in defence and also offensively great. Conversely, Kickstart FC will aim to enhance their strategies in the upcoming matches to rebound from the initial setback. 

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Debutant Lhingdeikim shines for India with four goals: India beat Maldives by 11-1

Debutant Lhingdeikim's four goals along with Simran Gurung's brace helped the Indian Women's Football team thrash Maldives by 11-1 in their FIFA Friendly match in Bangalore.

Jan 2, 2025, 2:50 PM3 min read

Debutant Lhingdeikim shines for India with four goals: India beat Maldives by 11-1 | sportzpoint.com
Image | AIFF Media

Debutant Lhingdeikim's four goals along with Simran Gurung's brace helped the Indian Women's Football team thrash Maldives by 11-1 in their FIFA Friendly match in Bangalore. Kajol Dsouza, Pooja, Sibani Devi, and Khumukcham Bhumika Devi were the other scorers for Blue Tigeress. 

After beating Bangladesh by 14-0 in their final match of 2024, the Indian Women's Football team started the 2025 on a great note with an emphatic win over the visitors, Maldives. 

India head coach Joakim Alexandersson made many changes to the team that played against Bangladesh which handed two debutants a chance in the starting XI. Lhingdeikim, who scored four goals (twice in both halves) and Shibani Devi, who last year featured for East Bengal FC in the Indian Women's League were among the changes Alexandersson.

Read Also | Indian Women's Football team crush Maldives 14-0 in FIFA Friendly

Ribansi Jamu, Thingbaijam Sanjita Devi, Juhi Singh, Monisha Singha, Khumukcham Bhumika Devi and Simran Gurung were the players who made their debut off the bench. 

Read Also | Exclusive: Here's how Football giving hope to "Mini-Brazil of India"

Maldives looked good in the early minutes which forced Linthoingambi Devi to make some saves but once the Indian team resolved the issue and found their pace, they were tough to resist.

Debutant Lhingdeikim shines for India with four goals: India beat Maldives by 11-1 | sportzpoint.com
Image | AIFF Media

Lhingdeikim started the onslaught for India with an early goal in the 12th minute before providing an assist for Kajol Dsouza to extend the lead three minutes later. She found the net again in the next minute after receiving a perfect ball from Sibani. In the 17th minute, Sangita Basfore's header was deflected into the goal by Maldives captain Hawwa Haneefa. 

However, right before the halfway mark, Maldives scored their only goal of the match as Mariyam Rifa found the net after a defensive error from the Indian team. 

But, India struck again before half-time with Pooja and Shibani scoring one each. At half-time, India were leading by 6-1 and it looked like we would have the scoreline just like the last match. 

Debutant Lhingdeikim shines for India with four goals: India beat Maldives by 11-1 | sportzpoint.com
Image | AIFF Media

Lhingdeikim started the second half by scoring from a beautiful assist by Pooja in the 56th minute. A minute later she scored her fourth goal of the match by flicking a ball with his right foot for a neat finish. This time, Kajol was the assist provider for her. 

Simran Gurung, who came off the bench at halftime, scored two goals in the 62nd and 68th minutes. A red card for Maeesha Abdul Hannan did not help the Maldives as well as the defender made a deliberate handball inside the penalty box. Bhumika Devi converted the penalty in the 71st minute to complete the riot. 

Scorecard | India vs Maldives | FIFA Friendlies (Women's)

Maldives 1 (Mariyam Rifa 27’)

India 11 (Lhingdeikim 12’, 16’, 56’, 59’, Kajol Dsouza 15’, Hawwa Haneefa 17’ o.g., Pooja 41’, Sibani Devi 45+1’, Simran Gurung 62’, 68’, Khumukcham Bhumika Devi 71’ p)

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UEFA names new flagship women's tournament as UEFA Women's Europa Cup

UEFA has confirmed the title 'UEFA Women's Europa Cup' for the newly-formed second-division football tournament in women's European competitions.

