United States (Women's Football)

Megan Rapinoe said the United States women's soccer team must enter "do-or-die mode" after a 3-0 loss to Sweden on Wednesday at the Tokyo Olympics.

The USWNT, which entered the Games on a 44-match unbeaten streak, looked out of sorts in its opener against the Swedes and now faces an uphill battle to make it out of the group stage.

"I think we just got a little bit in our head," Rapinoe told reporters. "We'll obviously watch film and all that, but you drop points in the beginning of a tournament and now you're in sort of a do-or-die mode. So you've got to pick up points, otherwise we're going home quick, and you don't want to do that."

Sweden has been a thorn in the U.S.' side for years, including a friendly draw in April that marked the Americans' only non-victory in 2021 before the Olympics, and the Blagult's lopsided victory was no fluke. They held an edge in every key category, including shots, shots on target, possession and corners.

It was a stunning result given the USWNT's status as the clear favorite to win the gold medal in Tokyo. Now Rapinoe and Co. may need wins in each of their final two matches of pool play just to reach the knockout rounds.

Australia scored a 2-1 win over New Zealand in Group G's other match on Wednesday. So the Aussies and Swedes both have three points on the U.S. heading into their head-to-head matchup Saturday.

The top two third-place teams from the three pools will also advance to the quarterfinals, but tiebreakers could come into play there, as well. That's why the U.S.' three-goal loss was such a big deal compared to a one-goal defeat.

Yet, the USWNT faced a similar situation in 2008 when it dropped its Olympic opener to Norway, 2-0. The Americans bounced back with victories over Japan and New Zealand to advance, and they ultimately went on to win gold with a triumph over Brazil in the final.

Christen Press referenced that event in her comments Thursday.

"We've had a long string of wins and I think we haven't had a lot of games where we had to come back," Press said. "I think it was actually really good to have this match. In 2008 we lost our first match and team won gold. So I think now we're seeing this as a learning opportunity. And the message is already 'Heads up, put it behind us, next game.' There's no time in a tournament like this to dwell."

The U.S. faces New Zealand on Saturday before wrapping up group play Tuesday against Australia.

On a sweaty afternoon in Tokyo, all of the United States women's national team's ghosts came out to haunt them.

It's not clear whether the Americans came out overconfident—buoyed by their 44-game unbeaten streak, their status as world champions and the utter dominance they've tended to display under Vlatko Andonovski—or if they were underconfident, still looking back with regret on the time when Sweden knocked them out in the quarterfinals of the 2016 Olympics.

What is clear is that they were in no way expecting Sweden to show up like it did, and that did something to their brains. There was a small moment 15 minutes in that summed up just how sleepy and switched off the Americans looked. Lindsey Horan, who hadn't done well up to that point under the constant pressure she'd been facing, finally found a little space out wide and fired off a quick pass to Sam Mewis, maybe a dozen yards away. In abstract terms, it wasn't an easy pass, or a perfect one, but it was one that Horan makes all the time, and Mewis receives all the time.

But Mewis was surprised by that ball. She made an awkward lunge for it, too late, and turned it over. That moment, for me, was the perfect microcosm of the 3-0 U.S. defeat: the way most of the team showed up as the worst versions of themselves, and the way-too-relaxed mentality of the group as a whole.

If the U.S. brought a knife to a gunfight, the Swedes (dressed in a slightly more shocking yellow than they've worn in the past, courtesy of Uniqlo) brought, well, a gun. In stark contrast to that 2016 game, where they trolled the Americans for two hours with a brick-wall bunker, this side came out swinging. 

They employed a judicious and beautifully executed press, saving energy by largely leaving the American back line alone and focusing pressure on the No. 6 (Horan in the first half, Julie Ertz in the second), encouraging passes toward the wings, and then relentlessly hounding anyone who tried to get the ball to wingers Christen Press and Tobin Heath. This had a few effects: First, they often won the ball back that way. Second, it basically removed not just Heath and Press, but also Rose Lavelle, playing higher up in the central midfield, from the game.

