The United States and Sweden are in the final game of their World Cup match. With the score tied at 2-2, it’s anyone’s game to win. What will happen?
The USA vs. Sweden score Olympics is a comparison of the United States and Sweden’s performance in the Olympic games.
5:48 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
5:48 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Andrew Keh is a writer who lives in the United States is a writer who lives in the United States is a writer who lives in the United States is a writer who lives in the United States is a writer who lives in the United States is a writer who lives in the United States is a writer who lives in the United States is a writer who lives in the United States is a writer who lives in the United States is a writer who lives in the United States is a writer who lives in the United States is a writer who lives in the United States is a writer who lives in the United States is a writer who lives in the United States
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
54′ Amanda Ilestedt was the first to rise above the crowd and send a corner kick at the American goal. The ball rebounded off the far post and fell at Blackstenius’ foot, who smashed it from point-blank range into the top of the goal. Naeher struggled helplessly, swinging her arms in vain. That’s Blackstenius’s second goal, and it’s another well-deserved goal for Sweden. Now is the time for the Americans to scramble.
5:43 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
5:43 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
GOAL IN 54 MINUTES! Sweden now has a two-fold advantage! 2-0!
Credit: The New York Times/Doug Mills
5:42 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
5:42 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
54′ Sweden earns a corner and almost scores a free header from it, followed by another corner in the far corner.
5:44 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
5:44 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
If this part feels a lot like the previous, it’s because it’s precisely the same.
5:41 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
5:41 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Andrew Keh
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
Kelley O’Hara, 51, was gazing up at a ball in mid-air when she was hit between the shoulder blades by a Swedish player. She remained on the ground for a few minutes, clutching the back of her neck in agony, but she seems to be alright now.
Credit: The New York Times/Doug Mills
5:40 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
5:40 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Credit… The New York Times/Alexandra Garcia
5:37 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
5:37 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
The Swedes are in at 48′ when Ertz is pushed off the ball by an Asllani and Rolfo sandwich. The resulting shot is a screamer that just clears the bar.
5:33 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
5:33 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
Lloyd and Ertz are on the way.
5:35 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
5:35 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
Ertz is filling in for Sam Mewis in the deep midfield position. She hasn’t played since suffering a leg injury in a club game a few months ago. Lloyd has taken over as the primary striker from Alex Morgan.
5:28 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
5:28 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
At halftime, all seven of Sweden’s subs remained on the bench, allowing them to warm up for possible action in the second half. Meanwhile, the United States retired to the locker room en masse to analyze what had gone wrong.
However, two players have returned to loosen up ahead of the others, and they are a fascinating pair: Carli Lloyd and Julie Ertz.
5:26 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
5:26 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
It should be uncommon to see the United States get bossed about for an hour and a half. It isn’t something that happens on a regular basis. However, Sweden’s tactics of repeatedly pressing Crystal Dunn’s side with Sofia Jakobsson and others, then splitting the stretched defense with cutting cuts and leading balls through the middle, have left the Americans on their heels. Naeher has come up huge on a few occasions, but the American offense has been almost invisible, and as a result, the defense has struggled to find its footing and fend off the constant pressure.
Credit: The New York Times/Doug Mills
5:19 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
5:19 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
HALFTIME. That whistle may have come as a relief to the US, which had been on the back foot for almost the entire half and, despite Lavelle’s late header off the post, was arguably fortunate to be down 1-0.
5:22 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
5:22 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Andrew Keh
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
Megan Rapinoe, who sat on the bench for the first half, sprang from her seat and dashed to the tunnel’s entrance to catch the American starters as they went off the field. She then remained there and gave each of them a high-five as they made their way to the changing rooms. Could she make a difference in the second half if she came on? It is obvious that the United States has to make some changes.
5:18 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
5:18 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
45′ Oh my goodness, it was so near! O’Hara unleashes a screamer from just inside Sweden’s half-court, a hopeful ball that improves with each step closer to Rose Lavelle. Lavelle, racing in from the left post, meets it with a thunderous header that beats Lindahl — and then pings off the left post and out.
By far the greatest American opportunity of the half.
5:17 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
5:17 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
In Sweden’s April game against the United States, Sofia Jakobsson of Sweden tackled Kelley O’Hara of the United States. Credit… Getty Images/Linnea Rheborg
This game had an uncanny resemblance to the sides’ April encounter in Stockholm, when Sweden scored on a near-post header in the first half and dominated for the rest of the night. That is, until Megan Rapinoe arrived just in time (from the viewpoint of the Americans) to snare a late penalty and a 1-1 draw.
