USWNT Faces The Sweden In Knockout Stage Opener Women's World Cup 2023

USWNT ( United States Women's National Team )

Sunday (5 a.m. ET, Fox) will mark the United States women's national team's return to competitive soccer after a week of scrutiny following their completion in second place in the 2023 Women's World Cup group stage.

Because of that second-place performance, the U.S. will play its old rival Sweden earlier than ever in the World Cup knockout stages. The two sides will meet for the first time since the USWNT's startling 3-0 loss to Sweden in the Tokyo Olympics, which ended a 44-game unbeaten record and raised doubts about the team that grew louder earlier this week.

USWNT vs Sweden

The United States had a sleepwalking 3-0 victory against Vietnam to start the World Cup, but then drew 1-1 with the Netherlands and ran into difficulty. With a victory over Portugal, they were still in position to take first place in Group E, but a scoreless draw raised red flags.

The USWNT's path to the championship game is now more difficult, or at least more difficult for American viewers to follow. 

The USWNT's World Cup opener versus Sweden has a lot on the line. (Image courtesy of USSF/Getty Images/Brad Smith).

Sweden, meanwhile, breezed through the group stage with three victories, winning 9-1 overall. Sweden is ranked No. 3 in the FIFA world rankings, whereas the United States is ranked No. 1, so there are many reasons to believe Sweden will win this battle.

The USWNT must win on Sunday if it hopes to demonstrate that its younger players are indeed ready for primetime.

FAQs About Women's World Cup 

What is the full form of USWNT?

Full form of USWNT is United States Women's National Team.

Written by Haider Zaidi in 6 August 2023