Potential USWNT rivals in the Women’s World Cup Round of 16: toughest and easiest outcomes

The USWNT’s goalless draw against Portugal showed a vulnerable side to the team that we, as viewers, had not previously thought of as a part of their make-up, and now, having finished second, their route to the final is less than secure. The Stars and Stripes have made their name as the dominant force in the world of women’s football yet some may be able to argue that during this tournament, the mask of invincibility has fallen from their faces.

A squad overhaul as a result of an ageing core of World Cup-winning talent is seen as the major feature in the sense of frailty to the side who have conquered the planet on their last two attempts. Fourteen players had never stepped foot onto the pitch of the showpiece event ahead of the first game against Vietnam and the process of winning put in place by Vlatko Andonovski is undergoing something of a clash of eras.

The aforementioned game over Vietnam ended in a comfortable yet not extraordinary 3-0, a result that was followed up by a 1-1 draw with The Netherlands (who then beat Vietnam 7-0). In their final game, Portugal held Alex Morgan, Lindsey Horan and co. to a goalless draw in a match that could have ended in the worst result in their history: Ana Capeta hit the post with seconds to spare, almost sending the world champions crashing out at the first hurdle. Now, having finished second, their chances to face a more difficult team are increased, as they will play the top team in Group G.

What is the toughest and easiest draw the USWNT can have?

Terrible teams do not get through the group stage at a World Cup, so there is probably no ‘easy’ draw for any team at the tournament, but there are certainly teams who are preferred to others.

We also technically don’t know who the US are going to play in the next round, but we can have a very solid guess. Their rivals will be a team from Group G, which consists of Sweden, Italy, South Africa and Argentina. The only two teams that can progress are Sweden and Italy, so that cuts the list of potential opponents down to two.

Which teams can the USWNT play in the next round?

And it gets even easier, as Sweden, who will play bottom of the group Argentina, sit as leaders of Group G with a three point advantage over Italy, who are set to face South Africa. Sweden beat Italy 5-0 in their previous game and look like comfortable winners, as they also have a five goal advantage over Italy. Barring a wild swing in goal difference, Sweden are easily going to win the group. They will, in all likelihood, be the next opponents of the USWNT.

Italy, although now a very unlikely outcome, would certainly be an easier opponent. They beat Argentina 1-0 thanks to a late Girelli goal and have not yet convinced in a group that certainly does not qualify as a so-called ‘group of death’. However, this result seems unlikely, given that even if La Azzurre win heavily against South Africa, they are still relying on their top-spot rivals slipping up.

The curious relationship between Sweden and the USWNT

This is a hugely intriguing tie as these two teams have actually met more than any other sides in Women’s World Cup history, and will have faced each other seven times and in six consecutive Women’s World Cup tournaments. This is set to become a record in women’s football that equals the seven games between Brazil and Sweden, Argentina and Germany and Germany and Yugoslavia/Serbia in the men’s World Cup.

The other curious statistic between the two teams is that in 2011, Sweden beat the USA 2-1 in Wolfsburg in a result which made the United States drop to second place in the group standings. This was the only previous occasion in which they have failed to win their first round group, until this year.