The USWNT have looked like the best team in the World Cup through group stages. But some injury doubts to key players could derail their progress in the knockout stages.
On Thursday night, the U.S. Women’s National Team scored two goals to ease past Sweden in the final game of the group stage at the 2019 FIFA World Cup. Sweden were looking to assert their dominance again after their 2016 Olympic Finals win over the USA, but they were well below the required level here.
Jill Ellis reverted to her original front three which proved too much for the Swedes. The two nations have now met at five of the previous seven World Cups, including each of the last four, making it the most played fixture in the history of the tournament.
Soaring in the third minute of play, the Stars and Stripes wasted little time to break the deadlock. Lindsey Horan tucked in the ball from close range from a Megan Rapinoe corner which was too hot for Sweedish keeper Hedvig Lindahl to get a handle of. It was the quickest goal at the 2019 World Cup thus far. Horan has now scored two goals in the tournament and her tenth with the senior side.
The U.S. held 63% of the ball making 604 passes while Sweden mustered just 365 with 65% accuracy, inferior to the Americans’ 82% accuracy. In keeping Sweden off the ball, the USWNT were able to get twice as many shots on target and were fouled 10 times.
Despite dominance from the Americans at the Stade Oceane, Sweden continued to pose a threat on the counter-attack. This was the first real test for the U.S. who had gone through their two previous opponents with little resistance.
The U.S. is unbeaten when leading heading into half-time at the World Cup. This victory kept the trend alive. Plenty of pressure from Tobin Heath forced an own goal within five minutes of the second half. The Portland Thorns winger dribbled past her defender before firing off a shot which deflected off Joanna Andersson, up over Lindahl and into the back of the net.
In shutting out the Swedes, the U.S. did not concede a goal in the group stage while also scoring 18 goals, the most in the group stage at the World Cup. The record was previously held by Norway who scored 17 goals at 1995 World Cup, a clear sign of the USWNT dominance thus far.
As the USWNT now prepare for the knockout stages, however, the positive news from their performance is slighted somewhat by two key injury concerns.
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At the start of the second half, Ellis elected to take out Alex Morgan for Carli Lloyd. Morgan went down when chasing the ball in the first half, falling hard on her right knee, an injury that has kept her out of the competition before.
After the match, Ellis played down the injury. ‘It was just more, let’s be smart about this,’ the USWNT head coach said. With plenty of quality options in attack for Ellis, there was no need to risk her star player in a group stage match with a one-goal lead and qualification already secured.
Another key player to cast doubt over her availability for the remainder of the tournament is midfielder Julie Ertz, who missed Thursday’s contest against Sweden entirely after picking up a thigh contusion. Ellis sidelined her veteran midfielder allowing Samantha Mewis and Lindsey Horan to take the reins.
Ertz was kept out in the same way Morgan was, to allow for additional time for recovery while not risking exacerbating the injury. According to Sport Illustrated’s Grant Wahl, Ertz will be ready for the Round of 16 matchups against Spain. Nevertheless, two key players suffering fitness problems is not ideal preparation for a run at a World Cup defense.
The USWNT’s performances have proven that they might well be the best team in the competition. But the injuries are concerning, despite the depth of the squad. As the knockout stages unfold, these two opposite pillars will meet, one way or another.