USWNT Olympic Group Stage: USWNT vs. Australia Preview
The Women’s Olympic games on Sunday were out of this world. Every single game was a thriller with unexpected results in each game. Based on how the USWNT played against Germany and how Spain played against Nigeria, the United States should now be the clear favorite for Gold. As for the Matildas, they somehow came back from 5-2 down in the second half to win 6-5 in one of the greatest games played in Olympic women’s soccer history. The Matildas need at least a point to secure one of the two third-place spots to advance into the quarterfinals. The United States is already through to the next round and may sit some starters in the process. Here’s my preview of the USWNT vs. Australia.
USWNT vs. Australia: Wednesday, July 31 at 1:00 PM ET/10:00 AM PT on USA Network, Peacock TV, Universo
The USWNT’s finishing against Germany was as ruthless as it gets. This is the version that no team in the Olympic field wants to see. Germany didn’t have a bad game, either. Julia Gwinn’s long-range goal was a thing of beauty, and they had a few great chances that Alyssa Naeher foiled brilliantly. Yet, this is the offense we’ve been waiting to see from the USA. Those three first-half goals took the life out of Germany and essentially ended the game. To add a fourth goal in the second half was the cherry on top.
Emma Hayes will likely choose to sit at least one starter from the last two games. Lynn Williams and Croix Bethune could start in the match, but they’ll surely come off the bench if not. Even if some of the bench players come in to start, the USWNT will have full confidence in getting the three points.
The Matildas defense has been abysmal through the first two games. They were poor at defending set pieces against Germany and had no answer for Barbra Banda and Rachael Kundananji. Banda scored a hat-trick, and Kundananji netted a brace. Unfortunately, Zambia’s defense was worse than the Aussies, who scored four second-half goals. That’s obviously not going to happen against the USWNT. With how the front three has been playing and Lynn Williams as a fourth option, they should be defeating the Matildas by multiple goals.
Tierna Davidson’s injury could loom large later in the competition, depending on how serious it is. More will come to light on her status after their training session the day before the game. Even if Davidson can’t play, the luxury of bringing a veteran like Emily Sonnett off the bench is great to have for the United States. Everything should be full speed ahead with the USWNT, and as long as they shore up some small defensive mistakes, no one should be able to touch them until the Gold Medal match.
As for the Matildas, a draw would be enough to knock Canada, assuming Zambia doesn’t pull off a miracle and defeat Germany. Yet, do they have the defensive capabilities to stop the USWNT? Their backline is composed of star players who all play at big clubs in Europe. There’s no excuse for these poor performances.
If Sam Kerr were playing, this matchup would be a different story, and it’d actually give the USWNT something to worry about. Without Kerr, the United States should coast to a victory in this game. The Matildas have what it takes to score in this game, but if they couldn’t handle Banda and Kundananji, how are they going to stop the likes of Smith, Swanson, and Rodman? This should be a clear win for the USWNT, as they would like to win the group and get the best possible matchup in the quarterfinals.
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