The U.S. women’s national team didn’t expect a straightforward path to another World Cup final, and that instinct looks like the correct one.
The USWNT found itself in a serious battle against a feisty Netherlands side in a 1-1 draw that saw head coach Vlatko Andonovski under fire for a lack of substitutions, among other issues.
The Dutch, on their first attempt at anything resembling an attacking foray, took a surprise early lead through Jill Roord on a sequence featuring four or five errors. That goal left the U.S. reeling, but just as importantly served to inspire the Oranje, who proceeded to threaten to run the USWNT off the pitch.
The U.S. managed to avoid letting the Netherlands turn their control into a ton of chances, and after a conflict between Lindsey Horan and Daniëlle van de Donk, flipped the tables. Horan scored seconds after that dispute was broken up, and as much as the USWNT showing drew criticism, the team will look back and wonder how their dominance of the game’s final half-hour didn’t result in a game-winning goal.
It was intense, breathless, controversial, and everything else people want out of high-level sports…except, if you’re a U.S. fan, it didn’t end with the expected three points.
Let’s dig into the most charged-up game of this World Cup thus far: