USWNT Squeezes Out Draw vs. Netherlands in Tense 2019 World Cup Final Rematch

It was the game everyone had circled on their calendars since the draw for the 2023 Women’s World Cup came out in the fall. After months of hype for a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final, the U.S. and the Netherlands battled it out in a 1–1 draw.

It was a tale of two halves for the U.S., who struggled to get into any kind of rhythm to start. The Netherlands struck first when Jill Roord fired it into the bottom corner of the net in the 17th minute. The Dutch stayed dominant until halftime, as the U.S. struggled in the midfield and failed to push against the Netherlands’ back line.

Coach Vlatko Andnovski, who went with the same starting lineup from the Vietnam match, used his only sub of the game to begin the second half when Rose Lavelle came in for Savannah DeMelo. While the game was physical, the USWNT settled down a bit in the second half and found some momentum. Captain Lindsey Horan, who was battling Lyon teammate Daniëlle van de Donk for much of the game, scored the equalizer for the U.S. with a header off a corner kick in the 62nd minute. The draw extends the Americans' unbeaten streak to 19 Women's World Cup games. 

Below are the highlights from the game. 

Second Half

• FULL TIME: The U.S. and the Netherlands both leave with a point after a 1–1 draw. Neither team secured a spot for the knockout round, so the group will have to be decided in the final matchups of group play. The U.S. will play Portugal on Tuesday at 3 a.m. ET while the Netherlands will play Vietnam at the same time. 
• A string of three corners in the 83rd, 84th and 85th minutes allows the U.S. to put some major pressure on the Dutch, but nothing goes through for the Americans. 
• The U.S. is keeping up the momentum as Trinity Rodman finds Alex Morgan, who gets it in the back of the net but is called offside. 
• 1–1: Lindsey Horan ties it up for the U.S. And it was quite a dramatic sequence of events for the U.S. captain: After a hard foul while colliding with Daniëlle van de Donk and needing to take her breath on the sideline, Horan and van de Donk are talked to extensively by the ref before a U.S. corner kick. Horan connected for a header off the corner. 

• Lavelle is given a yellow card in the 51st minute for a hard foul on Jackie Groenen after it looked like Groenen committed a foul. Groenen and the Netherlands are still dominating the midfield in a physical game. 

• Midfielder Rose Lavelle subs in for Savannah DeMelo at the start of the second half. Lavelle could be a much-needed spark for the U.S. The Dutch also made a change as defender Stefanie van der Gragt subs in for Aniek Nouwen.

First Half

• The Dutch have been dominating the midfield throughout the first half but have been giving space on the back line. The U.S. is struggling to finish though. 
• The U.S. gets back-to-back corner kicks and both came with good looks. But Julie Ertz' header on the first and Lindsey Horan's on the second both go wide of the net.

• This is the first time since 2011 that the U.S. has trailed in a Women's World Cup match. 
• 1–0: Jill Roord fires it low from the edge of the box, through a sea of U.S. defenders and into the bottom corner of the net. The U.S. started the game in sync and with pressure, but it’s the Netherlands that strikes first in the 17th minute.