Dec 22, 2024, 2:08 PM3 min read

UEFA names new flagship women's tournament as UEFA Women's Europa Cup - sportzpoint.com
(Image Source | X)

UEFA has confirmed the title of the second-division women's European football tournament. The new flagship tournament will be called the 'UEFA Women's Europa Cup', which will aim to expand the competitiveness of women's football in continental stages. 

The tournament is set to commence from the 2025-26 season and will adopt a knockout format.

A new era begins

On 2 December 2023, the UEFA Executive Committee approved the post-2025 sporting concept for European women’s club football.

The UEFA Women's Europa Cup will be of similar importance as the UEFA Europa League which is the existing second-divison of men's European football competitions. However, the 'Cup' in the title implies the knockout status of the newly-formed tournament.

UEFA has addressed the new tournament to be "primed for drama and unpredictability". The official logo, branding, and trophy design will be unveiled in 2025.

Format and qualification 

The UEFA Women’s Europa Cup will be played consisting of six different rounds– two qualifying rounds, the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and a two-legged final to crown the inaugural champions.

13 teams will be eligible for direct qualification to this tournament; third-placed teams from leagues of the UEFA nations ranked 8-13, and runners-up from associations ranked 18-24.

The UEFA Women's Europa Cup's first qualifying round will primarily feature 11 teams eliminated in the UEFA Women's Champions League second qualifying round. On the other hand, 20 teams eliminated from the UWCL second and third qualifying rounds will enter the Europa Cup second qualifying round.

Significant changes in women's football in Europe

As the UEFA Women's Champions League will also welcome notable changes from next season onwards, UEFA shows its commitment to expanding women's football to more countries marking a long-standing transformation. UEFA stated the following in its official announcement in July 2024:

Both competitions have been developed with the aim of increasing competitiveness and maximising participation while also considering calendar constraints and player load.

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin also stated:

UEFA has placed huge importance on developing women's football in recent years, making enormous strides thanks to a dedicated strategy, solid investment, and a passion to ensure the game is open to everybody. The new UEFA Women's Champions League format and the introduction of a second competition are further demonstration of this commitment and both will be exciting, competitive competitions that allow more players and clubs across the continent to dream of European glory.

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Australian footballers union slams FIFA for awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia

Australian footballers union has condemned FIFA's decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia, stating the significant human rights issues that are at risk.

Dec 16, 2024, 11:07 AM3 min read

Australian footballers union slams FIFA for awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia - sportzpoint.com

The Australian Professional Footballers Union has slammed FIFA after the governing body awarded 2034 World Cup hosting rights to Saudi Arabia following the conclusion of the FIFA Congress on 11 December 2024.

The Union did not welcome the decision and mentioned the severe human rights issues that are at risk in the Gulf nation. They also questioned FIFA's ability and readiness to prevent the continuation of human rights violations in Saudi Arabia. 

The official statement

Professional Footballers Australia head Beau Busch stated the following in an email to Reuters:

The significant human rights risks linked to this tournament are well-documented,

By securing hosting rights to the global game’s most prestigious event, Saudi Arabia and FIFA must ensure the rights of everyone affected by the 2034 Men’s World Cup are upheld and safeguarded.

However, FIFA’s ongoing governance failures and lack of accountability to its own human rights commitments leave no assurance that harm can or will be prevented.

Read Also | Saudi Arabia's 2034 World Cup bid: FIFA is reportedly overlooking reports on human rights abuses

The discussions

FIFA confirm Saudi Arabia as 2034 World Cup hosts
(Image Courtesy | Reuters)

The awarding of the 2034 FIFA World Cup hosting rights to Saudi Arabia has sparked controversy in a never-seen manner, as human rights activists, including the Australian Association and LGBTQ activists, have all expressed concerns over Saudi Arabia's human rights records.