Strategy aside, the glaring problem for the U.S. was that on the day, its players were not good. Horan had a shocker and Crystal Dunn looked like she was still new to defending; in her defense, it didn't help that she wasn't getting any backup for the dual wide threats of Sofia Jakobsson and the overlapping Hanna Glas (and she did contribute a couple of potentially goal-saving tackles).

And this is what I mean when I say the Americans' ghosts came out to haunt them. Whatever their mentality was coming in, it manifested as what looked like doubt. Horan is arguably the best box-to-box midfielder in the world. The 6 isn't her best position, but she's perfectly capable there, and when she's with her club team in Portland, she's so present in so many areas of the field that she might as well be playing the 6 and the 8 and the 10 all at once. But she's also not Julie Ertz, and you have to wonder if on this stage, against this bogeyman of an opponent, she didn't have that at the forefront of her mind.

Dunn, meanwhile, is not really a left back—plenty of ink has already been spilled on that topic—but she's been playing that role for years and she's gotten quite good at it. She was excellent there in the 2019 World Cup. We know she can defend. But when she went one-on-one against Jakobsson, it looked like doubt and nerves had crept in and hijacked her.

All in all, it was a dismal showing by the Americans. However, there are a few reasons for optimism.

First, in having this type of game early in the tournament, they've been reminded of a key fact about major international tournaments: They're really hard to win! The Olympics is especially difficult, coming on the heels of the World Cup, and it's due to more than just chance that no team has ever won the two competitions back-to-back. This tournament is no different, even with the additional year of distance from the U.S.' victory in France. 

Even if you're the clear top team in the world, there are so many ways to screw up and only a few ways to win. You have to do a lot of things right for a lot of games in very quick succession. 

That doesn't sound like a good thing, but for this group, it could be a good reality check. If there's one thing this team doesn't do, it's quit. These players are going to take a long look in the mirror and decide to do better next time.

That brings us to my second point, which is that this was a series of individual failures. The players who did poorly know who they are, and they know how much better they can do. That's a much more fixable issue than if this were a systemic problem.

Finally, the second half—especially the last half-hour or so, when a critical mass of fresh legs had subbed on—was much less dismal. Ertz dropped into the 6 and, after getting clobbered a few times, managed to show some steel and make things more difficult for Sweden. Tierna Davidson came on for Dunn and started simply kicking the ball over the top, which almost bore fruit a few times and should have happened way earlier. Megan Rapinoe injected some urgency that Heath had been lacking. With those changes, Horan and Press both became more effective, too.

The Americans should be able to gain confidence on Saturday against New Zealand. That's a game they surely expect to win—but if they've learned their lesson, they'll play every minute of it like they're about to lose.

United States women's national soccer team star Megan Rapinoe didn't mince words following Team USA's Olympic-opening 3-0 loss to Sweden on Wednesday at Tokyo Stadium.

According to Goal.com's James Westwood, Rapinoe said: "We got our asses kicked, didn’t we? I think we were a little tight, just a little nervous. Just doing dumb stuff like not passing the ball, not tapping the ball."

The match marked Team USA's first loss since falling 3-1 to France in an international friendly in January 2019. It was also the first time the Americans recorded a result other than a win since April, when they tied Sweden 1-1 in a friendly.

Regarding Wednesday's surprising loss, Rapinoe continued:

"This is the highest level and these are the best teams in the world, Sweden being one of the best teams ever, certainly in Europe, so if we don't play well, game in, game out, we're not going to win these games.

"So, there's a lot of stuff [to improve on]. We want to be a lot better. I think we played a little bit tight, and just hurt ourselves a lot. I don't think we can really say one thing specifically, they took their chances, got into better space and inevitably scored more goals."

As Rapinoe alluded to, the USWNT didn't lose to a pushover. The Americans are ranked No. 1 in the world by FIFA, but Sweden isn't too far behind at No. 5.

Team USA also has a history of struggling against Sweden at times, most notably at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

At that event, the Americans shockingly fell 4-3 to Sweden in the quarterfinals, denying them a medal for the first time since women's soccer was introduced to the Olympic program in 1996.

Sweden went on to take silver, marking the country's first Olympic medal in women's soccer.

Team USA has four gold medals and one silver to its credit in six Olympic women's soccer competitions, and that dominance means the Americans remain the favorites to take gold in Tokyo even after Wednesday's defeat.

