USWNT vs. Wales Preview: Women’s World Cup Send-Off Match

The USWNT is set to take on Wales as a tune-up for the World Cup, and it’s a solid opponent to be taking on weeks before the competition. After seeing how the USWNT fared against Ireland, expect Wales to be just as physical. Let’s break down the matchup and preview the USWNT vs. Wales. 

USWNT vs. Wales, Sunday: July 9, 4:00 PM ET/1:00 PM PT, TNT

The USWNT will have a strong lineup regardless of who they start, but here’s a projection of who could start. 

GK: Alyssa Naeher, RB: Emily Fox, CBs: Alana Cook, Naomi Girma, LB: Crystal Dunn (possibly Kelley O’Hara)

RM: Rose Lavelle, CM: Andi Sullivan (possibly Julie Ertz), LM: Lindsey Horan

RW: Sophia Smith, ST: Alex Morgan, LW: Trinity Rodman (possibly Lynn Williams)

That’s the lineup that Vlatko Andonovski used the most before naming the official roster, and it’d be surprising to see him deviate from that now. The players in parentheses could start, but it’s more likely they’ll come off the bench as subs in the second half. The biggest miss is Becky Sauerbrunn not being able to make it due to injury, but Alana Cook and Naomi Girma should be more than ready to hold it down together. 

We know what the USWNT can do in attack. They have speed on the wings and the perfect striker upfront. The biggest question mark is Julie Ertz and how effective she’ll be. If she’s even at 80% of her full capabilities, she should get the nod over Andi Sullivan, but it’s hard to say what Andonovski and his staff are thinking.

On the other side, expect Wales to make this an ugly game to try and frustrate the USWNT with hard fouls to break up their rhythm and flow. Wales have some star power of their own. Jess Fishlock is showing that age is just a number, she still hasn’t lost a step, and her presence in the midfield is why the OL Reign continues to have success. 

She’ll have the same impact for Wales, whether it’s her long-range shots, ability to spray the ball around the park, or put in a challenge to win the ball back. The other key player to watch is Angharad James, who plays for Tottenham in the FA WSL. 

She’s the youngest player to reach 100 caps for Wales, and she’s the glue that helps keep the team together and does the dirty work necessary to win games. If the USWNT allows themselves to get into a slugfest, Wales can take advantage of the counterattack. Wales has the quality and finishing ability to score if the USWNT isn’t ready or is outnumbered because of a defensive error. Wales has struggled to defend set pieces, which is a strength for the United States, plus their speed advantage is something they’ll have over most teams at the World Cup.

As mentioned earlier, this game will be closer than people expect, and Wales will likely follow the same strategy Ireland used. This is the best possible test for the USWNT because it’s the blueprint that many other teams that don’t have as much quality as the USA will try to follow to stop them. We’re all expecting a USWNT victory, but Wales will definitely make them earn it. 

Featured image via Getty Images

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