The ongoing Women’s World Cup is moving into its knockout stages, with 16 teams vying for eight quarterfinal spots.
Among the contenders, the defending champions USA (USWNT) secured the second spot in Group E, trailing behind the Netherlands. The USA will now face the Group G winners, Sweden, in a highly anticipated clash between two highly rated sides.
#SWE qualifying in style. 🤩@SvenskFotboll | #FIFAWWC
— FIFA Women’s World Cup (@FIFAWWC) August 2, 2023
The date and venue for this exciting encounter have been confirmed: Sunday, August 6, at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. The coverage is set to begin at 4 a.m. ET, with the kickoff scheduled for 5 a.m. ET.
USA viewers can catch the action live on FOX or stream it online through the FOX Sports application. Further, viewers can tune in to Fox Sports or its affiliated channels like FOX and FS1 on network television without any additional cost.
For those without cable, several options are available to access the match. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial and a $10 discount on their plans, starting as low as $74.99/month after the trial period.
Alternatively, Streaming services like Fubo, Sling TV, and Hulu also offer subscription packages to stream the Women’s World Cup, providing additional options for fans to enjoy the match.
This fixture between the USA and Sweden holds significant historical importance as it will be the seventh time these two teams meet in the Women’s World Cup, making it the most-played fixture in the tournament’s history.
Prediction for USWNT vs. Sweden Women’s World Cup Round of 16
Two of the world’s top three teams, Sweden and the USA, are gearing up to clash for the sixth time in a row in this tournament. Sweden entered the event as the number three team in the world ranking, while the USA stands at the top spot.
In their 42 previous encounters, the United States has dominated Sweden, winning 23 matches and losing only seven. However, the two teams’ last competitive meeting was during the opening match of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where Sweden stunned the USA with a resounding 3-0 victory, ending the American’s 44-game unbeaten record and making their way to the final.
The history between these teams holds significance, as Sweden is the last team to defeat the USWNT in a 90-minute World Cup game. It happened during the 2011 tournament, with Sweden emerging victorious with a 2-1 win.
This is the first group stage draw for the USWNT at the Women’s World Cup since 2015 vs. Sweden.
They would go on to win the World Cup that year. pic.twitter.com/qSjX1eUbst
— espnW (@espnW) July 27, 2023
During this competition, the United States women’s national team had a slightly rocky start, tying with Portugal to finish second in their first-round group and advance to the knockout round with five points, their lowest-ever total from a FIFA Women’s World Cup First Round group.
In contrast, Sweden displayed remarkable form by winning all three of their group-stage matches and scoring nine goals while conceding only one. They join Japan and England as the only teams to have won all their opening matches.
Sweden’s head coach, Peter Gerhardsson, gave his team an advantage by resting nine of his starters in the final group stage match, ensuring they were physically and psychologically prepared for the USA matchup.
This will be the SIXTH World Cup in a row that the USWNT face Sweden.
2003: 🇺🇸 3 – 1 🇸🇪
2007: 🇺🇸 2 – 0 🇸🇪
2011: 🇺🇸 1 – 2 🇸🇪
2015: 🇺🇸 0 – 0 🇸🇪
2019: 🇺🇸 2 – 0 🇸🇪
2023: 🇺🇸 ? – ? 🇸🇪They love a major tournament matchup 🌟 pic.twitter.com/RnZddJGhPw
— Women’s Transfer News (@womenstransfer) August 1, 2023
Experts have noticed some uncharacteristic shakiness in the American team, while Sweden’s attacking unit, featuring Stina Blackstenius, Kosovare Asllani, and Fridolina Rolfo, who play for Arsenal, A.C. Milan, and Barcelona respectively, will provide a stern test for the American backline.
However, the USA will have to face Sweden without one of their top players, Rose Lavelle, who picked up a yellow card (second of this tournament) in their final Group E match against Portugal.
Sweden’s growing confidence, including a commanding 5-0 victory over Italy, has led many experts to lean towards Sweden in this upcoming clash.
From our analysis, it appears that Sweden holds the favorites’ tag, especially with their rested players facing an under-confident and shaken USWNT. Nonetheless, the match is expected to be a close fight, with the USA’s champions’ mentality and experience potentially coming into play.