USWNT facing Netherlands today in FIFA World Cup Final

The U.S. Women’s National Team will compete for the biggest prize in women’s soccer when it takes on the Netherlands in the championship game of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup on Sunday, July 7 at Stade de Lyon in the French capital of women’s soccer.

This will be the fifth appearance in a FIFA Women’s World Cup Final for the USA, which is the first and only nation to win it on three occasions: 1991, 1999 and 2015.

Live TV coverage of the match begins on FOX at 11:00 a.m. ET.

It will also mark a record third straight finals appearance for the U.S. after the team defeated Japan in an epic finals rematch in Canada 2015, four years after falling short in a shootout against Japan at the 2011 edition.

The USA earned its way into the 2019 final by blazing through its group in record fashion beating Thailand (13-0), Chile (3-0) and semifinalists Sweden (2-0) before combining tremendous skill, savvy and will to meet increasingly tough challenges from rising power Spain (2-1) in the Round of 16, World Cup host France (2-1) in the Quarterfinal and No. 3 ranked England (2-1) in an epic Semifinal showdown. The Netherlands meanwhile also won its group going 3-0-0 against New Zealand (1-0), Cameroon (3-1) and Canada (2-1) before knocking off 2015 finalists Japan (2-1) in the Round of 16, Italy (2-0) in the Quarterfinal and Sweden (1-0 AET) in the Semifinal.

The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup final against the 2017 European champions Netherlands will be broadcast live on FOX and Telemundo at 11a.m. ET. Fans can follow all the action on Twitter @USWNT and follow the team along its journey on Instagram and Facebook.

HOW THEY GOT HERE

USA – 1st in Group F

Date                 Opponent        Score               Goal Scorers

June 11            Thailand           13-0 W             Morgan (5), Lavelle (2), Horan, Mewis (2), Rapinoe, Pugh, Lloyd

June 16            Chile                3-0 W              Lloyd (2), Ertz

June 20            Sweden            2-0 W              Horan, Own Goal

June 24            Spain               2-1 W              Rapinoe (2)

June 28            France              2-1 W              Rapinoe (2)

July 2               England            2-1 W              Press, Morgan

Netherlands – 1st in Group E

Date                 Opponent        Score               Goal Scorers

June 11             New Zealand    1-0 W               Roord

June 15             Cameroon        3-1 W               Miedema (2), Bloodworth

June 20            Canada            2-1 W               Dekker, Beerensteyn

June 25            Japan               2-1 W               Martens (2)

June 29            Italy                  2-0 W               Miedema, Van der Gragt

July 3               Sweden            1-0 W               Groenen

USA VS. NETHERLANDS:

• The USA is 6-1-0 all-time against the Netherlands and won the most recent meeting which took place at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on Sept. 18, 2016, a 3-1 U.S. victory in which Carli Lloyd and Allie Long scored after Shanice van de Sanden had given the Dutch a lead in the second minute. The USA also benefited from a Dutch own goal.
• The teams also met three years earlier in The Hague in April of 2013 with the USA getting a goal from Tobin Heath and two from Christen Press in a 3-1 win. Manon Melis scored for Holland.
• Prior to 2013, the teams hadn’t met since 2006, a 2-0 U.S. win at the Peace Queen Cup in Suwon, South Korea.
• The teams met in a pair of friendlies in 1999 with the USA winning both. The 1996 meeting was the first match for the U.S. Women vs. the Dutch. The match in California was a 6-0 U.S. win at Cal-State Fullerton in which Julie Foudy scored a spectacular full volley from distance. Perhaps she was making up for the first meeting between the teams which produced the Netherland’s only win in the series back in 1991, a 4-3 victory for the Dutch that was also Foudy’s first and last appearance as a center back for the United States.

