Lindsey Horan provided the emotional fire and the equalizer for the U.S. women’s national team in a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands in the World Cup group stage.

The USWNT captain found herself knocked to the ground after a physical challenge from Danielle van de Donk, much the way her team found itself stunned by the Netherlands’ first-half lead. But Horan responded immediately, first getting into a verbal sparring match with van de Donk and then smashing in the equalizer with a header off a corner kick in the 62nd minute.

The Netherlands had grabbed a 1-0 lead early in the 17th minute, as Jill Roord put a shot past six USWNT defenders and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. Before that goal, the USWNT had not trailed in a World Cup match since 2011.

Both teams had won their opening matches, with the USWNT posting a 3-0 scoreline against Vietnam and the Netherlands securing a defense-minded 1-0 win against Portugal. But the USWNT has recent history on its side heading into Wednesday’s match, with a 2-0 win against the Netherlands at the 2019 World Cup and a 3-2 win on penalty kicks in the 2021 Olympic quarterfinals.

So the battle for the top spot in Group E will come down to the third and final group-stage matches. The USWNT will face Portugal at 3 a.m. ET Tuesday, and the Netherlands will face Vietnam at the same time.

---

FINAL: USWNT 1, Netherlands 1

The USWNT trailed in a World Cup match for the first time since 2011 after an early Netherlands goal, but a Horan header saved the day.

Just Women’s Sports writer Claire Watkins questioned the bench usage (or lack thereof) from USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski. The team’s inability to counter the 3-5-2 Dutch formation, particularly the packed midfield, also stood out as an area of concern.

---

67′: Offside call wipes out go-ahead goal for USWNT

Trinity Rodman found Alex Morgan streaking into the box, and then Morgan hammered her shot home. But the would-be go-ahead goal was ruled offside.

Alex Morgan finds the back of the net for what would have been the go ahead goal for the @USWNT, but is called back 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/cnc2xrI3Cl

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 27, 2023

---

62′: Lindsey Horan ties score for USWNT

The USWNT captain tangled with Lyon teammate Danielle van de Donk, who knocked Horan to the ground with a physical challenge — and then felt Horan’s wrath as soon as she found her feet. But Horan got the best revenge, scoring the equalizer with a header off a corner kick.

WHO ELSE BUT HORAN?!

What a finish to level the score for the @USWNT 🎯🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/N9Tq3eiox1

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 27, 2023

D.C. GOING NUTS FOR THAT @USWNT GOAL BY @LINDSEYHORAN ‼️🇺🇸 #WorldCupWatchParty pic.twitter.com/LNmwBaoa98

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 27, 2023

---

51′: Rose Lavelle picks up quick yellow card on illegal tackle

Just five minutes after entering the match, the 28-year-old midfielder receives the first yellow card of the match for a slide against Jackie Groenen.

---

46′: Rose Lavelle replaces Savannah DeMelo

While Lavelle was cleared to start, she was utilized off the bench for the second consecutive match. She is recovering from a knee injury, and she played her first minutes since April as a substitute in the World Cup opener against Vietnam. She entered in the 61st minute against Vietnam, but the USWNT brought her on earlier here, perhaps to inject some energy into the midfield.

Aniek Nouwen replaced Stefanie van der Gragt for the Netherlands.

---

HALF: Netherlands 1, USWNT 0

Despite USWNT pressure early and late in the first half, the Netherlands dominated the middle minutes and the middle of the pitch.

The U.S. held a 9-2 advantage in shots. But for Just Women’s Sports writer Claire Watkins, the inability to capitalize on those chances almost could be considered a bigger indictment than not getting those chances at all — if the USWNT can’t get back into the game in the second half.

The Netherlands held USWNT captain Lindsey Horan limited to 22 touches in the first half, and the Fox cameras caught her throwing up her hands in the midfield.

“I want to see more fight, more urgency,” Fox Sports analyst and USWNT legend Carli Lloyd said of the first-half performance. “They started off the game really well, they were high pressing, but now you’re getting picked apart.”

