After a stunning loss in their opener, the USWNT look to rebound against New Zealand in their second group match. Here’s what you should know.
(CBS Local)- The USWNT’s Olympic journey got off to a rocky start with a 3-0 loss to Sweden in their opening match on Wednesday. It was the worst loss for the national team since a 3-0 defeat against France in the 2017 SheBelieves Cup. The team doesn’t have much time to find answers or dwell on the loss however as their next match, now almost a must win, sees the team take on New Zealand on Saturday morning. As the team gears up for its second match of the tournament, here are five things fans should know about the opponent, New Zealand. The USWNT has dominated the all-time series against New Zealand, winning 15 of the 17 meetings to this point for a 15-1-1 record. This is the fourth time the teams have met at the Olympic Games, with the U.S. scoring a 2-0 win in Rio and London and a 4-0 win in 2008 in Beijing. The most recent meeting between the two came in May of 2019 with the U.S. posting a 5-0 victory as part of their send-off series ahead of the 2019 Women’s world Cup. Carli Lloyd tallied a pair of goals with Tobin Heath, Rose Lavelle and Samantha Mewis joining her in the scoring department.