A 62nd minute equalizer from Lindsey Horan helped the U.S. Women’s National Team earn a point in their second group stage match in a 1-1 draw between the two finalists of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The result keeps the U.S. at the top of Group E, even with The Netherlands on points with goal differential advantage going to the Stars and Stripes.
The Orange Lionesses opened the scoring inside 20 minutes, capitalizing on a quick attack that started in their own half and ended with midfielder Jill Rood finishing a low shot from 17 yards out into the lower left corner.
The Netherlands held a rare lead over the U.S. - it was just the sixth time in 52 World Cup matches the U.S. has trailed at halftime and the first since they were behind Sweden in 2011 - but the U.S. was able to fight back and grab an equalizer on a set piece goal in the 62nd minute.
Rose Lavelle delivered the corner kick that found Horan on a run toward the near post and the U.S. skipper buried the equalizer to send the stadium into an eruption of U-S-A chants.
The U.S. now looks to the final group stage match against Portugal on Aug. 1 at Eden Park in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau (7 p.m. local / 3 a.m. ET on FOX, Telemundo and Peacock) while the Netherlands faces Vietnam at the same time in Dunedin to wrap up Group E play and determine berths into the Round of 16.
Notes:
- The USA’s starting lineup was the same as deployed in its opening match against Vietnam, which featured five players who were part of the USA’s 2019 Women’s World Cup championship squad and six players who made their FIFA Women’s World Cup debut.
- With her assist, Rose Lavelle now has a goal or an assist in three of her four career games against the Netherlands.
- Lavelle’s assist marked her first at a FIFA Women’s World Cup, adding to her three goals scored in the 2019 edition of the tournament, the last of which came against Netherlands in the World Cup Final to help the USA win its fourth world title.
- Netherlands’ opening goal marked the first time the USA trailed in a World Cup match since the 2011 Quarterfinal against Brazil. It was just the seventh time the USA has conceded first at a World Cup and the first time since the 2011 Group Stage against Sweden.
- The USA and Netherlands have now played 11 total matches and this was their third meeting at a major tournament. The U.S. leads the overall series with eight wins, two draws and one loss (8W-2D-1L), the lone defeat to the Dutch came in a 4-3 defeat during the first matchup between the teams in 1991. Since then, the USA is unbeaten in its last 10 games against the Netherlands, though each of the last six meetings between the teams has been decided by two goals or fewer.
- The matchup in Wellington was the USA’s 23rd matchup all-time against a UEFA opponent at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The U.S. had won its previous six World Cup games against European foes and is now 18W-2D-3L all-time in World Cup games against UEFA.