U.S. WNT TIDBITS

• The USA is only the third defending champion to reach the World Cup Final in the following tournament after winning the title – Germany did so in 2003 and 2007, while Japan accomplished the feat in 2011 and 2015.
• The first team to reach three consecutive World Cup Finals, the USA could become only the second nation to repeat as champions after Germany did so in 2003 and 2007.
• The USA has reached a record five World Cup finals, winning three. The second most accomplished team, Germany, has been to three finals, winning two.
• The U.S. is unbeaten in its last 16 Women’s World Cup matches (13W-3D), winning the last 11 in a row. They are the only team to win 11 consecutive WWC matches, besting Norway’s run from 1995 to 19999. Six of the USA’s 11 wins have been by multiple-goal margins.
• World Cup Rosters: Lloyd (4); Krieger (3), O’Hara (3), Sauerbrunn (3), Heath (3), Morgan (3), Rapinoe (3); Harris (2), Naeher (2), Brian (2), Ertz (2), Press (2); Franch (1), Dahlkemper (1), Davidson (1), Dunn (1), Sonnett (1), Horan (1), Lavelle (1), Long (1), Mewis (1), McDonald (1), Pugh (1).
• Of the 23 players named to the roster, Lloyd has the most experience, having played in 24 matches while scoring 10 goals, one in 2011, six at the 2015 tournament and three so far in 2019. Lloyd is the oldest player on the roster at 36 and against Chile became the oldest player to score at least twice in a Women’s World Cup match.
• Five players own double-figure World Cup caps: Lloyd (24), Krieger (15), Morgan (17), Rapinoe (16) Heath (15) and Sauerbrunn (13).
• Davidson is the youngest player on the roster at age 20. Pugh turned 21 on April 29. Brian was the youngest player on the 2015 World Cup Team at 22. Just under half the roster (11 players) are in their 30s and 12 are in their 20s.
• Six players who had previously scored in a Women’s World Cup tournament are on this roster. Four of the seven goal scorers against Thailand made their World Cup scoring debuts. Current World Cup goal scorers on the roster are: Lloyd (13), Morgan (9), Rapinoe (8), Horan (2), Lavelle (2), Mewis (2), Press (2), Ertz (1), Pugh (1), Heath (1), O’Hara (1) and Own Goal (1).
• The roster features players from 13 different states. Five players on the roster are from California, three are from Georgia, while two each are from New York, New Jersey, Arizona and Colorado.
• The roster includes 11 first-time participants, three more than the team that won the World Cup four years ago. This roster is also tied for the third-most rookies among U.S. teams since the Women’s World Cup began in 1991.
• The U.S. has scored more goals (six) in the opening 15 minutes of matches at the Women’s World Cup than any other team. England is second with four. The USA has scored in the first 15 minutes of each of its World Cup matches.
• The USWNT has had nine different goal scorers at this tournament. Only the 2003 German team (10) and the 1999 American team (10) have had more at a single WWC.
• The United States is the only nation to have made it to all eight semifinals of the Women’s World Cup.

IN FOCUS: NETHERLANDS

FIFA World Ranking: 8

UEFA Ranking: 4
World Cup Appearances: 2 (2015, 2019)

Best Women’s World Cup finish: Finalist (2019)

Record vs. USA: 1-6-0
Head Coach: Sarina Wiegman

NETHERLANDS WOMEN’S WORLD CUP ROSTER BY POSITION:

GOALKEEPERS (3): 23-Loes Geurts (Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC, SWE), 16-Lize Kop (AFC Ajax), 1-Sari Van Veenendaal (Arsenal, ENG)

DEFENDERS (8): 2-Desiree Van Lunteren (SC Freiburg, GER), 3-Stefanie Van Der Gragt (FC Barcelona, ESP), 4-Merel Van Dongen (Real Betis, ESP), 5-Kika Van Es (Ajax), 6-Anouk Dekker (Montpellier HSC, FRA), 18-Danique Kerkdijk (Bristol City, ENG), 20-Dominique Bloodworth (Arsenal, ENG), 22-Liza Van Der Most (Ajax)

MIDFIELDERS (6): 8-Sherida Spitse (Vålerenga IF, NOR), 10-Danielle Van De Donk (Arsenal, ENG), 12-Victoria Pelova (ADO Den Haag), 14-Jackie Groenen (FFC Frankfurt, GER), 15-Inessa Kaagman (Everton, ENG), 19-Jill Roord (FC Bayern Münich, GER)

FORWARDS (6): 7-Shanice Van De Sanden (Olympique Lyon, FRA), 9-Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal, ENG), 11-Lieke Martens (FC Barcelona, ESP), 13-Renate Jansen (FC Twente), 17-Ellen Jansen (AFC Ajax), 21-Lineth Beerensteyn (FC Bayern Münich, GER)