After losing for the first time in 44 matches, the USWNT will have a chance to bounce back Saturday when it faces New Zealand at Saitama Stadium, followed by its final match in group play Tuesday against Australia on Tuesday.

The United States women's national team delivered one of its worst performances at an international tournament on Wednesday. 

The USWNT was stunned by Sweden in a 3-0 defeat to open up group play at the Tokyo Olympics. 

Sweden entered the tournament as the only side to score a goal on the USWNT in 2021, and it added to its haul against the Americans three times in a stunning upset. 

The manner in which Sweden defeated the USWNT sent shockwaves through the 12-team competition. The USWNT should still qualify for the eight-team knockout round, but it proved to be more vulnerable than first thought. 

Brazil, the Netherlands and Great Britain reinforced their statuses as medal contenders with big wins. The Dutch delivered the biggest win with a 10-3 rout of Zambia. 

If Sweden hadn't dismantle the USWNT, Japan's come-from-behind draw versus Canada may have received more headlines. Japan recovered from a missed penalty kick in the second half to pull out a late equalizer and a point on home soil against one of the top sides in the world. 

        

Wednesday Olympic Soccer Results

Group E 

Great Britain 2, Chile 0

Japan 1, Canada 1

   

Group F 

Brazil 5, China 0

Netherlands 10, Zambia 3

    

Group G

Sweden 3, United States 0

Australia 2, New Zealand 1

      

Sweden 3, United States 0

The USWNT looked uncharacteristically poor over 90 minutes versus one of its top rivals for the Olympic gold medal. 

Stina Blackstenius took advantage of poor marking by the USA defense to slot home the first two goals of the contest. The 25-year-old forward got in front of Abby Dahlkemper to head home the opening tally from close range in the 25th minute, and she added her second nine minutes after halftime by converting a rebound that came back off the post.

Lina Hurtig delivered the final blow to the American defense in the 74th minute. With the way the USA played, it is lucky that Sweden's lead didn't grow further. 

Vlatko Andonovski's side sits at the bottom of Group G after one round of play with a minus-3 goal differential that needs to be made up against Australia and New Zealand.

New Zealand's stoppage-time goal on Wednesday did not prevent it from losing, but it could play a major role in determining the tiebreakers in Group G. 

After the match, Megan Rapinoe delivered a blunt assessment of the USWNT's poor effort, per Andrew Keh of the New York Times. "We got our asses kicked, didn't we?" she said. "I thought we were a little tight, a little nervous, just doing dumb stuff."

The good news for the USWNT is it has the potential safety net of potentially advancing as a third-place team from Group G. 

The short turnaround of the Olympic tournament should help the USWNT erase the awful result from its memory. New Zealand is next up on Saturday. The complexion of the group could completely change if three points are earned and Sweden and Australia play to a draw in the other Group G match. 

        

Japan 1, Canada 1

Things can only get better for the North American women's sides in Tokyo.

Canada let in a late equalizer to the host nation to spoil what would have been a solid opening victory. It started so well when Christine Sinclair scored her 187th international goal in the sixth minute to finish off one of Canada's first attacking moves. 

However, goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe needed to save a penalty kick for Canada in the 54th minute as the team's fortunes changed in the second half. 

Labbe was then forced off with an injury, and backup goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan out of position in the 84th minute for the equalizer. A long pass over the top of the Canadian defense found Mana Iwabuchi, and her early strike from just outside the box beat a retreating Sheridan at the near post. 

Japan's late leveler put Great Britain in the driver's seat to win Group E. Team GB rolled past China through a pair of goals from Ellen White. 

Great Britain will play Japan next, while Canada will chase its first win of the tournament against Chile, which is viewed as the weakest of the four squads in the group. 

The United States women's soccer team enters the Tokyo Olympics as the favorite to win the gold medal.

The USWNT won four of the five gold medals handed out from 1996 to 2012, but it came up short in 2016 with a quarterfinal loss to Sweden.

Vlatko Andonovski's side is one of the most experienced rosters to grace an Olympic soccer tournament, and it comes in with plenty of motivation to erase the poor result by its standards from 2016.