---

36′: USWNT comes up empty despite two consecutive corners

The U.S. took two corner kicks in a row in the 35th and 36th minutes but did not score on either opportunity.

Fox Sports analyst and USWNT legend Carli Lloyd pointed out the team’s struggle to finish its chances against Vietnam, which she called a “worrying” trend under head coach Vlatko Andonovski. The USWNT finished its 3-0 win against Vietnam with 28 shots, seven of them on target.

---

29′: Netherlands sends shot just over crossbar

Dominique Janssen sends a shot inches over the crossbar. The ball lands in the top of the net, a warning to the USWNT of just how close the Netherlands came to extending the lead. The Dutch team has controlled 55% of possession since scoring the first goal.

Dominique Janssen's volley from outside the area doesn't miss by much 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/3LHPwjEbjZ

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 27, 2023

---

17′: Netherlands takes 1-0 lead courtesy of Jill Roord

From the top of the box, Roord shot past six USWNT defenders and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher to score the first goal of the match. While Trinity Rodman followed with a shot of her own almost immediately, goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar made the stop to preserve her team’s 1-0 lead.

Before this goal, the USWNT had not trailed in a World Cup match since 2011, holding opponents scoreless across a record 17-match stretch.

NETHERLANDS STRIKES FIRST 🇳🇱

Jill Roord fires it into the bottom corner of the net! pic.twitter.com/E3eWRb3GmL

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 27, 2023

---

6′: USWNT establishes early pressure

The speed up the left side of the field (particularly Crystal Dunn and Sophia Smith) created early chances for the USWNT, including this ball that dribbled all the way to the Dutch goalkeeper. Alex Morgan just missed the chance to tap it into the net.

Crystal Dunn's ball rolls all the way to Daphne van Domselaar 👀 pic.twitter.com/gL6ph3zzna

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 27, 2023

---

Starting XI: USWNT sticks with same lineup

• United States
  • Goalkeeper: Alyssa Naeher
  • Defenders: Emily Fox, Julie Ertz, Naomi Girma, Crystal Dunn
  • Midfielders: Andi Sullivan, Lindsey Horan, Savannah DeMelo
  • Forwards: Sophia Smith, Alex Morgan, Trinity Rodman
• Netherlands
  • Goalkeeper: Daphne van Domselaar
  • Defenders: Stefanie van der Gragt, Dominique Janssen
  • Midfielders: Jill Roord, Sherida Spitse, Danielle van de Donk, Jackie Groenen, Victoria Pelova
  • Forwards: Katja Snoeijs, Lieke Martens, Esmee Brugts

The USWNT is sticking with the same starting lineup it used against Vietnam, which makes this the first time since 1999 that the team is repeating a lineup in consecutive group-stage matches. Four of the players also started against the Netherlands in the 2019 final: Naeher, Dunn, Ertz and Morgan.

Your XI in Wellington 🇺🇸#USWNT x @Visa pic.twitter.com/eP4SAPB0Qx

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) July 26, 2023

---

What to know about the Netherlands

• The Netherlands is two coaches removed from its 2019 run to the World Cup final. Sarina Wiegman, who led the team in 2019, now coaches for England, and her successor Mark Parsons exited after a disappointing Euros run in 2022. Andries Jonker is now at the helm.
• Star striker Vivianne Miedema is missing the World Cup due to an ACL tear, so other Dutch players will need to step up in her absence.
• Stefanie van der Gragt scored on a header to provide the lone goal in the team’s 1-0 win against Portugal. The Netherlands did not allow any shots to Portugal until the 82nd minute.

What to know about the USWNT

• USWNT legend and Fox Sports analyst Carli Lloyd underlined what she called a “worrying” trend for the team: the inability to finish their chances, especially under pressure.
• Sophia Smith scored a brace in the opening victory against Vietnam. Keep up with every USWNT goal from the World Cup.

---

When and how to watch

• Wednesday, July 26 — 9 p.m. ET (Fox, Peacock, Telemundo)
  • United States vs. Netherlands (Wellington Regional)

The USWNT will play three group-stage matches at the World Cup, one against each of its opponents in Group E. After opening the tournament with a 3-0 win against Vietnam, the USWNT will face the Netherlands and then close the group stage against Portugal at 3 a.m. ET Tuesday.

