Something wanting an Olympic gold medal merely received’t be adequate for the U.S. girls’s nationwide soccer crew. That’s the extent of expectation and stress the USWNT is dealing with when it performs its opening match on the 2021 Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday (4:30 a.m. ET), coming into the match on a dominant 44-match unbeaten run.

However the U.S. girls, heavy favorites to win their fifth Olympic soccer gold medal, shall be dealing with a long-time nemesis in that first group-stage match: Sweden, ranked No. 5 on the planet, can be the final crew to bounce the U.S. from a significant match within the quarterfinals of the final Olympics. The USWNT gamers say that early elimination shall be loads motivation in Tokyo.

Sweden would be the USWNT’s hardest opponent in Group G, which additionally consists of Australia (ranked No. 9 on the planet) and New Zealand (No. 22). Along with the 2016 Olympic victory (in a penalty-kick shootout), the Swedes are additionally the final crew to carry the USWNT to a draw: 1-1 in an exhibition match performed on April 10 in Sweden (photograph beneath). It’s the one match that the USA has didn’t win since January of 2019, and it wanted a late penalty kick simply to come back away with a tie.

MORE: Watch USWNT vs. Sweden dwell with fuboTV (7-day free trial)

Ought to historical past repeat itself on Wednesday, and the USA fails to beat Sweden, it received’t carry the identical penalties. Within the group stage, all of the USWNT has to do is end among the many high two in Group G and it’ll advance to the single-elimination quarterfinals. The 2 greatest third-place finishers additionally get via.

watch USA vs. Sweden Olympic soccer

• Date: Wednesday, July 21
• Time: 4:30 a.m. ET
• TV channels: USA Community
• Spanish-language TV: Telemundo
• TV replays: NBCSN (8:30 a.m. ET & 6 p.m. ET)
• Streaming: fuboTV, NBCOlympics.com, TelemundoDeportes.com, NBC Sports activities app and Telemundo Deportes app (with consumer authentication)

USA vs. Sweden will air dwell on USA Community and Telemundo at 4:30 a.m. ET. It’s additionally scheduled to be replayed later that day on NBCSN at 8:30 a.m. ET and 6 p.m. ET. NBCSN might be streamed on fuboTV (free 7-day trial).

All Olympic soccer matches shall be streamed within the USA on NBCOlympics.com, TelemundoDeportes.com, NBC Sports activities app and the Telemundo Deportes app — all with consumer authentication.

MORE: Full Olympic girls’s soccer schedule

USWNT vs. Sweden projected lineups

Head coach Vlatko Andonovski is in his first main match on the helm of the USWNT and it’s not anticipated that he’ll spring any surprises together with his lineup alternatives, that are positive to come back underneath heavy scrutiny, as has been the case with USWNT coaches at main tournaments.

The one actual query is the standing of holding midfielder Julie Ertz (above), who’s usually an everyday starter, however has been sidelined with a knee harm since Could. She didn’t get well in time to play any of the tuneup matches previous to the Olympics, however she’s been seen in full follow in Tokyo.

Though the standard follow is to ease gamers into motion after a protracted harm absence and provides them minutes off the bench, Ertz is such an vital a part of the crew and that is such an vital recreation, that it wouldn’t be fully surprising to see her begin. If she would not, Lindsey Horan would as soon as once more deputize within the Ertz function, as she has all through her harm layoff.

The Swedes performed with a five-defender again line in opposition to the USA in April and it’s anticipated they roll it out once more to make sure they will as soon as once more frustrate the People with a robust defensive stance. However even when the Swedes sit again, they’re proficient in assault and their three forwards will show a problem.

MORE: U.S. girls Olympic crew roster

USWNT projected starters (4-3-3, left to proper): 1-Alyssa Naeher — 2-Crystal Dunn, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 17-Abby Dahlkemper, 5-Kelley O’Hara — 3-Samantha Mewis, 9-Lindsey Horan, 16-Rose Lavelle — 15-Megan Rapinoe, 10-Carli Lloyd, 11-Christen Press

USWNT projected substitutes: 18-Adrianna Franch-GK, 12-Tierna Davidson, 14-Emily Sonnett, 8-Julie Ertz, 19-Catarina Macario, 7-Tobin Heath, 13-Alex Morgan. Projected to take a seat out: 22-Jane Campbell-GK, 20-Casey Krueger, 6-Kristie Mewis, 21-Lynn Williams

Sweden projected starters (5-2-3, left to proper): 1-Hedvig Lindahl — 2-Jonna Andersson, 6-Magdalena Eriksson, 14-Nathalie Bjorn, 13-Amanda Ilestedt, 4-Hanna Glas — 17-Caroline Seger, 9-Kosovare Asllani — 8-Lina Hurtig, 11-Stina Blackstenius, 10-Sofia Jakobsson

Sweden projected substitutes: 12-Jennifer Falk-GK, 3-Emma Kullberg, 5-Hanna Bennison, 15-Olivia Schough, 7-Madelen Janogy, 19-Anna Anvegard, 18-Fridolina Rolfo. Projected to take a seat out: 22-Zecira Musovic-GK, 16-Filippa Angeldal, 20-Julia Roddar, 21-Rebecka Blomqvist

USA vs. Sweden odds & prediction

The USWNT can hear the noise and when the stress is biggest, it’s a crew that all the time appears to reply. Regardless that it’s solely the opening match, there will certainly be an urgency to its recreation, fueled by revenge for 2016.

And the numbers positively level to a USWNT opening win. The crew’s all-time Olympic document is 25-2-5 (outscoring groups 64-32) and it’s received the primary match in 5 of six journeys to the Olympics with the lone blemish being a loss to Norway in 2008 (2-0).

MORE: Finest bets for the USWNT Olympic match

However this shall be a decent recreation as a result of these two groups know one another all too nicely. The USA has confronted Sweden at main tournaments greater than another nation (9 occasions) and the familiarity reveals up within the outcomes: The USA is solely 7-3-6 within the final 15 conferences courting again to 2010 and 7 of the final eight conferences between the USA and Sweden have completed in both a draw or a one-goal victory for one of many groups. The USA received the opposite match by a 2-0 consequence on the 2019 World Cup. 

Given all of the above, the printed odds for a one-goal victory by the USA should not enticing. The way in which to play a decent matchup may very well be a have a look at the first-half draw (+110) or both-teams-to-score (+125) — there’s that a lot attacking expertise on each side. A halftime draw coupled with a fulltime U.S. win is offered at +255.

Prediction: USA 2, Sweden 1

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

• Sweden to win: +750
• Draw: +320
• USA to win: -235
• Each groups to attain: +125
• Sweden double likelihood (win or tie): +185
• First-half draw: +110
• Tie at halftime / USA win at fulltime: +255