Olympics 2021: USWNT Vs. Australia, 5 Things Fans Should Know

(CBS Local)- After a 3-0 nonaccomplishment successful their opener of Olympic play, the USWNT bounced backmost well, routing New Zealand 6-1 to determination into 2nd spot successful Group G with 1 lucifer left. Their last lucifer won’t beryllium an casual 1 arsenic they look different acquainted hostile successful Australia.

There’s a batch connected the enactment successful this 3rd radical play lucifer acceptable for the aboriginal greeting hours of Tuesday July 27 present successful the U.S. As the squad prepares for its last lucifer of radical play, present are 5 things U.S. fans should cognize heading into the match.

All-Time History

The Americans and Matildas person faced each different 30 times but lone erstwhile earlier successful Olympic play backmost successful the 2004 Athens games erstwhile the sides drew 1-1 successful a radical signifier match. The U.S. leads the all-time bid betwixt the 2 sides 26-1-3 with Australia’s archetypal and lone triumph against the Americans coming backmost successful June of 2018.

The Matildas person had amended results precocious against the U.S. with a 1-1-1 grounds successful the past 3 meetings. The astir caller gathering was a triumph for the U.S. nevertheless a 5-3 effect that included Alex Morgan tallying her 100th planetary goal.

Head Coach Familiarity With USWNT

Australia’s caput manager Tony Gustavsson was the adjunct manager for the U.S. nether Pia Sundehage successful 2012 and past again nether Jill Ellis from 2014-2019. He’s inactive comparatively aboriginal successful his tenure with the Australian broadside arsenic helium was named caput manager successful September of 2020, but owed to the COVID pandemic, helium didn’t manager his archetypal lucifer with the squad until April of this year.

Olympic Play So Far For Aussies

Like the U.S., the Australians person won 1 lucifer and mislaid the different successful radical play. They controlled the immense bulk of their opener against New Zealand winning 2-1 with the lone extremity for NZ coming successful stoppage clip of the 2nd half.

Against Sweden, things were rather different. The Matildas took a 2-1 pb aboriginal successful the 2nd fractional convey to a Sam Kerr header but the Swedes answered with 3 consecutive goals to enactment distant a 4-2 victory. Kerr did person an accidental for a chapeau instrumentality but her effort from the punishment spot with the Aussies down 3-2 was saved by Swedish keeper Hedvig Lindahl.

Player To Watch

Forward Sam Kerr is 1 of the astir prolific extremity scorers successful women’s shot currently. Since debuting for Australia successful 2009, she’s tallied 45 goals successful 95 appearances oregon conscionable nether a extremity each 2 games. She’s 3 goals shy of Lisa De Vanna to go Australia’s apical extremity scorer each time.

Kerr besides holds the grounds for astir NWSL goals all-time with 77 successful 119 games. She holds that grounds contempt not having played successful the league since 2019 erstwhile she transferred to Chelsea of the Women’s Super League.

Advancing Scenarios For U.S.

Though some the Americans and Australians person 3 points successful radical play, the U.S. is up connected extremity differential acknowledgment to their 6-1 rout of New Zealand which leaves them +2 for the tournament. Australia is -1 aft their nonaccomplishment to Sweden. So, determination are respective ways successful which the Americans could advance.

The archetypal mode is obvious. Win and you’re through. Most apt a triumph would mean that the Americans caput to the knockout signifier arsenic the 2nd squad from Group G abbreviated of a Swedish nonaccomplishment to New Zealand by astatine slightest 3 goals oregon a Swedish nonaccomplishment and a U.S. triumph by astatine slightest 4 goals. But, careless of seeding, if the USWNT wins Tuesday morning, they’re in.

The 2nd would beryllium for the U.S. and Australia to tie, astatine which constituent the Americans would beryllium done acknowledgment to a amended extremity differential.

The third, and slightest desirable, would beryllium if the U.S. loses to the Matildas by 2 goals oregon less and they would apt beryllium done to the knockout circular arsenic the champion 3rd spot squad from Groups F and G. In Group F, China would request to bushed the Netherlands (unlikely) oregon Zambia would request to bushed Brazil (more unlikely) successful bid to get up of the U.S. connected points. Again, this is the slightest desirable script for the U.S.

In the archetypal scenario, the Americans would extremity up facing either the Netherlands oregon Brazil (winner of Group F) if they extremity up successful 2nd successful Group G. If they were capable to overtake the Swedes acknowledgment to a large nonaccomplishment for Sweden against New Zealand (unlikely) they would look the 3rd spot squad from Group E oregon F (Japan oregon China oregon Zambia).

In the 2nd scenario, they would extremity up facing either the Netherlands oregon Brazil (winner of Group F). And successful the 3rd scenario, the U.S. would gully the victor of Group E (Great Britain oregon Canada).

The USWNT faces Australia successful the last crippled of Group G play connected Tuesday July 27th astatine 4 a.m. Eastern Time.