Women’s World Cup: Americans face tougher task against the Dutch

By JENNA FRYER AP National Writer

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — The United States and the Netherlands meet again on the Women’s World Cup stage — with smaller stakes than the 2019 title game won by the Americans — and the Dutch team collecting injuries at a terrible time of the tournament.

The Netherlands will most likely be without forward Lineth Beerensteyn, who was hurt early in her team’s 1-0 victory over Portugal to open the tournament, when they play the Americans today in New Zealand’s capital city of Wellington.

The Americans are the two-time reigning World Cup champions and Netherlands coach Andries Jonker said on the eve of the match “we would need a miracle” for Beerensteyn to be ready to play.

“And if that doesn’t happen, then she won’t participate,” he said.

The Netherlands came to the tournament in Australia and New Zealand already missing leading scorer Vivianne Miedema, who ruptured her ACL while playing for Arsenal in December. The forward is the Netherlands’ leading scorer with 95 goals.

Just before the team’s first match against Portugal in Dunedin, Miedema posted a photo of herself on social media as a little girl cheering for her team. She’s cried, she said, watching the Netherlands play without her.

“Although I’ve known I won’t be able to play in this World Cup for about seven months now, it’s still been pretty tough and emotional,” she wrote.

Jonker said the team is considering shifting players to shore up its attack, and he could try a one-to-one replacement with Katja Snoeijs.

Today’s game is a rematch of the 2019 World

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Brittany Bonamy, middle blocker/right side hitter La’Tavia Braynen, right side hitters Jannelle Curtis, Raechel Knowles and Venessa Sawyer, setters Laval Sands and Je’Nae Saunders (captain).

In addition, middle blocker Ashley Webb and liberos Franceska McBride and Chandra Mackey.

Meanwhile Mackey, from The Bahamas, was 20/44 for 45%. In the second match of three, Syndey Clarke is engaged in a set one battle with Leyla Risso Britez. The Paraguay player currently has the edge on Clarke, leading 5-3 in the initial set.

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