Women’s World Cup LIVE: USA vs Sweden latest score and updates as Netherlands end South Africa run

The Netherlands won Group E ahead of the USA and are now in the quarter-finals.

Can the US join them? Both Group C teams beat Group A opponents Japan and Spain yesterday.

Can Sweden take out the US?

After finishing runners-up in Group E, USA meet a Swedish team that is organized, defensively strong and dominant on the ball – basically everything that USA aren’t.

Sweden were one of the most efficient teams in front of goal at the World Cup alongside Japan, but a key difference is that much of their threat came from set pieces and Jonna Andersson’s passes, with Amanda Ilestedt a frequent target at the front post, which already resulted in three goals.

Sweden beat the USA 3-0 when they met in the group stage of the Olympic Games two years ago. A repeat would be an extremely humbling end to the defending champion’s dominant performance at the World Cup, albeit inevitably far given that performance.

What went wrong for the US?

The US faces a crisis of confidence as they feel their reign as two-time champions is coming to an end and the fan base in their home country is on the brink of collapse.

Coach Vlatko Andonovski, who narrowly avoided elimination from the group stage against Portugal, drew particular attention to America’s poor performance.

Off the field, there was heated debate about what went wrong, but the team’s performances have so far lacked any emotion.

Andonovski’s side showed some glaring flaws against the Netherlands and Portugal as they lacked control in midfield and lacked the flair for applying pressure or creating chances.

In case you missed the news overnight, Keira Walsh has returned to full England training ahead of Monday’s Women’s World Cup round of 16 match against Nigeria, just days after the Lionesses midfielder was forced to sit on a stretcher against Denmark.

It has been confirmed that Walsh did not suffer a cruciate ligament injury after being left on crutches after England’s second World Cup game, although the Champions League winner remained in the squad following scans.

Walsh missed England’s 6-1 win over China in their final Group C game as Sarina Wiegman switched her line-up to a 3-5-2 in the midfielder’s absence, but her quick return to training has boosted the 26-year-old’s hopes . old was able to play in the tournament again.

Wiegman will give an update at her press conference later on Sunday in Brisbane on whether Walsh will be available for selection when England take on Nigeria in the round of 16 the following day.

USA coach Vlatko Andonovski passionately defended his side’s standards and said criticism of the World Cup season was unfair as the holders prepare for Sunday’s round of 16 match against Sweden.

USA go under fire in their first knockout tie in Melbourne after edging out the group stage with draws against the Netherlands and Portugal.

Former USA player Carli Lloyd gave the Portugal game scathing reviews, calling the post that saved the Americans in stoppage time the “player of the game”.

Andonovski said the criticism was misplaced: “Personally, I don’t think now is the right time for anyone to question the standards… and the mindset of this team again,” he told reporters on Saturday.

“And I don’t think it’s the right thing either. I’m very happy with where they (the players) are, how they take responsibility and keep raising the standards.”

The in-form Swedes are confident they can beat defending champions USA in the round of 16 of Sunday’s Women’s World Cup when they meet on Sunday, the latest in a long list of major tournament clashes between the two heavyweights.

The two sides have met in the group stages of six previous editions of the World Cup. Sweden finished the American Olympic series in Rio 2016 in the quarterfinals and won the group stage of the Tokyo 2021 games 3-0.

They had different routes to this year’s knockout rounds, with Sweden topping their group with a perfect record while the USA progressed in second. But the third-placed Swedes expect nothing less than the best.

“I don’t care about favorites and the like,” said coach Peter Gerhardsson. “We have a chance to win the game and that’s the most important thing… We know what we’re up against.

“You can talk about revenge or underdog mentality. For me it won’t make any difference tomorrow. It’s the players who play. The story is nothing.

“I have great faith in this squad and in all the preparations we’ve made… We believe we can win this game.”

South Africa’s players were overwhelmed by the applause at the end; Despite losing to the Netherlands, they left the Women’s World Cup with their heads held high. After reaching the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time, a place in the quarterfinals proved a step too far, but only after they edged out 2019 runners-up in a competition that was quite different in another could have gone out day. It took a sensational performance from Dutch goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar to end South Africa’s dream run.

Van Domselaar was great and became Player of the Match after saving the superb Thembi Kgatlana as she threatened to tear the Netherlands apart. Kgatlana was electrifying and the din inside the stadium grew louder as waves of South African counter-attacks rolled towards the goal. Despite Jill Roord’s early opener, it felt like the equalizer would come as long as Kgatlana was able to repeatedly attack the terrified Dutch defence. A Dutch system and philosophy based on possession and control failed to stop the South African captain once she took off.

But luckily for the Netherlands they still had Van Domselaar and without them this round of 16 could have gone off track.

South Africa coach Desiree Ellis: “We knew we had to score more goals and we could have lost sight of the chances we had in the first half.” Yesterday we talked about underdogs but we showed at the World Cup that there are no outsiders.”

Netherlands head coach Andries Jonker: “If you had told me before the tournament that Germany and Brazil would be eliminated before the round of 16, I would not have believed you, I would not have believed that these big teams and I could be upset.” I had didn’t expect the other sides to fill the gap.”