It would not be a Women’s World Cup without a meeting between the United States and Sweden. The two historically strong teams will meet again on Sunday for the seventh time in nine editions of the tournament, but this time, the stakes are higher. One team is guaranteed to be going home.
Sweden confirmed its place atop Group G on Wednesday with a 2-0 win over Argentina. One night earlier, the U.S. stumbled its way into the knockout round with a scoreless draw against Portugal, meaning the Americans finished second in the group for the first time since 2011, when — of course — Sweden defeated them in the group finale.
“We always play Sweden in every major tournament without a doubt,” U.S. forward Alex Morgan said in the aftermath of Tuesday’s draw. “Probably every time since I’ve been on this team. So, we know them very well. We know their strengths. We’ll be watching with attention tomorrow.”
In 42 all-time meetings, the U.S. has won 23 and Sweden seven, with 12 draws between them. Four of the six World Cup meetings have ended in…
