It can’t get any better than this. The defending Women’s World Cup Champions against the reigning European titlists. It’s Team USA vs. Netherlands in a matchup everyone will be watching this coming Sunday, as even non soccer fans hop on the bandwagon to cheer on their favorite. While the USA is definitely the favorite at the sportsbook, Netherlands are having quite a run in the tournament despite being in just their second World Cup appearance. Can they pull off an upset or will USA make their nation proud?
The USA is a win away from successfully defending their World Cup title. They defeated England in the semifinals, 2-1, despite not having star striker Megan Rapinoe in the lineup for that game. Rapinoe is dealing with a hamstring issue, and his spot in the semis was filled in by Christen Press, who didn’t waste too much time before proving that the team’s decision to put her in that spot was the correct one, as she scored the first goal of the match inside the 10-minute mark. Rapinoe is expected to return for the Finals, but it’s good to know that Press is riding on a huge momentum. Another injury to monitor for the USA is Rose Lavelle’s. The midfielder exited the England match with a hamstring injury. USA has one of the best — if not the best — striker in the tournament in Alex Morgan, who has six goals across six matches in the tournament so far.
Betting on Netherlands (+740)
The Netherlands are going to the Final round of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup after breezing past the group stages and in the playoffs. They defeated New Zealand, Cameroon, and Canada before taking down Japan in the Round of 16, Italy in the quarterfinals, and Sweden in the semifinals. Against Sweden, the Netherlands used their stout defense to paralyze the attack of their opponents. They also had a hard time finding the back of the net, but came through then Jackie Groenen netted the game-winning score in extra time. While Groenen was the ultimate hero for Netherlands in that game, Danielle van de Donk shouldn’t be overlooked, as she was responsible for setting up that score. De Donk will be a key figure in finding spots in Team USA’s defense that they could exploit, especially if Like Martens won’t be in 100 percent form due to a sustained injury in the semis. Against Sweden, Netherlands had possession of the ball 57 percent of the time.
