The U.S. women’s national team will fight to keep their 2023 World Cup campaign alive Sunday against Sweden in a round of 16 match that’s win-or-go-home. The Americans are vying for a third straight World Cup victory, which would be a record, and fifth overall.
With columnist Nancy Armour on the ground, USA TODAY Sports will offer the latest updates, highlights, analysis and more throughout the USWNT’s Group E finale match. Follow along.
When does the USWNT play next?
The Americans play Sweden in the World Cup knockout round of 16 at 5 a.m. ET Sunday.
USWNT starting lineup vs. Sweden
MELBOURNE, Australia − We’ve got the starting lineup for the USWNT’s first match of the knockout round vs. Sweden. Just a reminder that Sweden is one of the USWNT’s biggest rivals and the Americans are here after finishing second in their group.
WORLD CUP CENTRAL: 2023 Women’s World Cup Live Scores, Schedules, Standings, Bracket and More
To say this lineup is … interesting is putting it mildly. Emily Sonnett is making her first start in a year and is listed as a defender while Julie Ertz is listed as a midfielder. So does that mean Ertz is moving back into the midfield? Is Sonnett playing as a defensive midfielder? We don’t know! We’ll either have to wait until U.S. Soccer puts out a tactical lineup or until the team takes the field.
Oh, and Trinity Rodman is back in the starting lineup after being replaced by Lynn Williams against Portugal.
Here’s the full lineup:
Goalkeeper: Alyssa Naeher
Defenders: Crystal Dunn, Julie Ertz, Naomi Girma, Emily Fox
Midfielders: Andi Sullivan, Lindsey Horan, Emily Sonnett
Forwards: Sophia Smith, Alex Morgan, Trinity Rodman
Where to watch USA vs. Sweden
All 2023 World Cup games will be broadcast in the U.S. by Fox, on both its main channel and FS1. It’s also available to stream on FoxSports.com and the Fox Sports app. Spanish-language coverage will be on Telemundo.
USA women World Cup schedule
If the USWNT beats Sweden on Sunday, the team will play at 3:30 a.m. ET Friday, August 11 against Japan.
USA vs. Sweden predictions
Nancy Armour, columnist: I could make a case for the game going either way. If the USWNT gets a goal early, I think they win handily. If it’s another slog at halftime, Sweden advances.
Lindsay Schnell, reporter: I’m not sure if I’m overly optimistic or naive, but I have to think that purely based on the law of averages, the numerous looks the U.S. has been getting will go in eventually. So I’m picking the Americans, 2-1.
Emily Sonnett gets first career World Cup start
Emily Sonnett is making her first-ever World Cup start vs. Sweden, filling in at midfield for the missing Rose Lavelle, who is suspended due to yellow card accumulation in group play.
This will be Sonnett’s 77th appearance with the USWNT, and her first start since July 14, 2022, in the semifinals of Concacaf championship, where the USWNT qualified for both the World Cup and next year’s Paris Olympics. And she scored, her only career goal with the USWNT.
Sonnett, 29, currently plays for the NSWL’s OL Reign in Seattle, but used to play with fellow USWNT midfield Andi Sullivan for the Washington Spirit.
Sweden vs. United States odds
Despite their uninspiring play thus far, World Cup betting odds still favor the United States in their round of 16 matchup against Sweden. But the gap has closed, with many of the top online sportsbooks pessimistic about the Americans’ chances.
The USWNT is still slight +120 favorites to defeat Sweden (+230) this weekend, a slim margin that is a result of the Americans’ inauspicious start to the tournament, according to BetMGM. For example, BetMGM had the United States as -350 favorites to defeat Portugal in their final group stage match that ended in a scoreless draw.
The Americans are also no longer the favorites to win the World Cup. England (+300) has passed the USWNT (+400) in that category, per BetMGM.
