Overview
- Kickoff is Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, with coverage on TNT and TruTV and streaming on HBO Max.
- The U.S. rebounded from an opening 2-1 loss to Portugal with a 3-1 win featuring two goals from Olivia Moultrie and a late strike by Sam Coffey.
- Hayes’ youthful approach included a starting XI averaging about 20.7 years in the Portugal win, with a 26-player roster used for evaluations and goalkeepers Phallon Tullis-Joyce and Claudia Dickey splitting starts.
- Performance trends showed improvement in organization and chance creation, with 10 U.S. shots and Portugal limited to four in the rematch after targeted tactical work and a return to basics.
- New Zealand arrives off 1-0 and 2-0 defeats to Mexico that exposed set-piece vulnerabilities; the U.S. leads the all-time series 19-1-1, including 4-0 and 5-0 wins in 2023.