World Cup NOW: Biggest takeaways from USWNT-Netherlands draw
The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup continued Wednesday, with the United States and the Netherlands playing to a 1-1 draw in an all-important Group E match at Wellington Regional Stadium in New Zealand.
The Dutch were first on the board, but the Americans overcame a disjointed first half to score the equalizer in the 62nd minute, courtesy of a picture-perfect header from co-captain Lindsey Horan that reversed the momentum for the USWNT.
[Lindsey Horan sets a fiery example for young USWNT]
With the draw, the USWNT is now 1-1-4 (W-D-L) all-time when allowing a goal first.
The "World Cup NOW" crew — Jimmy Conrad, Leslie Osborne and Melissa Ortiz — was joined by 2015 World Cup champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist Heather O'Reilly and former Australia captain Kathryn Gill. Together, they discussed the main takeaways from Wednesday's match, including what they thought about the lack of substitutions, the key players and what held the U.S. back from getting the win.
Conrad: "I think what we have to figure out is how do you get that grit? Because that grit was missing from the first game-and-a-half from the U.S., and all of a sudden something changed where we're trying to be not only a better team with the ball but also a better team with the intangibles."
Osborne: "The moment when [Horan] went down with the knee, you thought she might be taken out. From that moment on, she [was] a game-changer. This is why Lindsey Horan is our co-captain and why she's one of the best center midfielders in the world. But you want that bite, so how can we get that bite and that mentality difference from not getting into a bad tackle and almost getting hurt?"
Ortiz: "There was minute 60, 70, 80 — all this time goes by. This is a game for someone so physical like Lynn Williams. You already saw that physicality between Lindsey Horan and Daniëlle van de Donk. Why not bring on another player that's just gonna bring it and keep that momentum in these last 10 minutes when you need that energy."
O'Reilly: "Rose Lavelle is a world-class midfielder. We knew that we were gonna need our most special talent on the pitch. … Just start Rose from the beginning. … She came in and made a difference."
[USWNT 'learned a few lessons' from clawing back against the Netherlands]
Gill: "I think they got the tactics wrong at the start. They were happy to sit and let the Netherlands have the ball, and obviously trying to make the Netherlands make a mistake, but they weren't. They were on point. They knew exactly where they were picking up passes and where they wanted to play. If that's not in your favor, you've got to be more aggressive; you've got to step up earlier. You've got to notice that that's happening and be able to change it in the moment."
Check out the full Women's World Cup schedule and how to watch each match live here. Find the latest scores here.
