All-time leading scorer Abby Wambach may be gone, but the U.S. women’s national team still has a ton of firepower up front. Alex Morgan (67 goals in 112 caps) has taken up the mantle of being the world champions’ talismanic striker. Meanwhile, World Cup hero Carli Lloyd (88 goals in 224 caps) continues to offer great support from midfield. The two combined for seven goals in their run to the gold medal in the 2012 Olympics.
The USWNT breezed through Olympic qualifying, scoring 23 goals in just five games. They won all five games, and have won 14 of 15 games overall this calendar year. Rising star Crystal Dunn was the co-leading scorer in the Olympic qualifying tournament with six goals; Morgan and Lloyd had five and four goals, respectively.
New Zealand, on the other hand, has been starving for goals in recent months. Ever since thrashing Papua New Guinea 7-1 in the OFC qualifying tournament, the Football Ferns have scored just three goals in their last seven matches. They won just one of those matches, losing three and drawing three.
New Zealand will rely heavily on Amber Hearn (50 goals in 112 caps) and Sarah Gregorius (24 goals in 78 caps) to deliver in front of goal, but it’ll be a tough ask to break through a strong American defense.
They say defense wins championships, and the USWNT’s backline is a big reason why it’s the big +150 favorite to claim yet another gold in Rio. The Americans have let in a measly four goals in 15 games this year, and three of those came in a single match – their 3-3 friendly draw against Japan in June.
Legendary 35-year-old goalie Hope Solo continues on in goal for the Americans, and the back four which helped the country win the World Cup last year remains intact.
The Football Ferns have failed to keep clean sheets in recent games, but they do have the combination of steel and guile in midfield with Katie Duncan (115 caps) and Betsy Hassett (8 goals in 91 caps) to make things tough for the Americans.
Writer’s Prediction: The USWNT rolls to a routine 2-0 win over New Zealand.
