The Americans’ final match before the 2023 World Cup is this one.
In advance of the 2023 Women’ s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, the U.S. women’s national team will play a final match against Wales. In the history of their programme, Wales will play outside of Europe, and the two teams will clash on Sunday in a senior national team matchup for the first time. The USWNT will use the game as their final opportunity to practise before travelling to New Zealand, where they will play the full World Cup group stage against the Netherlands, Portugal, and Vietnam.
Here is how to watch the game and everything you should know:
the viewing of data
Sunday, July 8th, 4 p.m. Eastern Time
Pay Pal Stadium is situated in San Jose, California.
TV: Telemundo and TNT
FuboTV is available for live streaming.
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Story lines
The major news leading up to this game is that Megan Rapinoe has announced her retirement, making this her last World Cup. The USWNT has regrouped after their last match against Ireland in April and has been in California for almost two weeks, training and preparing at Stanford University for the tournament’s group stage. Due to injuries, key players like Becky Sauerbrunn, Mallory Swanson, and Catarina Macario will miss the tournament. Coach Vlatko Andonovski plans to use the final game against Wales as a preparation match, possibly giving playing time to other talented players like Savannah DeMelo.
This will be the first meeting between Wales and the top-ranked USWNT, and Wales will be playing in California for the first time. Although ranked 31st in the FIFA World rankings, they are 10th among UEFA teams. Under manager Gemma Grainger, Wales has been undefeated in five international competitions this year, securing wins against Northern Ireland and the Philippines, who are making their World Cup debut.
Notable midfielder Jess Fishlock, known for her time in the NWSL, has been recovering from injury and is Wales’ leading goal scorer with 36 goals in 141 matches. Another key player, Angharad James, formerly of the NWSL, now plays for Tottenham Hotspur in the FAWSL and has scored 17 goals in her 69 caps for Wales. If they both play, they could pose a threat in the midfield for the USWNT.
Prediction for Wales vs. USWNT
Before things get started, the two sides will have a 20-minute opening period to gauge each other’s reactions. The United States’ first match as a team since April suggests that goals may arrive in the second half. Wales scores 0; USWNT scores 2.