Additionally, migrant worker groups and trade unions have also raised alarms about the potential exploitation of workers in the World Cup after the issues that were raised years before the Qatar World Cup commenced in 2022. According to Reuters, Saudi Arabia has denied accusations of human rights abuses and said that it protects its national security through its laws.

This is not the first time that people related to Australian football have been vocal critics of human rights issues around the globe. Australian national men's football team released a video message condemning Qatar's record on human rights and LGBTQ+ rights ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Football Australia, the governing body of Australian football, supported the players' stance and later objected to Saudi Arabia's sponsorship of the 2023 Women's World Cup, citing concerns over the kingdom's human rights record.

However, after Qatar in 2022, another World Cup in West Asia will disrupt the traditional football calendar just like it did in 2022. Saudi will supposedly host the World Cup in November-December of 2034 which will significantly affect the footballers. Qatar hosted 32 teams for the 2022 World Cup, but Saudi will host 48 teams as the grand event will need a more expanded and flexible timeframe to organize.

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Madrid and Barcelona join race with Morocco to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup Final

Spain is competing to bring the 2030 FIFA World Cup Final to Madrid or Barcelona, whereas Morocco is in the race to host it in Casablanca.

Dec 16, 2024, 10:15 AM4 min read

Madrid and Barcelona join race with Morocco to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup Final - sportzpoint.com

Spain will compete against Morocco to acquire the honour of hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup final. Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, and Camp Nou in Barcelona are the frontrunners for Spain. In contrast, Morocco is vouching for the Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca which is yet to be constructed. 

The scenario

Image
(Image Credit | StadiumDB.com on X)

Spain, Portugal, and Morocco's joint bid 'YallaVamos' has clinched the 2030 FIFA World Cup hosting rights following FIFA's official announcement on 11 December 2024. Centenary celebration matches will be held in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay as FIFA confirmed on the same day following the conclusion of FIFA's virtual assembly meeting. 

However, the venues and stadiums for the 2030 World Cup are far from being decided yet, but hosting the world cup final is an honour in itself. That is why two of the host nations, Spain and Morocco have already joined in races to bring the grand World Cup final event to their country. Morocco aims to host the final in the Hassan II Stadium, which is yet to be constructed but is planned to have a capacity of hosting 115000 spectators. 

Santiago Bernabeu, the home ground of Real Madrid can hold 78,297 spectators as of now, which must reach the 80000 mark as required by FIFA. Barcelona's beloved Camp Nou stadium is currently under renovation but it will hold 105000 spectators once the constructions are complete. However, the final decision will be made in 2026 and every stadium will receive the required time to match FIFA's commitments. 

FIFA will also have full availability of the Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca during the tournament, as the stadium will be under the ownership of the Moroccan Ministry of Sports. In contrast, both the Bernabeu and Camp Nou, owned by Real Madrid and FC Barcelona respectively, will not offer that level of availability due to their business operations within the stadium. This may give the African stadium a certain advantage in the race to host the final.

The tussle between the cities will also be another interesting thing to watch in the discussions to host the opening match of the tournament. Madrid and Barcelona are likely to lock horns off the pitch to host the opening match of the grand event; if they lose the final to Casablanca. Barcelona City Council has already shown interest in securing the opening match hosting rights. 

Image

However, the confirmation of hosting the tournament in Spain after 48 years since the 1982 World Cup, has brought great optimism to every authority and layman in the country. Pilar Alegría, the minister of Education, Vocational Training, and Sports in Spain, has expressed her excitement and expectations after winning the World Cup rights. She stated:

This is magnificent news for sport, society, and the economy. An event that will allow us to showcase to the world the excellent level of organization present in Spain. We are very happy, and today we begin working on this World Cup, which fills us with excitement to host and which will enable us to work together with our neighbors in Portugal and Morocco,

José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, President of the Higher Sports Council also expressed his joy:

This is a milestone that expands the pride of the entire Spanish society. It recognizes our ability to organize top-level sporting events and pays homage to the tradition and footballing success of our country,

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