The USWNT's Olympic slate kicks off Wednesday with a chance to avenge its loss in the most recent Games against Sweden, one of the team's biggest rivals over the past decade.

Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd and Co. are also aligned with Australia and New Zealand in Group G. Japan, Canada, Great Britain and Chile reside in Group E. China, Brazil, Zambia and the Netherlands sit in Group F.

                      

USWNT Olympic Roster

Goalkeepers: Alyssa Naeher, Adrianna Franch, Jane Campbell

Defenders: Abby Dahlkemper, Tierna Davidson, Crystal Dunn, Casey Krueger, Kelley O'Hara, Becky Sauerbrunn, Emily Sonnett

Midfielders: Julie Ertz, Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle, Catarina Macario, Kristie Mewis, Samantha Mewis

Forwards: Tobin Heath, Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Christen Press, Megan Rapinoe, Lynn Williams

               

The USWNT starting XI is easy for Andonovski to put together because of the high-quality players in the squad.

Alyssa Naeher is the first-choice goalkeeper. Becky Sauerbrunn and Abby Dahlkemper started five of the last six friendly games at center back. Crystal Dunn is the left back and Kelley O'Hara will start at right back.

Julie Ertz has been the top selection in defensive midfield when she is healthy, but she is working back from an injury that prevented her from playing in the buildup games on home soil. If she is unable to go Wednesday, Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle and Samantha Mewis should start in midfield.

The toughest selection decision for Andonovski comes up top, where he has to choose three forwards from a collection of five players all with at least 149 international appearances and 35 goals.

Christen Press was the only member of the quintet to start the final two warmup games against Mexico. She has five goals in 2021, including two in one of the final send-off games.

Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan have all scored plenty of goals at the highest international level. Whichever member of the trio comes off the bench could be viewed as the most dangerous substitute in the tournament.

The same title could be applied to Tobin Heath, who can be a game-changer on the wing as either a starter or a reserve. Heath has the fewest amount of international goals of the five potential forward starters, but she still comes with 171 caps and 35 tallies.

Expect Andonovski to rotate the players to find the right combination throughout the group stage.

The USWNT has to play three group games in six days at three venues, so there should be plenty of chances for different players to shine.

Even though its group-stage opener is tough, the USWNT's overall competition is lighter than it could have been in the 12-team tournament.

Germany and France did not make the Olympics because UEFA uses FIFA Women's World Cup finishing places as its qualifying procedure. That means two of the top three teams in the FIFA women's world rankings will not participate in Japan.

Sweden could be viewed as the biggest threat to the USWNT's gold-medal push. Sweden is the only team to draw with the U.S. in 2021. The USWNT defeated all of its other opponents this calendar year.

If the USWNT beat Sweden in the group-stage opener, the path should be clear to win Group G and set up a quarterfinal match with a third-place team from either Group E or F.

Other contenders could emerge throughout the tournament, but it is hard to pick against a team that has not lost in 2021 and enters Tokyo with extra motivation to right the early exit from five years ago.

The United States women's national team downed Mexico 4-0 in an international friendly at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut on Monday.

The two squads recently met July 1 in the same venue, with the U.S. coming away as the victor by the same score. This was the USWNT's final fixture before it makes the trip to Tokyo for the Olympics.

Because of that, coach Vlatko Andonovski will have wanted to see a strong performance from his side, and that's exactly what the players delivered.

The U.S. was up 2-0 by the 11th minute thanks to goals from Lindsey Horan and Carli Lloyd. Lloyd finished off a diving header off a cross from Crystal Dunn, while Horan's deft volley got the fun started.

Lindsey Horan struck this volley clean 👌

(🎥: @USWNT)pic.twitter.com/VXhS2Z0zow

— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 5, 2021

When the referee blew for halftime, the USWNT had doubled its lead. Reyna Reyes was credited with an own goal in the 37th minute, while Tobin Heath netted the fourth goal in the 39th minute.

The U.S. might have been a bit unlucky not to have five goals, since Christen Press was whistled for being offside before collecting an impressive through ball by Heath and beating Mexico goalkeeper Itzel Gonzalez.

