United States, Netherlands move to top of Group E after 1-1 draw

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – They pushed and they shoved. They gave as good as they got. They traded shots and then they traded goals. But through 90 supremely physical – and at times thrilling – minutes on Thursday, the United States and the Netherlands could not separate themselves at the Women’s World Cup.

And so they walked off after the most eagerly anticipated game of the group stage with a 1-1 draw that will have to be good enough. The Netherlands, which scored first, may regret that it didn’t come away with a win. The United States, which produced far more scoring chances, may feel it deserved one.

The teams know each other well. The game was a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final, but also of a second meeting, a year later, in the Netherlands, and a third at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The United States won all of those games. But even its playmaker, Rose Lavelle, admitted that these were different teams, with different coaches and different styles. So perhaps it was not a surprise that the result was different, too.

Their game at Sky Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand, was a bruising affair decided by two small moments. The first was a slip by U.S. defender Crystal Dunn in the 17th minute that set off a scramble finished by a hard, low shot by Netherlands midfielder Jill Roord. The second, and the United States’ response, came in the 62nd minute. Lindsey Horan dusted herself off after a hard foul on the sideline, strode right to the penalty area for a corner kick by Lavelle, and then drove herself at it for the header that tied the score.

The United States pressed relentlessly for a winner from there, but the Netherlands – seasoned by history, improved by its past encounters against the Americans – hunkered down and fought off every one of them.

The result left the teams tied atop Group E with 4 points from a win and a draw, and crunching the math that it will take to win the group and reach the knockout rounds. For now, that edge goes to the Americans on goal difference, plus-3 to plus-1, but that will change over the final group games.

The United States will face Portugal on Tuesday, when the Netherlands will also play Vietnam. They will not see each other again unless they both reach the final. Gritty performances like Thursday’s suggest that both teams may have the mettle to hang around for a while.