Currently, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is going on, and Wednesday’s match demonstrated the best of footballing. On Wednesday, New Zealand’s Wellington regional stadium stood witness to a competitive clash between US and Netherlands which ended in1-1 draw.
The first half of the match was all about technical dominance. Netherland’s manager Andries Jonker decided on the 3-1-4-2 formation, which left the USWNT’s midfield in tatters. It was this formation that also earned the Netherlands its first goal from the top of the box at approximately the 17th-minute mark.
While the Netherlands team absolutely dominated the first half of the match. In the second half, it was the United States who took the upper hand. After an equalizer header by co-captain Lindsay Horan, the momentum of the match reversed, and the US was able to recover from a disjointed first half.
It is to be noted that it was because of Andonovski’s introduction of Lavelle and a side change helped Americans equalize the scoreboard. Even with merely 42% possession, the USWNT seemed to have held its own ground. This is a remarkable feat, nonetheless.
Like Andonovski, Lavelle should also be credited for recovering the US in the second half of the match. Lavelle was seen pushing the pace every time the Netherlands team turned over the ball. This helped the team to gain momentum. As a result, the USNWT seemed to have been more comfortable with direct counterattacks from the Netherlands.
This draw has broken the long streak of 13 consecutive wins for the USNWT at the World Cup. Still, the draw did not affect the overall position of the team and has kept USNWT atop Group E. With one match awaiting with Portugal, USNWT seems to be very close to victory. Keep following our page for more such content.
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