USWNT, Netherlands fight to 1-1 draw in foul-plagued contest

Group E at the 2023 women’s World Cup will see a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final when the United States women’s national team meets Netherlands. Both squads won their opening group stage games and while neither can officially clinch a spot in the knockout stage Wednesday, a win would all but ensure a spot in the round of 16. The cast of characters may have changed slightly for both squads, but the goal remains the same: win the title.

USA is a -155 moneyline favorite in this contest according to DraftKings Sportsbook, while Netherlands is priced at +500. A draw comes in at +265.

Here’s a look at the latest updates from this Group E encounter.

USA vs. Netherlands live updates

Full time - USA 1, Netherlands 1. It was a tale of two halves in this one, with Netherlands dominating the first frame and a good portion of the opening in the second frame before Lindsey Horan took a rough challenge from her club teammate Daniëlle van de Donk. That set up Horan’s goal off a corner kick and while the Americans had a few good opportunities after that, they were unable to find a winner. Both teams will need to do some work in the final group stage game to qualify for the knockout round.

There were 28 total fouls in this contest, but only one card was issued. The most pivotal foul, of course, was the foul on Horan which sparked USA in the second half.

90+3 minute - Sullivan’s rocket after a good attacking sequence does not find the mark. It looks like we’re headed for a draw, which means both these teams will still have some work to do in the final group stage match.

85th minute - The corners have started to pay off for the United States, who are really on the attack late in this game. The Dutch are looking content to defend this out but now they don’t have the luxury of a lead.

82nd minute - Rodman had a great chance off a nice pass from Smith, but the young forward was unable to finesse her shot into the far corner of the goal. It was a tough angle and both Rodman and Smith have had an up-and-down games, so this was ultimately a good sign. We’ll see if the Americans can get the go-ahead goal late in this one.

80th minute - The American back line just got bailed out by Julie Ertz, blocking what would’ve likely been the second goal for Netherlands on a shot inside the box. USA is able to see off the subsequent corner kick to keep this game 1-1.

71st minute - Katja Snoeijs is coming off for the Dutch, and Damaris Egurrola will come on for her. Netherlands might be opting to play a bit more defensive here by taking off a forward and bringing on a midfielder.

68th minute - Morgan thought she had the goal to give the Americans a 2-1 lead but the offside flag is up. Video replay does show Morgan slightly ahead of the last Dutch defender so it’s the right call, but this has been a good response from the United States. It shouldn’t have taken this long for the veterans to get things going, and it’ll be a lesson for the coaching staff as well. It could be time to play more veterans as the tournament moves on.

63rd minute - Goal for the United States! After taking a rough challenge from her club teammate, Horan got her head on a corner and put the ball in the back of the net to give her country the equalizing goal. It’s now all to play for once again in Wellington with the score at 1-1.

59th minute - Horan is down for the Americans after getting crushed on a 50-50 ball from Daniëlle van de Donk. She’s slowly getting to her feet but we’ll see if this impacts her at all going forward. The midfielder was on the scoreboard in the first game and she’s a co-captain, so her importance cannot be overstated.

50th minute - It took a while but we’ve finally got the first card of the match. It’s a yellow for Lavelle on a reckless challenge, although this might be one she can have. She was yanked down from her jersey by the Dutch defender and the referee didn’t call that foul, so Lavelle went with a sliding tackle as retaliation. Maybe that’ll wake the Americans up a bit in the middle of the park.

46th minute - Lavelle has come in for the United States and DeMelo has come off, so one change is there. Smith and Rodman are both still in, which is surprisingly given how overwhelmed they looked in the first half. We’ll see if Rapinoe comes in for either player in later in the half.

Halftime - Let’s look at the updated odds for this match courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. USA is now +300 on the moneyline, while Netherlands are listed at +100. A draw comes in at +170.

Halftime - Netherlands 1, USA 0. The Dutch have had more possession (61-39) and are being far more physical in the midfield. Despite 16 total fouls (10 to the Netherlands), the referee has not given out a single card. The Americans have more shots (9-2) but the Netherlands have the most important stat on the scoreboard. Look for Vlatko Andonovski to make some changes in the lineup at halftime. Megan Rapinoe is a good candidate to come on and replace Sophia Smith, while Rose Lavelle and Alyssa Thompson could also be introduced.

45th minute - The possession stats tell the story. The Netherlands look more composed and collected, while the United States look fatigued and out of ideas. The Dutch have better spacing and are carving up the Americans in the midfield. The back line has gotten very lucky with some passes and missed clearances, but the overall dominance has been there for the Netherlands. USA is going to need some individual brilliance to break out of this funk.

36th minute - There were two headers off corners for the United States, but neither found the mark. Netherlands defender Stefanie van der Gragt is getting some medical attention but appears to be fine. The Americans have more shots and shots on target, but the Dutch have controlled possession in the match. More importantly, they lead on the scoreboard.

27th minute - There’s been a lot of physical play in the midfield, and some of the players are taking it a bit too far. There were four fouls within a 30-second span, with both sides committing some needless challenges. The referee is going to have to take control of the situation at some point but for now, no cards have come out.

22nd minute - Alex Morgan gets her head on a corner kick but unfortunately it’s a skied attempt. The Americans find themselves in a much different situation than the game against Vietnam, but their aggressiveness has been there from the start in this one. The Dutch lead on the scoreboard, but the United States has had more chances.

17th minute - Goal for Netherlands! It was the first Dutch attack with some real substance and it has paid off in a big way. Crystal Dunn slipped on the initial pass into the box but did recover nicely to deflect the next cross, but her pass fell nicely to Lieke Martens who then found Jill Roord for the shot. Alyssa Naeher had no chance on this one. 1-0 Netherlands.

9th minute - The United States get the first really good chance of the game, with Savannah DeMelo having the shot at the end of the attack. Lindsey Horan got the break in the midfield and made a pass up to Sophia Smith, who put a through ball into the box. DeMelo was unable to find the target and didn’t force a save but it was good build-up for USA. The Americans have been the more aggressive team in the opening portion of this match.

6th minute - This is going to be more of a test for the Americans in relation to Vietnam, but the United States front line has generated some chances early and that’s encouraging. Meanwhile, the back line hasn’t really been tested early. Possession has been more even, and the Dutch are obviously more settled than Vietnam but it’s a positive start for USA.

Pregame - Let’s check the odds one last time before the match starts. A draw is now +270, but USA moneyline and Netherlands moneyline remain at -155 and +500, respectively. Alex Morgan (+150) and Sophia Smith (+155) are the most likely to score a goal, but Megan Rapinoe is sitting in third at +210 despite being on the bench to begin this match.

Pregame - Here’s a look at our game pick, USA’s starting lineup for the contest and the officiating crew. The Americans are rolling with the same lineup as they did against Vietnam, and that’s not surprising considering Vlatko Andonovski’s comments after the match. He was pleased with some of the play among the group, and likely wants them to find more chemistry with each other. Julie Ertz will likely slide back into her new role as a center back, and the team should maintain it’s 4-3-3 formation.