Third-placed Australia take on Group C leaders USA in a huge clash at Marseille in the Olympics 2024 Women’s Football Tournament.
AUS-W vs USA-W Match Details
Date: Wednesday, 31 July 2024
Time: 19:00 (CET), 22:30 (IST)
Venue: Stade Velodrome, Marseille
AUS-W vs USA-W Match Preview
Australia were involved in a crazy game against Zambia in the second group stage game, making a stunning comeback from 5-2 down to win 6-5 with substitute Michelle Heyman scoring a dramatic 90th-minute winner. Alanna Kennedy equalised in the seventh minute after Matildas went down within seconds from Barbra Banda’s first strike of her hattrick in consecutive Olympics editions with Hayley Raso, an own goal from Ngambo Musole and Steph Catley’s brace contributing to the victory in a record-breaking match. Moreover, the win put the Tillies back in the mix for knockout qualification after a frustrating 3-0 loss to Germany on the opening day. However, a mountainous challenge in the form of rampaging USA is in store for them in the final group game as Australia looks to avoid their first group-stage exit since the 2000 Olympics. Tony Gustavsson’s team will have to win against all odds to stay in the competition otherwise they will make matters complicated for them with only three points earned from the first two games and carrying a negative goal difference.
Any narrative of Germany making it hard for the free-flowing USA was thrown out of the window by Emma Hayes’s girls as they hardly made it a competition. Sophia Smith’s brace with goals from Mallory Swanson and Lydia Williams handed the Stripes a dominating 4-1 win to make their way to an eighth consecutive knockout stage of the Olympics since the women’s football tournament began in 1996. The former Chelsea boss also became just the second manager of USWNT to win each of their first two matches at a major tournament after a resounding 3-0 win over Zambia in their first group game. Unbeaten in six matches since Hayes took charge, winning five of them with three or more goals scored in four, the record Olympic winners are showing signs of going back to their destructive best. The side will want to maintain their 100% record in the competition in the final group game against Australia to cement their stay at the top. Their scoring trident of Mallory Swanson, Trinity Rodman and Sophia Smith is expected to make an impact again.
Recent Form (all competitions)
AUS-W: DWLLW
USA-W: WWDWW
Recent Form (Olympics)
AUS-W: LW
USA-W: WW
AUS-W vs USA-W Predicted Lineups
Australia
Arnold; Carpenter, Kennedy, Hunt, Catley; Raso, Wheeler, Cooney-Cross, Foord; Fowler, Heyman
USA
Naeher; Fox, Girma, Sonnet, Nighswonger; Horan, Coffey, Albert; Rodman, Swanson, Smith
AUS-W vs USA-W Dream11 Match Prediction
The USA are favoured to win against a vulnerable Australian defence and secure another quarterfinal appearance in the Olympics. Hayes’s side are expected to do it in style again so we predict a 3-1 win for them.
AUS-W vs USA-W Dream11 Team Top picks
Captain Pick: Mallory Swanson
Vice-captain Picks: Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman
AUS-W vs USA-W Dream11 Team Suggestion
GK: Arnold (Cr - 8)
DEF: Fox (Cr - 7.5), Kennedy (Cr - 8.5), Catley (Cr - 8)
MID: Raso (Cr - 9), Horan (Cr - 9), Cooney-Cross (Cr - 7.5) Swanson (Cr - 9)
FW: Rodman (Cr - 7), Heyman (Cr - 9), Smith (Cr - 9)
Vice-captain: Sophia Smith
Captain: Mallory Swanson