Sweden must have left the stadium that night feeling pleased about its efforts against a team as excellent as the US — just as it must today about its first half — and maybe a bit irritated that it didn’t complete the victory.
Out of 23 games under Vlatko Andonovski, the game is the only one that did not result in a U.S. win. Since January 2019, the Americans have not lost to anybody.
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5:15 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
5:15 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Andrew Keh
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
43′ Blackstenius gallops into wide space behind the United States defense, slips underneath a wonderfully sent long ball from the right side, and handles it with her chest into the box. It seemed to be a certain goal, but her last touch in the box was sloppy. The ball becomes caught beneath her foot, allowing Naeher to swoop in and retrieve it before it does any harm. There was a chance it might have been 2-0.
5:09 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
5:09 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
38′ At the top of Sweden’s penalty box, O’Hara’s deft movement leaves her opponent chasing shadows, giving O’Hara a clear shot at a cross. Lindahl, on the other hand, eats it up before it can create any problem.
5:08 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
5:08 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Andrew Keh
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
37′ After getting wiped out from behind by a Swedish player, Alex Morgan was in a lot of agony. Before her teammates assisted her off the turf, she put her face in her hands. She seems to be doing well now.
Credit: The New York Times/Doug Mills
5:03 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
5:03 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
31′ For Vlatko Andonovski and the United States, a hydration break may be just what the doctor ordered. He’s in the midst of his teammates, pointing with both hands, and he and Heath are having a back-and-forth discussion.
Credit: The New York Times/Doug Mills
5:02 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
5:02 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Andrew Keh
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
31′ Sofia Jakobsson, who assisted on Sweden’s goal, has proven to be a difficult opponent for Crystal Dunn and the United States thus far. Wearing No. 10, she’s squeezing into every available space on the right wing, continuously asking for the ball, receiving it repeatedly, and racing fiercely into space. Dunn had to slide to deny Jakobsson another great opportunity as he dribbled all the way to the goal’s mouth at full speed.
5:05 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
5:05 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
Today has been much too simple for Sweden on the right side. The goal demonstrated that, but Dunn, who is usually unflappable, is having a difficult time.
4:58 a.m. ET on July 21, 2023
4:58 a.m. ET on July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
To be clear, Naeher had no opportunity in the 26th minute. An early hole for the US thanks to a point-blank header.
4:57 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
4:57 a.m., July 21, 2023 ET
Andrew Keh
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
25′ Sweden deservedly scored, since they had been generating chances after chances. It was just a matter of time until it happened. Blackstenius let the ball bounce off her forehead and into the goal after Jakobsson cut a pass from the right side to her.
Credit: The New York Times/Doug Mills
4:56 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
4:56 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
GOAL IN THE 25th MINUTE! Sweden is in first place!
4:55 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
4:55 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
24′ And there’s more! This time it’s Rolfo who surged up the middle in a fast exchange. Naeher jumps straight in to palm away her shot once again. The US, on the other hand, is well aware that it is playing with fire here. There are far too many opportunities.
4:53 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
4:53 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Andrew Keh
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
With a curling attempt from beyond the box in the 23rd minute, Asllani forces another diving save from Naeher.
4:52 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
4:52 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
21′ Heath slips into a deep-lying midfield position, while Mewis, with Morgan, moves considerably higher.
4:51 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
4:51 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
20′ We’re 20 minutes in, and it seems like the United States has to find a way to give Mewis and Horan more time on the ball, if only to give Sweden’s midfield a break.
4:49 a.m. ET on July 21, 2023
4:49 a.m. ET on July 21, 2023
Minsberg, Talya
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
What is the noise level at this stadium? Individual gasps could be heard in reaction to Alyssa Naeher’s rescue.
4:47 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
4:47 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
15′ Yikes, a horrible giveaway there by Dunn, who throws the ball straight to the chest of a Sweden player – Blackstenius, it seemed — at the top of the penalty box. She gathers the ball and passes it to a cutting Jakobsson, but her shot goes straight at US goalkeeper Naeher. For the Americans, it was a huge letdown.
Credit: The New York Times/Doug Mills
4:46 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
4:46 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Andrew Keh
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
14′ Sweden is finding enough of room to run and is putting itself in perilous situations. Fridolina Rolfo hit a low shot from beyond the box that forced a diving save from Naeher, who pushed the ball outside the post for a corner kick.
