When Alex Morgan told reporters after the United States women’s national team’s dreary 0-0 draw with Portugal that “every team in this World Cup is going to be difficult to play,” citing the growth of the game across the globe, she was making a fairly common statement that is well supported by the results of the 48 group-stage matches played over the tournament’s first couple weeks.
What she left unsaid, though, is that some opponents are more difficult than others.
Like Sweden.
No, particularly Sweden.
The USWNT can’t seem to get away from the Swedes in major tournaments, and it’s not just because both teams have been excellent through the world game’s three-decade history. Germany has been at that level just as long, and they’ve never been drawn into the same group at the World Cup or the Olympics. With the U.S. and Sweden, it’s happened seven times.
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The Americans could have dodged another matchup at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, but they blew that with their substandard performance in Group E games against Vietnam, the Netherlands and Portugal. The USWNT finished second in the group as a result, and that means playing sizzling Sweden in the Round of 16 — and risking their…
