The best soccer team in the world just completed a send-off series to prepare for Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The postponed Olympics has not phased the US Women’s National Team. The USWNT is ready to go to Tokyo for the summer Olympics. They are on a 44 game unbeaten streak and will look to continue it at these summer games. The question on everyone’s minds is, Will the USWNT take gold?
Will USWNT take Gold?
The USWNT is the best team in international soccer. Their dominance over their competition has spanned decades, and at the moment the field has still not caught up. There has been an emphasis put on women’s national teams across the world in the past few years. The model they are looking at is the USWNT. The talented individuals that play as one cohesive unit and represent the United States have inspired generations of girls to play soccer and compete at the highest level.
This current group has already achieved greatness, winning the last two Women’s World Cups in 2015 and 2019. Can this success carry over to the Olympics? The USWNT has had success all-time in the Summer Olympics. They have won four of the six tournaments since Women’s soccer was added as an Olympic sport back in 1996. While this shows the dominance of this team, they will feel like they have something to prove heading into Tokyo 2020. The USWNT lost in the Quarterfinals of the 2016 tournament to Sweden on penalties. It was a disappointment that this current team want’s to correct.
USWNT Roster
There are a good number of players on the team that will represent the USA who failed to win back in 2016. Their leadership and experience will be crucial for this team that is riding high off a long unbeaten streak. This USWNT is the best in women’s soccer but has something to prove for itself. Getting that bad taste of the 2016 failure out of their mouths is the priority. Here are 18 players who will look to do just that.
GOALKEEPERS (2)
Adrianna Franch (Portland Thorns FC), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)
DEFENDERS (6)
Abby Dahlkemper (Manchester City), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC), Kelley O’Hara (Washington Spirit), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Sonnett (Washington Spirit)
MIDFIELDERS (5)
Julie Ertz (Chicago Red Stars), Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign), Kristie Mewis (Houston Dash), Samantha Mewis (North Carolina Courage)
FORWARDS (5)
Tobin Heath (Unattached), Carli Lloyd (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride), Christen Press (Unattached), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign)
This is a side that should be able to beat any competition that is in front of them. The combination of seasoned veterans, young stars, and rising up-and-comers makes this team a favorite just based on the names on the roster alone. These 18 women make up one team of the 12 that will be competing for Gold in Tokyo 2020.
Nations competing
The USWNT is not the only star-studded nation that qualified for these summer Olympics. There are at least two powerhouses in each of the three groups that are competing to win medals for their countries. Here’s a look at the 12 teams that are looking to do just that!
Group E
- Japan
- Canada
- Great Britain
- Chile
Group F
- China
- Brazil
- Zambia
- Netherlands
Group G
- Sweden
- USWNT
- Australia
- New Zealand
Of the 12 nations, eight are ranked in the top 10 of the FIFA world rankings. Japan, Canada, Great Britain, Brazil, Netherlands, Sweden, USA, and Australia all are legitimate contenders to win this competition. The USWNT will have their hands full.
Groupstage kicks things off
The group stage is the first test for the USWNT and the other 11 nations that made it to Tokyo. The group stage is similar to other major soccer tournaments. There are three matchdays, where you can get three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. The teams with the best record win the group and go to the Quarterfinals. The teams that finish in second place also make the quarterfinals. The only difference in this tournament is that two of the three teams that finish in third place will also make the quarterfinals. Here’s a look at the matches through the three matchdays.
Matchday 1: July 21
- Great Britain v Chile | @ 3:30 am EST
- China v Brazil | @ 4:00 am EST
- Sweden v USWNT | @ 4:30 am EST
- Japan v Canada (Sapporo) — @ 6:30 am EST
- Zambia v Netherlands (Miyagi) — @ 7:00 am EST
- Australia v New Zealand (Tokyo) — @ 7:30 am EST
Matchday 2: July 24
- Chile v Canada | @ 3:30 am EST
- China v Zambia | @ 4:00 am EST
- Sweden v Australia | @ 4:30 am EST
- Japan v Great Britain | @ 6:30 am EST
- Netherlands v Brazil | @ 7:00 am EST
- New Zealand v USWNT | @ 7:30 am EST
Matchday 3: July 27
- USWNT v Australia | @ 4:00 am EST
- New Zealand v Sweden | @ 4:00 am EST
- Canada v Great Britain | @ 7:00 am EST
- Chile v Japan | @ 7:00 am EST
- Netherlands v China | @ 7:30 am EST
- Brazil v Zambia | @ 7:30 am EST
These matches will be some fun and exciting games thanks to some of the best teams in the world duking it out in group stage matches. The USWNT will hope that the stiff competition early on in the tournament will set the right tone for a run to the Gold medal.
Out of the group, straight to the last eight
The way this tournament is set up, the winners and second-place finishers; as well as, the two best third-place finishers will make it to the quarterfinals to start the knockout stages. There’s a chance that all eight of the teams ranked among the top 10 in the FIFA rankings could all make knockout rounds. Here’s a look at the dates and times for those rounds.
Quarterfinals: July 30
- 2E v 2F | @ 4:00 am EST
- 1E v 3F or 3G | @ 5:00 am EST
- 1G v 3E or 3F | 6:00 am EST
- 1F v 2G | 7:00 am EST
Semifinals: Aug. 2
- 1F/2G v 2E/2F | 4:00 am EST
- 1E/3F/3G v 1G/3E/3F | 7:00 am EST
Medal matches: Aug. 5
- Bronze medal match | 4:00 am EST
- Gold medal match | 10:00 pm EST
These matches have the potential to be some of the best matches in international soccer this summer. The battle for an Olympic medal will fuel this competition to be the best. There are so many good teams, but the pack is still lead by the USWNT.
Will USWNT Take Gold? YES!
Will USWNT take Gold? The answer to that question is yes! While there are so many good teams, the USWNT is simply better. Anything less than a Gold medal win will be seen as another failure for the USA. There are seven other teams in this tournament ranked in the top 10 in the world, but this US side is the number one ranked team for a reason. They have the quality to beat any team that stands in their way, and their current play is on another level that should be enough for them to win Gold. Don’t believe me, check out what they did last night in their last warm-up game for these Olympic games.
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