Women’s World Cup: U.S. and the Netherlands Meet in Rematch of 2019 Final
The subtext all week has been historical past, even earlier than the United States and the Netherlands arrived in Wellington, New Zealand, for his or her high-stakes matchup on the World Cup on Thursday afternoon (Wednesday at 9 p.m. Eastern).
Every day, there have been limitless questions on how the sport is a replay of the 2019 World Cup ultimate. Questions about reminiscences and rematches and revenge. And day by day, the gamers and their coaches from each groups have — patiently, politely, persistently — made clear that the previous doesn’t notably matter to them.
“I think that was four years ago,” United States midfielder Rose Lavelle mentioned on Wednesday. “I think both teams are completely different: different players, different coaches. So I think it’s a fun memory, but we have a new mind-set for this game.”
The eagerness to set the historical past apart is probably extra comprehensible within the Netherlands camp. Several of its key gamers had been on the sphere in Lyon, France, when the Netherlands misplaced to the United States in the 2019 ultimate, but in addition when the Americans beat the Dutch in a pleasant in November 2020 and in a shootout in the Olympic match in Tokyo in 2021. They are all, thanks very a lot, fairly conscious of the historical past that hangs over the rivalry. They are all simply as able to look forward, as a substitute of again.
“It’s a big game — we’re looking forward to it,” Netherlands midfielder Jill Roord mentioned after beating Portugal on Sunday. “But it’s just a game. And it’s the group stage, so it doesn’t really matter what the big game is. You just want to win.”
Her teammate Jackie Groenen provided an identical shrug on Wednesday. “For me it’s just a match,” she mentioned. “It’s worth three points, and we want to win it.”
That underplays the stakes fairly a bit. Ever because the groups had been drawn into the identical group, they’ve understood the significance of successful this matchup, and with it in all probability first place in Group E. Both groups know that the first-place group within the group has a far simpler path within the spherical of 16 (Italy or Argentina presumably) than the runner-up, which is more likely to face Sweden, a real World Cup title contender, within the knockout spherical.
Both the United States and the Netherlands additionally agree that Thursday’s sport can be totally different. The Americans will run out a couple of new faces of their lineup, an injection of talent and expertise that provides promise however treasured little big-game expertise on the World Cup. Lavelle, although, may be positioned to assist: She may rejoin the beginning lineup for the primary time after a number of injury-plagued months. (UPDATE: Nope. The U.S. lineup is unchanged from the Vietnam sport.)
But the Netherlands affords a brand new look as effectively: extra seasoned and extra organized, extra disciplined and, perhaps, just a bit extra expert in sure locations.
Maybe that can be sufficient. Maybe the teachings of the previous, dismissed as speaking factors all week, have been absorbed. Maybe, simply perhaps, the Netherlands can produce a distinct outcome. The Americans, assured as ever, completely imagine that’s attainable. More essential, so do the Dutch.
“We are not afraid of America,” Netherlands Coach Andries Jonker mentioned on Sunday. “We respect them. But we have no fear.”
