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DECINES-CHARPIEU, FRANCE – JULY 02: Rose Lavelle #16 during a 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup France Semi-Final match between England and the United States at Groupama Stadium on July 02, 2019 in Decines-Charpieu, France.
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Jordan Viener
WashingtonSpirit.com
Boyds, MD., (7/7/2019) – Washington Spirit players Rose Lavelle and Mallory Pugh will play the game they’ve dreamed about their entire lives as the U.S. Women’s National Team faces off against the Netherlands in the World Cup final in Lyon, France.
Last week the U.S. secured a tight 2-1 victory over England in the semi-finals and the Americans are now just one match away from securing back-to-back World Cup titles. On the other side, the Netherlands will be looking for their first World Cup victory ever.
Lavelle has started in five of six U.S. matches during the World Cup and is expected to start again in the final. The midfielder has scored two goals during the tournament. She was particularly strong in the first half of the semi-final match, displaying her ability to create space with two shots on target.
Forward Pugh notched her first World Cup goal in her debut against Thailand and appeared in all three group stage matches, including a start against Chile. While she has yet to play in the knockout rounds, she could still appear as an impact sub as the tournament reaches its summit.
The Netherlands have been one of the biggest surprises this tournament. The Orange only qualified for the World Cup once prior to this year (2015) advancing only to the round of 16. The Netherlands have gone undefeated this World Cup, beating several traditional powers on their path. They most recently defeated Sweden in a heart-stopping 1-0 overtime victory.
After achieving the largest group stage goal differential in Women’s World Cup history, things have toughened up significantly for the Americans as of late. They have now won three games straight 2-1 and have one game remaining to capture a record fourth world title.
At number eight in the FIFA world rankings, the Netherlands are the lowest ranked team the US has faced since the Round of 16.
Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. ET on FOX, coverage is set to begin at 9:30 a.m. on FS1.