Credit… The New York Times/Alexandra Garcia
4:42 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
4:42 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
10′ With its first meaningful opportunity, the United States relieves the strain by bursting through on the left and crossing for Morgan at the back post. She meets it, but only manages a mediocre header, which will most sure irritate her.
Press returns a minute later with a better shot: a powerful rising ball from the top of the area. But it flies straight into goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl’s hands.
4:40 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
4:40 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Andrew Keh
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
8′ Sweden has taken another another corner. Dunn had to run back to grab the ball from Jakobsson, who had been played dangerously behind the defense with a beautiful through pass into the box. The United States breezed through the next turn without incident.
4:38 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
4:38 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
6′ Sweden now has a corner, which Jonna Andersson passes short to Asllani, and another cross is quickly swept in. Another clearing, but Sweden is approaching again in a minute. So far, they’ve been on the offensive.
4:36 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
4:36 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
4′ Sweden scores the game’s opening free kick, which is lofted in by Asslani. However, it is a step ahead of her assailants, and the US, rushing a little, clears it out among the chaos. Sweden, on the other hand, is right back on them a minute later.
Credit: The New York Times/Doug Mills
4:35 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
4:35 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Andrew Keh
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
1′ Before the game, there was a spectacular countdown starting at 10 a.m. The stadium sound system began to emit a faint hum of artificial crowd noise after the first whistle. Around the next three weeks, this kind of manufactured soundscape is anticipated to be utilized all over the Olympics.
4:33 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
4:33 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
Both Sweden and the United States took a knee before the game began, as did Team GB and Chile earlier in the day. In soccer, this has become a frequent display of solidarity with social justice issues. However, it might be seen as a direct challenge to the I.O.C.’s new protest regulations.
Credit: The New York Times/Doug Mills
4:29 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
4:29 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Andrew Keh
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
As their national song was sung, the Swedes joined arms and sang together. The Americans then turned to face a gleaming flag on the jumbotron, which was playing “The Star Spangled Banner.” In the silence that followed, you could hear players from both sides shouting words of support to one another.
Credit: The New York Times/Doug Mills
4:24 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
4:24 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
Just before the teams leave, there is an unsettling stillness. The opening chords of Seven Nation Army, on the other hand, snap us back to reality. Megan Rapinoe is joining in the fun.
4:22 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
4:22 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Andrew Keh
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
The weather is hot and humid, but the field seems to be in excellent condition. As reporters approached the arena, stadium employees began spraying them with bug repellant, which seemed a little ominous. While spraying one of my forearms, one of the staff members informed me that mosquitos would be an issue here, “especially at night.”
4:22 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
4:22 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
I gave the man who sprayed me a New York Times Olympic pin in exchange. If I get one mouthful, I’m going to return it.
4:22 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
4:22 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Credit: The New York Times/Doug Mills
The Americans finish their warm-up with a cheer as the starters run one last dash. Maybe they do it all the time and no one notices, but hearing players’ voices that clearly, even after so many months, is startling.
In a conference call this week, US defender Kelley O’Hara acknowledged that the atmosphere would be a problem today. And she said that she and her colleagues will try their best to generate some of it — she used the term “loud” to describe it.
“I believe we can contribute to our energy and the mood of the game if we can be loud and talkative and simply provide energy with our voices, since we’ll be able to hear each other — which usually doesn’t happen when you walk onto a pitch in a big tournament,” she said.
We’ll hear what we can: This evening, they put the pumped-in crowd noise to the test. (Fake applause! (It’s no longer only for TV watchers!)
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4:15 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
4:15 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
On Wednesday, the United States women’s national soccer team takes on Sweden in their first Olympic encounter. Credit… The New York Times/David Mills
Kelley O’Hara recalls every detail of the day in Brasilia: the scorching heat, the tenacious Swedish defense, the joyous celebrations experienced by its players, and the sorrow of her own squad, whose hope of a second straight gold medal vanished in a single, painful day.
That match, a quarterfinal at the 2016 Rio Olympics won by Sweden in a penalty-kick shootout, was the US women’s team’s last game of the competition. For the last five years, O’Hara and her colleagues have been aching to put things right, she said.
Tuesday, O’Hara remarked, “It seems like a huge thing.” “It reminds me of the Olympics. It’s been five years since we’ve been back here, and it’s finally here.”
