The highly anticipated tilt between the Netherlands and the United States, which ended in a 1-1 draw at Wellington Regional Stadium in New Zealand, continued the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 on Wednesday, as reported by FOX Sports and FOX app.

The USWNT overcame a disjointed first half to seize control and ultimately earn a 1-1 draw against the Americans. Lindsey Horan, co-captain, reversed the momentum during an onslaught in the second half, scoring an equalizer with a header in the 62nd minute.

On August 1st, the USWNT’s streak of 13 consecutive wins at the World Cup was snapped with a draw against Portugal in their remaining Group E match. The Americans, who were on top of the group, kept their position but were tormented by a Netherlands squad that stymied their counterattacks with a fast pace. U.S. Manager Vlatko Andonovski made tactical changes by instructing his side to push with breakneck pace and introduced Lavelle Rose as a substitute at halftime in each of the first two games.

In the opening of the first half, the USWNT’s dominant tactical battle was led by manager Jonker Andries as they produced a shot on goal at the top of the box in the 17th minute. The formation used was 3-1-4-2. The game ended with the U.S. Bombarding the Dutch penalty area, coming close to scoring a fourth and a third goal, but falling just short. Nonetheless, the way Wednesday’s game ended was still impressive.

Despite winning a close match and managing to secure a draw, the Americans had fewer passes and possession than the Dutch, with just 42%. However, the introduction of Lavelle brought a change in momentum for the U.S. In the second half, as Andonovski’s team clawed back and nearly scraped out a victory.

With the tie, the United States Women’s National Team is now 1-1-4 (Win-Draw-Loss) historically when conceding a goal first.

Take a look at our live coverage below, which includes live analysis from FOX Sports’ Michael Cohen!

The score of the match between the United States and the Netherlands is 1-1.

82′: What an opportunity!

Another direct attack from the U.S. Created an opportunity for a breakaway, as Rodman Trinity’s wide shot was left-footed and dragged the defender, resulting in a header flick-on.

Constantly looking to run at the Dutch counter and back line, the USWNT’s performance was a reflection of how they played in the second half. Despite only having 41% possession by the 89th minute, the U.S. Out-shot the Dutch 5-15.

73′: Close to scoring a goal.

USWNT standout forward Sophia Smith was eager to contribute to her team’s score as the second half progressed.

71′: Asserting a point.

Lavelle played a crucial role in the USWNT’s press during the latter part of the game. Whenever the Netherlands made a mistake and lost possession, she consistently increased the tempo. By attempting to swiftly launch counterattacks, the U.S. Team appeared significantly more at ease.

As the situation progressed, the midfield became a game of numbers. This caused at least one of the Dutch wingbacks to retreat defensively when Lavelle advanced, effectively adding a fourth forward to the U.S. Team.

67′: Getting hotter.

Alex Morgan found home but was kept offside yard by a Dutch defender, as Rodman picked the pocket of another U.S. Player, nearly resulting in a goal.

62′: GOAL! The United States equalizes the score.

Horan equalized the game with a well-executed header from a set piece by the U.S. Lavelle delivered a magnificent in-swinging corner towards the near post, and Horan skillfully flicked a header into the goal.

Right before Horan’s goal, she was approached by the referee following an altercation with Dutch midfielder Daniëlle van de Donk.

51′: Yellow.

Just a few moments after stepping onto the field, Lavelle received the initial yellow card of the game.

45 minutes in, Lavelle makes an entrance.

In the previous three encounters between the two teams, she managed to find the net against the Netherlands as well. Lavelle was substituted in during the second half, providing a crucial burst of energy for the U.S. After initially being a substitute on Wednesday.

During the latter part of the game, a defensive alteration was made to the USWNT’s formation. Rather than having all three forwards aggressively attack, Andonovski instructed his players to adopt a 4-5-1 shape when without possession of the ball. While Morgan maintained a forward position, Smith and Rodman adjusted their positioning slightly deeper to provide support in the midfield. Meanwhile,

Halftime.

Several concerns for Andonovski to tackle during halftime:

The Americans were in an uncomfortable position while playing. Players who are not accustomed to having possession of the ball, especially in matches where the U.S. Is dominating, find it challenging. Rodman seemed particularly confused about where she should be when the Dutch had the ball. The Netherlands easily allowed the U.S. To play far passes into their midfield, and the Dutch backline was under pressure trying to defend. There was no cohesion among the three players who were trying to pressure the Dutch. Rodman and Smith, Morgan’s front line, were disconnected. Defensively, the U.S. Press was not effective.

