Mark Baker/Associated Press
The United States women’s national team closes out its 2021 calendar on Tuesday morning with the second of two matches against Australia.
The USWNT ushered in a new crop of players in the first victory of its trip Down Under, when it won 3-0 on Friday in Sydney.
Vlatko Andonovski’s side can finish the year with a 3-0-1 mark against the Matildas if it wins at the McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle, Australia.
The Americans tied with the Aussies in the group stage of the Tokyo Olympics and then beat them in the bronze-medal match.
USWNT vs. Australia Info
Date: Tuesday, November 30
Start Time: 4 a.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: ESPN.com and ESPN app
Odds: Available odds for the match can be found on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Preview
The two-game swing in Australia is serving as an introduction for some of the younger players in the USWNT talent pool.
Goalkeeper Casey Murphy earned her first clean sheet and Ashley Hatch netted her first international goal in the first game versus the Matildas. Hatch’s goal came 24 seconds into the game and was the third-fastest strike in team history.
In total, four USWNT players made their international debuts on Friday. Morgan Weaver, Bethany Balcer and Ashley Sanchez all entered in the second half as substitutes.
Look for more the younger players from the National Women’s Soccer League to receive playing time on Tuesday as Andonovski gets an idea of who can contribute to the buildup to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be played in Australia and New Zealand.
Hatch and Balcer were the top two scorers in the NWSL season that just recently finished. They should be utilized again by Andonovski in attack.
Margaret Purce, who finished fourth in the NWSL Golden Boot race, and Sophia Smith, who led the league in shots, are also options in the final third.
The USWNT has scored seven goals against Australia in its last two meetings, so there should be a good amount of chances for whoever lands in the starting forward roles.
The spine of the American lineup will have more experience to it. The five players with 60 or more international appearances in the squad are defenders and midfielders.
Tuesday’s goal for the defensive-minded players will be to again contain Sam Kerr, who has 49 goals in 103 international appearances for the Australian side.
The 28-year-old has scored once in the three meetings with the Americans, when she hit a 17th-minute equalizer in the bronze-medal match at the Olympics, but that was cancelled out by a Megan Rapinoe strike just four minutes later.
The Americans should win the match even with a younger squad in tow. The new players inserted into the squad displayed plenty of confidence in the first match Down Under. And if the same quality is on display on Tuesday, the USWNT should finish 2021 with a victory.
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