It’s only appropriate that the United States’ newest bid for Olympic soccer gold begins on Wednesday with a match versus Sweden. There is no team that the Americans have encountered more times in global championship play than the Americans, who have faced them six times in the World Cup, including the last five tournaments, and two more times in the Olympics. Among these clashes was the 2016 loss in Brazil, which was the first time an American women’s team has failed to win a medal in an Olympic Games.
“It’s a game and a defeat that I’ve thought about a lot over the past five years,” said O’Hara, who began the game but was replaced and had to watch it end hopelessly from the bench. “How are we going to avenge ourselves?” Hopefully, we’ll be able to defeat them.”
With games against Australia and New Zealand on the horizon, the United States may face its toughest test of the tournament on opening day against Sweden. The Swedes, the world’s fifth-ranked squad, are the only team to defeat the Americans since January 2019, and their 1-1 draw in Stockholm in April is the only blemish on US Coach Vlatko Andonovski’s undefeated record (22-0-1). Megan Rapinoe’s 87th-minute penalty kick was the only thing that kept the team from losing that day.
Even for a seasoned US team with plenty of championship experience — 17 of the current squad’s 18 players won the World Cup two summers ago — almost nothing about this year’s tournament will be familiar: not the venues, and certainly not the pandemic conditions, which include the absence of family, friends, and fans in the stands.
The stakes, on the other hand, never alter. For the sixth time in a row, the United States is attempting to win the Olympic competition. It is also attempting — for the second time — to become the first defending Women’s World Cup champion to win Olympic gold. Of course, that was the objective in 2016, but the Americans were sent home empty-handed by Sweden.
“I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t considered it, and I believe most of the squad has,” O’Hara said. “At the same time, I understand what it takes to win a big championship. For me, it’s about concentrating on the game in front of me and the opponent I’ll face, rather than getting caught up in things like, “Oh, we’re going to create history, or accomplish this or that, or break this record or that record.” To me, it’s just a matter of winning the game.
“However, that would be really cool,” she immediately added of a potential World Cup-Olympic double.
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4:03 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
4:03 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
Sweden’s line-up is as follows. A handful of its players also appeared in Sweden’s 1-1 draw with the United States in April. Caroline Seger is the captain, and she is 36 years old. Kosovare Asllani is most likely the guy you and the US squad should be keeping an eye on.
This is where the journey to the United States begins! #hejasverige #Tokyo2020 Avspark 10.30 in OS-premiären, which airs on Kanal 5, Discovery+, and Radiosporten.
July 21, 2023 — Svensk Fotboll (@svenskfotboll)
3:45 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
3:45 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Andrew Keh
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
Even though there are no spectators at Tokyo Stadium, organizers are treating the pregame as if it were a full house, blaring music and playing films on the jumbotron, including one teaching soccer regulations. (Once the more esoteric sports come to compete in these Games, these kinds of explainers will undoubtedly seem more fitting.)
On the jumbotron at Tokyo Stadium, they’re teaching the laws of soccer: “The team that scores the most goals wins.”
July 21, 2023 — Andrew Keh (@andrewkeh)
3:41 a.m. ET on July 21, 2023
3:41 a.m. ET on July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
The United States’ starting lineup has been released, and the one surprise is Megan Rapinoe’s inclusion on the bench. She is not injured; the choice was made by the coach.
3:44 a.m. ET on July 21, 2023
3:44 a.m. ET on July 21, 2023
Das, Andrew
reporting from the Tokyo Dome
In support of Alex Morgan, Christen Press and Tobin Heath start on the wings. The remainder of the US team is as anticipated, and intimidating for Sweden: Sam Mewis, Lindsey Horan, and Rose Lavelle in midfield, and the favored back four of Dunn, Sauerbrunn, Dahlkemper, and O’Hara in defense.
3:40 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
3:40 a.m. ET, July 21, 2023
Preparations for the match at Tokyo Stadium on Wednesday. Credit… The New York Times/David Mills
In the United States, the game will be televised on USA Network and Telemundo, as well as on the NBC Sports and Telemundo Deportes streaming platforms and at NBCOlympics.com.
If you missed the game, it will be repeated at 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern time on NBCSN.
The uswnt vs sweden olympics full game is a live streaming coverage of the 2018 Winter Olympics from Pyeongchang, South Korea.
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