Understanding the current state of the USWNT and its impact on betting trends is paramount to understanding how to bet on sports. If you still believe the United States can win a third consecutive title, USA TODAY readers can get access to exclusive sportsbook promo codes to redeem at the best mobile sports betting apps that offer World Cup wagering. — Richard Morin, Sporting betting partnerships editor
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Carli Lloyd criticizes USWNT
Two-time World Cup winner Carli Lloyd had some harsh words for the USWNT after the Americans’ 0-0 draw against Portugal.
According to Lloyd, her former team isn’t headed for the championship game anyway.
“(The draw against Portugal) was uninspiring. Disappointing. They don’t look fit. They’re playing as individuals and the tactics are too predictable,” Lloyd said on FOX Sports postgame show. “(They’re) lucky to not be going home right now.”
She reiterated some criticism she’s leveled at U.S. soccer since retiring in 2021, saying “the winning doesn’t matter as much anymore” as much as “a lot of the off the field things that are happening.”
Will U.S. fans dominate crowd at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium?
MELBOURNE, Australia − It’s going to be very interesting to see the makeup of the crowd tonight. Most American fans likely expected the USWNT to be playing in Sydney and bought tickets accordingly, and switching gears would have taken some doing. It would have required changing flights and hotels, as well as buying new tickets. And unlike Auckland and Wellington, which were crawling with USWNT fans on game days, you didn’t see many Americans in Melbourne this weekend.
− Nancy Armour
Is Rose Lavelle playing tonight?
No. The U.S. midfielder is suspended for the match against Sweden because of yellow card accumulation in group play.
How can USWNT beat Sweden at World Cup? Start with these three lineup changes
The USWNT’s World Cup run, to say nothing of its hopes of becoming the first-ever team to win three consecutive titles, is already on fumes, and now they face a round-of-16 game Sunday night against Sweden. You know, the team that bounced the Americans out of the Rio Games in 2016, the only time they’ve not reached the semifinals at a World Cup or Olympics, and then thrashed them in the opener in Tokyo.
To say the U.S. prospects of advancing are not great is putting it nicely. But the USWNT has never been known to give up − 2011 quarterfinals, anyone? − and wacky, unexpected things have become the norm at this World Cup.
So how can the USWNT reverse its fortunes? Here are a few lineup ideas.
USWNT needs to channel Ted Lasso: ¡Mucho, mucho joy!
AUCKLAND, New Zealand − The U.S. women got away from what got them here.
Not the tactics or the rotation or even personal performances. Go back further. All the way back, to when they first fell in love with this game. The gleeful abandon they felt in running up and down the field, chasing a ball or scoring a goal. Their delight in playing with their friends.
That’s what’s been missing in this slog of a World Cup, one in which the USWNT has looked weighted down and lost as they’ve fallen short of everyone’s expectations including their own.
Joy.
Read Nancy Armour’s full column.
World Cup bracket 2023
Here’s how the 2023 World Cup bracket is set up.
World Cup schedule, knockout stage
Here’s the full schedule for the knockout rounds.
Saturday, Aug. 5
- Spain 5, Switzerland 1 … Spain advances to play Netherlands
- Japan 3, Norway 1 … Japan advances to play winner of USWNT-Sweden
Sunday, Aug. 6
- Netherlands 2, South Africa 0 … Netherlands advances to play Spain
- Sweden (Group G winner) vs. USA (Group E runner-up) in Melbourne Rectangular at 5 a.m.
Monday, Aug. 7
- England (Group D winner) vs. Nigeria (Group B runner-up) in Lang Park, Brisbane at 6.30 a.m.
- Australia (Group B winner) vs. Denmark (Group D runner-up) in Stadium Australia, Sydney at 3.30 a.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 8
- Colombia (Group H winner) vs. Jamaica (Group F runner-up) in Hindmarsh, Adelaide at 4 a.m.
- France (Group F winner) vs. Morocco (Group H runner-up) in Melbourne Rectangular at 7 a.m.
Friday, Aug. 11
- Spain vs. Netherlands in Wellington Regional at 9 p.m. ET Thursday
- Japan vs. Sweden/USWNT in Eden Park, Auckland at 3.30 a.m.
Here’s what you need to know about each of these matchups.