Press looked to be onside, but there was official video replay to examine the decision.

that was the most beautifully worked goal ever and then it was… offside??🥴 #var

— Bethany Balcer (@bethanybalcer) July 5, 2021

Not surprisingly given the team's sizable advantage, the United States took its foot off the gas in the second half. The USWNT effectively made its statement in the opening 45 minutes.

Andonovski used the second half to tweak his formation and tactics a bit to prepare for in-game scenarios that could arise during the Olympics. For example, he utilized a five-woman back line toward the end of the match, as if the United States was having to protect a slim lead in the final stages.

Heath was among the players brought off at halftime, and on Monday, she eliminated any doubt as to her status within the starting lineup for the Olympics.

The 33-year-old suffered an ankle injury in January and picked up a knee injury during her recovery period. A six-month layoff obviously isn't ideal before a major tournament.

Having not appeared with the USWNT since last November, she came on as a substitute in the July 1 win over Mexico and waited 52 seconds before scoring a goal.

Heath is firing on all cylinders.

https://twitter.com/brfootball/status/1412176319375462411

Andonovski will probably have little to complain about from Monday. The USWNT's understated second half was entirely by design, and the forward line illustrated how clinical it can be when it's in top gear.

https://twitter.com/caitlinmurr/status/1412184211121901570

Crashing out to Sweden in the quarterfinals in 2016 is a reminder the women's soccer landscape is too deep for the United States to coast to Olympic gold. With that said, the U.S. showed against Mexico why it's arguably the favorite to come out on top in Tokyo.

---

What's Next?

The USWNT plays Sweden on July 21 in its first match of the group stage at the Olympics. It also figures to be the United States' toughest match of the group stage, with Sweden sitting fifth in the FIFA rankings.

The United States women's national team will take on Mexico on Monday in its final game before heading to Tokyo for the Summer Olympics.

The USWNT rolled past its continental rival Thursday in Hartford, Connecticut, and a similar result to that 4-0 victory is expected in the second matchup.

Vlatko Andonovski's squad has not conceded in its past five games, and its defense will come under focus again with Julie Ertz not playing. Ertz is working back from a knee injury, but she is expected to be ready to feature in some capacity in Tokyo.

Tobin Heath answered some concerns about her ankle injury in Thursday's win over Mexico by scoring one of the four goals. She is expected to have in an extended role to test how close she is to full health.

For the rest of the squad, Monday will serve as another tune-up ahead of the Olympics, which begin for the USWNT on July 21 versus Sweden.

                

USWNT vs. Mexico Info

Date: Monday, July 5

Start Time: 5 p.m. ET 

TV: ESPN 

Live Stream: ESPN.com and ESPN app

Odds (via DraftKings Sportsbook): USWNT -10000; Mexico +2600; draw +1300

                    

Preview

The USWNT is expected to win by multiple goals, but the result may not be the most important thing to take away from Monday's match.

Andonovski's evaluation of Heath and the continued progress of Lindsey Horan and Samantha Mewis in midfield will be important to the team's success in Tokyo, especially if Ertz is unable to start against Sweden.

Heath came off the bench in the 73rd minute in Thursday's win over Mexico and produced a goal less than a minute later. She should see more than 17 minutes Monday as she works back to full fitness from an ankle injury suffered while playing for Manchester United.

If Heath is ready to start come the Olympics, Andonovski will have some difficult decisions to make in attack for the Sweden game. Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd and Christen Press are the other forwards on the roster.

Press is in must-start territory at the moment, with five international goals in 2021. She bagged a brace Thursday, while Heath and Mewis chipped in a tally each. Mewis may not score a ton in Tokyo, but she could be one of the team's most important players.

Mewis, Horan and Rose Lavelle are expected to boss the midfield with Ertz working back to fitness. Mewis and Horan will share the bulk of the defensive duties typically shouldered by Ertz.

The rest of the USWNT lineup should be set for Tokyo, with captain Becky Sauerbrunn leading the defense and Crystal Dunn marauding down the left flank.

The back four has conceded a single goal in 11 matches in 2021. The lone concession came against its first Olympic opponent in a 1-1 draw in Stockholm on April 10.

Mexico is not on the level of the USWNT's Olympic foes, and it is not expected to test Alyssa Naeher much in the second of two games in Connecticut. Mexico managed to put only one of its five shots on target in the 4-0 loss. The USWNT put seven of its 29 attempts on frame.