The Dutch team aimed to construct their attacks by utilizing the central area. They aimed to create difficulties for the USWNT’s defensive line, which was concerned about long balls being played over their heads due to the windy conditions. However, there consistently appeared to be a significant distance between the lines of the U.S. Formation. Therefore, the four defenders should advance further up the field and narrow the gap, thus decreasing the overall distance between them and the Morgan/Smith/Rodman forward line. This adjustment will assist in shutting down the passing routes in the midfield. Specifically, it will address the open space in the middle of the field.

Andonovski might consider a formation change – either to 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 – if he wonders about matching the pitch of that particular section in terms of numbers and adding an extra body in midfield. The result was that one player in the midfield was relatively light. The U.S. Has been unable to take advantage of this so far, but the idea of having three forwards against three Dutch defenders is enticing.

35′: Squandered chances.

In the end, the design was clever but ultimately unsuccessful. In an attempt to pull a player away from the goal line towards the top of the box, a defender was dragged away from the chaos. The U.S. Strategically removed a player from that area of the field to reduce congestion. A flicked header towards the goal was created at the near post. The USWNT had a similar design for both corner kicks.

The USWNT’s defenders and Morgan were at the 50-yard line multiple times, with four defenders between them. The U.S. Was stretched defensively, while the Dutch gave a lot of space in the midfield between the lines.

During the initial 45 minutes, the Americans were behind the Dutch in terms of overall shots (9:2) and shots on target (2:1). Likewise, the Netherlands dominated possession for 61% of the first half, whereas the U.S. Had possession for 39% of the time up until now.

29′: What might have occurred.

The Netherlands’ Dominique Janssen nearly put her team up 2-0, but her shot from outside the box was just a bit high.

22′: Never give up.

In order to counter the strong wind, she chose to deliver a flat pass instead of curving the ball. Our initial glimpse of a corner kick against this wind came from the USWNT midfielder Savannah DeMelo, who executed a beautifully struck ball.

17′: Goal! Netherlands seize the advantage.

Roord discovered the bottom corner with a shot from a central position, granting the Dutch team a numerical superiority as they advanced towards the last third. This allowed the USWNT’s midfield line to be bypassed, as forward Lieke Martens executed a graceful turn in midfield when the opportunity arose. Thanks to Jill Roord’s precise strike from the top of the penalty area, the Netherlands took an early lead.

This was the initial occurrence since 2011 where the United States has been marked as the first team to concede a goal in a World Cup game. Furthermore, in their previous 18 tournament matches (including today), it was also the first instance where the US Women’s National Team has fallen behind in a World Cup match.

9′: Employing force at the beginning.

The USWNT had a hard time building from the back because the Dutch midfielder, Jackie Groenen, was marking DeMelo, making it difficult for them to play with one holding midfielder.

3′: Discovering a pattern.

Coaches often encourage players to reduce the number of aerial passes and keep the ball on the ground, especially in adverse conditions. The wind certainly played a significant role in this match’s storyline, right outside the gate.

The squad tends to favor players who can break down defenses more technically, instead of relying on crosses to target off flown by the wind. They can use tight passing combinations to bypass the effects of the wind.

1′: Come on, let’s go!

In a similar manner, activities had commenced in New Zealand.

PREGAME.

Preparing the scene.

The “World Cup NOW” team previewed the live match on Twitter before the start.

Dressing appropriately.

Things were business as usual for the United States prior to the highly anticipated game.

Starting XI.

Both teams revealed their starting lineups before the game.

In the rematch of the 2019 World Cup final on Wednesday, Lavelle began the game as a substitute, and from there she netted the crucial second goal for the U.S. In the team’s first match, she was also a substitute, marking her initial appearance for either her club or her nation in more than three months.

Four players from the USWNT, namely Horan, Ertz, Dunn, and Naeher, started in the quarterfinals of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics against the Netherlands. These same players, Morgan, Ertz, Julie, Dunn Crystal, and Naeher Alyssa, also started in the final of the 2019 World Cup against the Netherlands.