Day 8 of the FIFA Women’s World Cup opened with the United States facing off against the Netherlands and is followed up by Portugal taking on Vietnam and Australia going up against Nigeria.
Couldn’t watch and need to know what the big story is? This is what happened on the eighth day of the World Cup.
Your bite-sized recap of Day 8 of the 2023 Women’s World Cup
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United States 1, Netherlands 1
The Big Story: This game got chippy early and only got chippier after the United States conceded early. Although the United States battled their way back into the game in the second half, questions remain about the United States’ struggle to connect in the final third and their uncertain defense. For the Netherlands, they showed just how dangerous they can be if given half a chance, but ultimately gave the U.S. far too many chances in the second half.
The Big Moment: Jill Roord scores for the Netherlands and put the United States behind by one early. The goal was the Netherlands’ first real chance of the game and they seized it to take control of the match from this point on. While Roord’s shot was a rocket, the United States’ defense was shaky positionally and made it easier than it should have been for the Dutch to navigate through and find the back of the net.
NETHERLANDS STRIKES FIRST 
Jill Roord fires it into the bottom corner of the net! pic.twitter.com/E3eWRb3GmL
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 27, 2023
Jill Roord fires it into the bottom corner of the net! pic.twitter.com/E3eWRb3GmL
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 27, 2023
What it means: Going with an unchanged starting XI for the United States was a surprise to many. Playing Julie Ertz in the backline and Savannah DeMelo over Rose Lavelle raise questions about Alana Cook and Lavelle’s fitness. Ultimately, the U.S. did come out on the front foot, but the wind was taken out of their sails early with the Netherland’s first goal and it took until well into the second half before they found it again.
Luckily in the second half, Lindsay Horan did find the back of the net off a set piece to find the equalizer showing that the United States is still able to claw back and get a result when necessary. Horan’s goal was to some extent the result of frustration and anger at the chippy play that marked this match. The goal injected her side with the anger and energy they needed to carry them through the rest of the match.
Lindsey Horan making a STATEMENT with an equalizing goal!!!!pic.twitter.com/MkV6mblRzN
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) July 27, 2023
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) July 27, 2023
Although the U.S. didn’t find the game-winner, they definitely had the better chances throughout the second half. In what has become a common refrain for the United States, they just couldn’t connect in the final third despite creating an abundance of chances. Too often Trinity Rodman made solo runs only to tread water waiting for other white jerseys to make runs and put together an attack. More worrying is how uncertain their defense looked. Again, this isn’t entirely surprising with Becky Sauerbrunn missing the tournament and Ertz playing center-back for the first time in years, but this definitely raises concerns for the United States’ against stronger opponents.
Conversely, the Netherlands were able to hold onto possession convincingly through most of the match. They only had a fraction of the United States’ chances, but they made enough of them to get a point out of the match. The United States struggled to break through their solid defense even when the U.S. gained the upper hand in the second half. Ultimately, they’ve shown that they are a very hard team to break down.
Even though this was a draw, the Netherlands will probably want to address how few chances they generated compared to their opponents. Sure, they have a lot of offensive injuries, but only five shots with one on target is not the level of offensive output that will carry them far. Especially because they allowed the United States to take 18 shots with five on target. If the United States had been slightly more clinical in their finishing this would have been a considerably different game.
– Bekki Morgan
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