With that in mind, the USWNT should roll to another multiple-goal victory and then shift its focus to Sweden, New Zealand and Australia in the Olympics group stage.

              

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The United States women's national team plays the first of its two send-off games against Mexico ahead of the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday. 

Vlatko Andonovski named 18 players to the Olympic squad and some of those have questions to answer prior to the first game in Japan.

The most notable issue is the health of Tobin Heath and Julie Ertz, who both have not played since January because of injury. 

Heath has been ahead of Ertz in the recovery process, but if they are both fit enough to play in Hartford, Connecticut, on Thursday, they should get a chance to prove their worth to the Olympic starting XI. 

The USWNT should handle its continental foe with ease, but the match may not produce as many fireworks as usual with rain in the forecast in the northeast.

       

USWNT vs. Mexico Info

Date: Thursday, July 1

Start Time: 7:30 p.m. ET 

TV: FS1 

Live Stream: FoxSports.com or Fox Sports app

Odds (via DraftKings Sportsbook): USWNT (-10000); Mexico (+2400); Draw (+1200)

       

Preview

The USWNT is once again an overwhelming favorite for a friendly matchup on home soil.

Andonovski's squad is on a 42-game unbeaten streak, and it has four consecutive clean-sheet victories. Even when the USWNT has not been at its best, it has found a way to win. The 1-0 victory over Portugal on June 10 is the perfect example of that.

In that contest, the USWNT entered as an overwhelming favorite, but Portugal hung tough and did not concede until the 76th minute. 

Samantha Mewis, who scored the game-winner in that match, will be one to watch throughout the Olympics. 

If Ertz is unable to play the full slate of matches, Mewis is the likely candidate to slide into the No. 6 role. 

Mewis played there during the three-game series in Texas versus Portugal, Jamaica and Nigeria, and she could be vital in that spot throughout the Olympic group stage. 

Ertz and Heath are the two players Andonovski is betting on to be healthy and effective at the Olympics. Heath has a better chance to participate in Thursday's friendly just to gain some on-field minutes before the trip to Japan. 

Heath is one of five forwards over the age of 30 with 30 or more international goals on the Olympic roster. Her 33-goal total is the lowest of the group that includes Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, Christen Press and Alex Morgan. 

With all of those legendary players up top, the USWNT should not lack for goals and are expected to score an abundance of goals in the two send-off games against Mexico and at the start of the Olympics. 

Mexico did not qualify for the Olympics out of CONCACAF. Canada will join the USWNT as the North American representatives in Tokyo.

The USWNT will use the two matches to gear up for an opener against longtime rival Sweden, who is in Group G along with Australia and New Zealand.

       

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For the third time their storied careers, Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe will lead the United States women's national soccer team into the Olympics. 

Rapinoe and Morgan were among the 18 players named to Team USA ahead of the Tokyo Games. Christen Press, Carli Lloyd and Lindsey Horan are among the other notable stars returning for the United States in its quest to win a gold medal for the first time since 2012.

JUST REVEALED: 1st look at the USWNT 2020 Olympics team going for gold in Tokyo! @USWNT#RoadToTokyo #OneNationOneTeamhttps://t.co/lgWnwyNb7h pic.twitter.com/9g12NHkvhN

— Good Morning America (@GMA) June 23, 2021

2020 USWNT Olympics Roster

Forwards: Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Tobin Heath, Christen Press, Carli Lloyd

Midfielders: Julie Ertz, Samantha Mewis, Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle, Kristie Mewis

Defenders: Becky Sauerbrunn, Tierna Davidson, Abby Dahlkemper, Kelley O'Hara, Crystal Dunn, Emily Sonnett 

Goalkeepers: Alyssa Naeher, Adrianna Franch

Rapinoe has been on the U.S. senior team since 2006, but an ACL injury caused her to miss the cut for the team at the 2008 Beijing Games. The winger also suffered a torn ACL in September 2015 that left her status for the Rio Games up in the air. 

The United States did include Rapinoe on the roster for the 2016 Olympics, but she was unable to contribute because of her injury. In the 2012 London Games, the California native scored three goals in six games to help Team USA win gold for the fourth time in the country's history. 

