The subtext all week has been historical past, even earlier than the United States and the Netherlands arrived in Wellington, New Zealand, for his or her high-stakes matchup on the World Cup on Thursday afternoon (Wednesday at 9 p.m. Eastern).
Every day, there have been countless questions on how the sport is a replay of the 2019 World Cup final. Questions about reminiscences and rematches and revenge. And daily, the gamers and their coaches from each groups have — patiently, politely, persistently — made clear that the previous doesn’t notably matter to them.
“I think that was four years ago,” United States midfielder Rose Lavelle stated on Wednesday. “I think both teams are completely different: different players, different coaches. So I think it’s a fun memory, but we have a new mind-set for this game.”
The eagerness to set the historical past apart is probably extra comprehensible within the Netherlands camp. Several of its key gamers have been on the sector in Lyon, France, when the Netherlands misplaced to the United States in the 2019 final, but in addition when the Americans beat the Dutch in a friendly in November 2020 and in a shootout in the Olympic tournament in Tokyo in 2021. They are all, thanks very a lot, fairly conscious of the historical past that hangs over the rivalry. They are all simply as able to look forward, as a substitute of again.
“It’s a big game — we’re looking forward to it,” Netherlands midfielder Jill Roord stated after beating Portugal on Sunday. “But it’s just a game. And it’s the group stage, so it doesn’t really matter what the big game is. You just want to win.”
Her teammate Jackie Groenen supplied the same shrug on Wednesday. “For me it’s just a match,” she stated. “It’s worth three points, and we want to win it.”
That underplays the stakes fairly a bit. Ever because the groups have been drawn into the identical group, they’ve understood the significance of successful this matchup, and with it in all probability first place in Group E. Both groups know that the first-place group within the group has a far simpler path within the spherical of 16 (Italy or Argentina presumably) than the runner-up, which is more likely to face Sweden, a real World Cup title contender, within the knockout spherical.
Both the United States and the Netherlands additionally agree that Thursday’s recreation can be totally different. The Americans will run out just a few new faces of their lineup, an injection of talent and expertise that gives promise however treasured little big-game expertise on the World Cup. Lavelle, although, is likely to be positioned to assist: She might rejoin the beginning lineup for the primary time after a number of injury-plagued months. (UPDATE: Nope. The U.S. lineup is unchanged from the Vietnam recreation.)
But the Netherlands gives a brand new look as nicely: extra seasoned and extra organized, extra disciplined and, possibly, just a bit extra expert in sure locations.
Maybe that can be sufficient. Maybe the teachings of the previous, dismissed as speaking factors all week, have been absorbed. Maybe, simply possibly, the Netherlands can produce a distinct outcome. The Americans, assured as ever, completely consider that’s potential. More vital, so do the Dutch.
“We are not afraid of America,” Netherlands Coach Andries Jonker stated on Sunday. “We respect them. But we have no fear.”
Content Source: www.nytimes.com
