The USWNT’s Biggest Rivals in History
There’s no denying that the USWNT is a juggernaut in the sports world. They’ve been the best in the world practically since their inception, but that doesn’t mean they skated their way to #1. The United States isn’t the only name in the game, and their competition has been growing right along with them. Here are some of the biggest rivals the team has faced off against throughout the history of the game.
Canada
Two-time CONCACAF Gold Cup and Olympic bronze winners, Canada is a small but mighty team. The Canadian national team actually made their international debut against the USWNT back in the 80s. They lost the bronze in the 2003 FIFA World Cup to the US and a rivalry was born.
The two teams frequently face off in CONCACAF competitions, but the best clash of the two teams came in the 2012 Olympic semifinals. It’s a game we’ll never forget. Alex Morgan’s header in the dying minutes of extra time lifted the USWNT 4-3 over Canada. It was a heated, tightly contested battle.
The Canadian Women’s National Team is led by Christine Sinclair, of the Portland Thorns, one of the most decorated athletes in the game today. Sinclair has won three championships between her time on the WPS and the NWSL and has scored 55 goals for the Thorns since joining the team in 2013. That’s a remarkably small number compared to what she has put in the net for Canada, combining her time on the U19 team and her tenure with the national team, Sinclair has scored well over 200 goals on the international level and is now the leading goalscorer in international soccer, surpassing Abby Wambach. Canada’s team is young and on the rise, in the years to come, we’re looking forward to more hard-fought matchups between the neighboring countries.
Sweden
There is no denying Sweden’s presence on the pitch. Anytime the USWNT finds themselves in a bracket against Sweden fans of both teams are abuzz over the outcome and the clash between the two titans. Although they have never finished higher than second, Sweden has appeared in every major soccer event multiple times. They’ve seen the Olympics, the World Cup, and the European Championships, six, eight, and ten times, respectively. They’ve become one of the USWNT’s most challenging opponents. No one can forget the 2016 Olympics when they knocked the sitting World Cup champions out in PKs.
In the 2019 World Cup, Sweden was neck and neck with the USA to make it out of pool play and head into the knockout round. If not for an own goal sending the US into a 2-0 victory, that game might have played out very differently. Sweden is widely acknowledged as a futbol force, and to see them play—no matter the opponent—makes it very clear why.
Germany
Probably one of the top three nations you think of when you think of women’s soccer dominance, Germany has always given the US a run for their money. Germany has the second-most World Cup wins, with two to the US’s four. 2003, the year they earned their second championship, was the same year that the USWNT finished third, and Sweden second. Germany knocked the US out in the semis with a 3-0 crusher and edged Sweden out by one goal in the final. And this is all without mentioning their pantry of UEFA wins and their Olympic gold.
The team is currently ranked second in the world and has only ever sunk as low as third. Brigit Prinz, an absolute goddess of the game, was at the helm of some of Germany’s greatest victories. Even since her retirement in 2011 she is widely regarded in the soccer community as one of the best to ever play and still holds records for goal scoring in some of the biggest tournaments. Prinz is to Germany what Wambach is to the US and Marta is to Brazil.
China
The USWNT has a long history with China. Of the 58 times China has faced off against the USWNT they’ve only come away with nine wins, but a game between these two nations is always one to watch. One of the most historic games in sports history happened in 1999 when the two met in the finals of the World Cup. A 0-0 draw in standard play and overtime sent them into the most legendary penalty kick standoff ever seen with Brandi Chastain sinking the final point and bringing home the gold. The end of that tournament resulted in China’s best showing at a World Cup. Just three years before that tournament China scored a silver in the Olympics, where they lost to the US.
Though they’ve since fallen down the ranks of the WoSo world, in 2015, they handed the USWNT a rare defeat – in Abby Wambach’s final game no less.
Norway
Though they are little, they are fierce. Norway has been a unit for years and was actually the first team to ever deal the US a knockout blow in the 1995 World Cup. In the same tournament that they relegated the USWNT into third, they also elevated themselves over Germany to take the gold. Fast forward to the 2000 Olympics and the final standings looked eerily similar to the World Cup before, but this time Norway beat the US to take gold, and Germany took home the bronze. So far, these are Norway’s only gold showings, but they have had tons of other grabs for glory, usually falling to one of the teams on this list or a few of the other juggernauts out there. In recent years, Norway has hit a bit of a rough patch, between finding the right coach and losing a few star players to retirement, but their history speaks for itself.
Featured Image via Stuart Franklin – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
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