Carli Lloyd, who served as team captain for the 2016 squad, is making her fourth career appearance in the Olympics. Her fourth trip to the Games ties Christie Pearce for most in U.S. women's national team history. 

Lloyd can also tie Pearce with three career Olympic gold medals if the United States can win in Tokyo. The 38-year-old has had a terrific bounce-back year with the squad thus far. The forward missed camp with the team in November with a knee injury, but has played well since returning in January. 

Sorry @KristineLilly! 🤣👵🏼 https://t.co/JXZtfuCUx7

— Carli Lloyd (@CarliLloyd) June 14, 2021

Lloyd has scored two goals for Team USA so far in 2021. Julie Ertz's status for the squad wasn't 100 percent certain because of a sprained MCL she suffered in May while playing for the Chicago Red Stars. 

Head coach Vlatko Andonovski told reporters earlier this month that Ertz was trending in the right direction, though he was careful not to proclaim her a lock to make the roster. 

"We're excited where she's at right now, but we're going to have to be very careful with our approach and make sure that she's fully recovered before she plays a game," Andonovski said.

In addition to the established veterans, the Tokyo Games will mark the first Olympic experience for Rose Lavelle. The 26-year-old has scored 14 goals in 55 appearances for the national team. The midfielder contributed three goals in six games and was awarded the Bronze Ball for the United States during the 2019 Women's World Cup. 

The women's soccer tournament at the Olympics will run from July 21 to Aug. 6. 

The United States women's national team closes out its three-game "Summer Series" through Texas on Wednesday night. 

The friendly match with Nigeria will serve as a final chance to make an impression for some of the fringe players for the Tokyo Olympics squad. 

USWNT manager Vlatko Andonovski has to choose an 18-woman roster for the Olympics, which is five players fewer than the FIFA Women's World Cup allows. 

Wednesday's match also serves as the opener for Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. The stadium will be home to Major League Soccer expansion side Austin FC.

           

USWNT vs. Nigeria Info

Date: Wednesday, June 16

Start Time: 9 p.m. ET 

TV: ESPN2

Live Stream: ESPN app and ESPN.com

Odds (via DraftKings Sportsbook): USWNT (-3335; bet $3,335 to win $100); Nigeria (+1700; bet $100 to win $1,700); Draw (+1200)

       

Preview

The USWNT won its first two games of the "Summer Series" in Texas by a combined score of 5-0.

The Americans looked much better in Sunday's win over Jamaica in which Carli Lloyd scored in the first 23 seconds. 

Lindsey Horan, Midge Purce and Alex Morgan proceeded to score in what was a relatively easy win for the USWNT. It had to fight for a 1-0 win over Portugal on Thursday.

The three games in less than a week in the Texas heat serve as a tune-up for the likely conditions in Tokyo next month. 

Andonovski utilized a heavily rotated squad for the Jamaica match, so we should see more changes versus Nigeria. 

A strong performance from some fringe players in Austin could sway the final selection for the Olympics in a certain direction. 

The biggest question the USWNT manager has to answer is who will play in the No. 6 role if Julie Ertz is unable to reach full fitness by the roster deadline. 

Horan started in that position against Portugal and Jamaica and she seems to be the favorite to take over that spot if Ertz is unable to go. 

Ertz's potential absence could open up a spot for Andi Sullivan or Catarina Macario. Macario played the first half versus Jamaica and Sullivan came on as a substitute for Horan. 

The other question looming for Andonovski is whether to put Lloyd on the 18-woman roster. She made a strong case to be included with her performance Sunday. 

Lloyd is one of the best big-game players of her generation in any sport and could be a vital asset to the USWNT in Tokyo, especially with a limited roster available. 

The USWNT will play Sweden, Australia and New Zealand in Group C in Tokyo. Nigeria is not headed to the Olympics. Zambia qualified for the 12-team tournament out of Africa. 

Nigeria is coming off a 3-3 draw with Portugal and started out the "Summer Series" with a 1-0 loss to Jamaica.

The USWNT has a 5-0 head-to-head record over Nigeria.

           

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from USSoccer.com.

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