Battle of the Giants Down Under: A Clash of Titans in the 2023 Women’s World Cup

Sweden vs United States: 2023 Women’s World Cup Match Preview and Prediction

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August 5, 2023

The highly anticipated clash between Sweden and the United States in the round-of-16 of the 2023 Women’s World Cup is set to take place at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. In this preview, we will analyze the stats, provide a match preview, and make a prediction for the outcome.

Sweden vs United States Stats: Quick Hits

This match is expected to be closely contested, but according to the Opta supercomputer, the United States is the favorite to win with a 44.1% chance of victory in 90 minutes. Sweden, on the other hand, has shown great prowess in their set-piece play, amassing 3.3 expected goals (xG) assisted from corners in the group stage, the highest among all teams in the tournament.

Match Preview

The United States had a close call in their final group stage match against Portugal, narrowly avoiding elimination with a 0-0 draw. As a result, they finished second in their group and now face a formidable opponent in Sweden. The USWNT’s performance in the group stage was below their usual standards, with their five points being their lowest ever return at a Women’s World Cup.

Sweden, on the other hand, had an excellent group stage, winning all three of their matches, including a dominant 5-0 victory over Italy. They have a strong track record in the knockout stages of the tournament, reaching at least the semi-final in three of their last four appearances. However, they did suffer a 4-1 loss to Germany in the last 16 in 2015.

The United States has a remarkable record in the Women’s World Cup knockout stages, winning their last eight matches. Their last defeat in the knockout stage was a 4-0 loss to Brazil in the 2007 semi-finals. However, they will need to be cautious of Sweden’s threat from corner kicks, as no team in the group stage scored as many goals or attempted as many shots from corners as Sweden.

Overall, Sweden has been clinical in front of goal, scoring a higher proportion of their non-penalty shots than any other nation in the tournament. Meanwhile, the United States’ star striker, Alex Morgan, will be aiming to join an elite group of players who have scored double figures in Women’s World Cup goals for their country.

Sweden vs United States Head-to-Head

This will be the seventh meeting between Sweden and the United States in the Women’s World Cup, making it the most-played fixture in the competition’s history. In their previous six meetings, the United States has won four, with Sweden winning just one and one match ending in a draw. However, Sweden did defeat the United States 3-0 in their most recent encounter at the Olympics in Tokyo two years ago.

Sweden vs United States Prediction

The Opta supercomputer still considers the United States to be the favorites to advance, despite Sweden’s impressive performances in the group stage. The United States has never failed to advance from the group stage in any of the previous nine editions of the Women’s World Cup. They also have a strong track record in the knockout stages, winning at least one game in each of the previous eight editions.

However, Sweden cannot be underestimated, and they have a respectable 28.0% chance of victory in 90 minutes. There is also a near-identical 27.9% chance that the game will go into extra time.

Squads

Sweden:

• Jennifer Falk
• Zećira Mušović
• Tove Enblom
• Linda Sembrant
• Magdalena Eriksson
• Jonna Andersson
• Amanda Ilestedt
• Nathalie Björn
• Hanna Lundkvist
• Anna Sandberg
• Caroline Seger
• Kosovare Asllani
• Olivia Schough
• Elin Rubensson
• Filippa Angeldahl
• Hanna Bennison
• Johanna Rytting Kaneryd
• Sofia Jakobsson
• Stina Blackstenius
• Fridolina Rolfö
• Lina Hurtig
• Madelen Janogy
• Rebecka Blomqvist

United States:

• Aubrey Kingsbury
• Casey Murphy
• Alyssa Naeher
• Alana Cook
• Crystal Dunn
• Emily Fox
• Naomi Girma
• Sofia Huerta
• Kelley O’Hara
• Emily Sonnett
• Savannah DeMelo
• Julie Ertz
• Lindsey Horan
• Rose Lavelle
• Kristie Mewis
• Ashley Sanchez
• Andi Sullivan
• Alex Morgan
• Megan Rapinoe
• Trinity Rodman
• Sophia Smith
• Alyssa Thompson
• Lynn Williams

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