NETHERLANDS NOTES:

• Netherlands won Group F after hard-fought victories against New Zealand (1-0 on a 90+2 goal from Jill Roord), Cameroon (3-1 on two goals from Vivianne Miedema and one from Dominique Bloodworth), and Canada (2-1 on goals from defender Anouk Dekker and 22-year-old Lineth Beerensteyn).
• The Dutch then raised their level in the knockout rounds, downing Japan 2-1 in the Round of 16 on two goals from star Lieke Martens in a game that was decided on a late penalty kick and could have gone either way, cruised past Italy 2-0 in the Quarterfinal on late goals from Miedema and Stefanie Van Der Gragt, then downed Sweden in a hard-fought semifinal on a 99th minute goal in overtime from Jackie Groenen to earn a place in its first World Cup Final.
• It took longer than a year for the Netherlands to qualify for the 2019 WWC. Ranked 9th in UEFA to begin qualifying, the Dutch entered the qualifying group stage in Group 3 and went on to finish second to Norway with a 6-1-1 record.
• Their only loss came in a 2-1 defeat to Norway on the final matchday with qualification to the playoff already all but guaranteed. However, a victory that day could have seen Netherlands finish atop their group and avoid the playoff.
• Even with the loss, the Dutch were the highest ranked of all the second-place teams in the qualifying group stage and their quality was on full display in the playoff as they first dispatched Denmark 4-1 over the course of two legs before claiming UEFA’s final ticket to France with another 4-1 aggregate victory, this time against Switzerland.
• Vivianna Miedema and Sherida Spitse were Netherland’s joint top scorers during the group stage – each had five. The pair also scored in the first leg of the Playoff Final vs. Switzerland.
• Though only 22, Miedema is the Netherlands’ star. Having sharpened her finishing skills in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, she moved to Arsenal in 2017 and proceeded to score 39 goals in 47 appearances for the English champs. She scored seven goals in World Cup qualifying, including strikes in both legs of the playoff final which the Dutch won 4-1 over Switzerland. She has an incredible 61 goals in her 81 caps for Holland just two years into her 20s.
• Spitse is the Netherlands most experienced player. The midfielder with 168 caps and 30 goals is one of three players on the roster to pass the appearance century mark, joining veteran goalkeeper Loes Geurts (123) and Lieke Martens (109; 44 goals).
• Seventeen of the Netherlands 23-player roster play club soccer outside the country. The players play across Europe in England, Germany, Sweden, Norway, France and Spain for some of the top women’s clubs in the world. Of the six domestic players on the roster, five ply their trade at legendary Dutch club Ajax.
• Netherlands head coach Sarina Wiegman is a former player, the first to earn 100 caps for the Dutch women, who began her coaching career in 2006 and has brought success to each team she managed during her steady climb to the helm of the Netherlands Women’s national team.
• A former captain of the team in her playing days when she earned 106 caps, Wiegman led the Netherlands on an undefeated run to the 2017 UEFA Women’s Euro title after only being installed in the top job six months prior to the tournament, which the Netherlands hosted.
• She had previously worked as an assistant with the team for two years after guiding ADO Den Haag to multiple cup titles and a league title in 2012 and 2013.
• She spent one season at the University of North Carolina where she helped the Tar Heels win the 1989 NCCA title alongside USWNT legends Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly and Carla Overbeck.
• The Netherlands hosted the 2017 European Women’s Championship joining the 15 qualifiers in the final tournament in July/August 2017.
• Lieke Martens was voted Player of the Tournament and also captured the Bronze Ball with three goals and two assists, while teammate Vivianne Miedema earned the Silver Ball with four goals scored.
• The Dutch defeated Denmark 4-2 in the Final, coming back from an early PK concession to take the lead before being pegged back to 2-2 before halftime. Miedema scored twice in the match and Martens also added a goal. Sherida Spitse notched the game winner.
• The Netherlands made its first appearance in a Women’s World Cup in 2015 and performed well, finishing third in Group A behind second place China PR on the basis of just one less goal scored. Netherlands met Japan in the Round of 16 and fell 2-1.