The 2019 World Cup rematch against the Netherlands is available to watch on Fox and Telemundo. It also can be streamed on the Fox Sports app and on Peacock.

The NFL is putting women on the gridiron, with commissioner Roger Goodell announcing plans to launch both a men's and women's professional flag football league at Thursday's Leaders in Sport conference in London.

Looking to have both new ventures up and running in "the next couple of years," the NFL's goal is to introduce the leagues prior to the 2028 Summer Games in LA, where flag football will make its Olympic debut.

"The demand is there. We're seeing colleges in the States and universities internationally also that want to make it a part of their program," Goodell said. "If you set that structure up where there's youth leagues, going into high school, into college, and then professional, I think you can develop a system of scale. That's an important infrastructure that we need to create."

Building that infrastructure also feeds the ongoing NFL goal of growing flag football in order to construct a young fanbase for the gridiron sport at-large, with the league investing in a fan pipeline to support the NFL's future.

In part due to past NFL investments, women's flag football has seen significant growth across the US over the last 25 years, with over 30 states now offering competitive opportunities for high school girls — and at least half of those states fielding it as a full-fledged varsity championship sport.

Even the NCAA is getting in on the action, taking initial steps earlier this year to introduce flag football across all three of the governing body's divisions in the near future.

Though the LA Olympics are three years away, flag football is already charging ahead on the international stage, featuring in the 2022 and 2025 World Games — where the same US talent that the NFL is eyeing for its new league snagged a pair of silver medals.

The 2025/26 NCAA basketball season is just around the corner, and the Big Ten is celebrating by shouting out the conference's top predicted performers in both the coaches and media preseason polls on Thursday.

The UCLA Bruins — the Big Ten's singular 2025 Final Four participant — took the top team spot in both surveys, with the Maryland Terrapins trailing just behind as the conference's No. 2 ranked squad.

Rounding out the Top 5 in both polls were the USC Trojans, Michigan Wolverines, and Ohio State Buckeyes.

As for individual athletes, UCLA senior and the reigning Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Lauren Betts clocked in as the polls' unanimous favorite for Big Ten Player of the Year, with the standout center unsurprisingly capturing the top spot in the absence of injured USC star and 2025 Naismith Player of the Year JuJu Watkins.

Also picking up preseason All-Big Ten Team honors in both surveys were fellow UCLA standout Kiki Rice plus four other seniors: Iowa's Hannah Stuelke, Maryland's Yarden Garzon and Kaylene Smikle, and Michigan State's Grace VanSlooten.

A trio of underclassmen also made the cut in both 2025/26 preseason polls, with Ohio State's Jaloni Cambridge — last year's Big Ten Freshman of the Year — joined by a pair of fellow sophomores from archrival Michigan, Olivia Olson and Syla Swords.

The final spot on the All-Big Ten Team lists went to one of the Washington Huskies, with the 18 conference head coaches tapping junior Sayvia Sellers while the media honored senior Elle Ladine.

The 2025/26 NCAA basketball season tips off on November 3rd.

Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball is hitting the road, with the offseason league announcing on Thursday that it will make its first-ever tour stop during the upcoming expanded 2026 season when it takes over Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on January 30th.

"The energy and dedication of everyone who helped bring this tour stop to life, combined with the passion of Philadelphia's sports fans, made the city the perfect stage for Unrivaled," league president Alex Bazzell said in Thursday's press release.

Featuring four as-yet-unannounced Unrivaled teams in a regular-season doubleheader, the Miami-based league will also pack additional activations and events supporting the competition into its inaugural tour stop.

"Philadelphia is the city of firsts, so it makes perfect sense that the Unrivaled League picked our historical city, with unmatched sports enthusiasts, as its first tour stop," said Philadelphia mayor Cherelle L. Parker.

The upstart league's first foray outside of Miami will also mark Philadelphia's first professional women's basketball games since 1998.

"Advancing women's pro sports in Philly has been a goal we've passionately pursued for years," said comedian Wanda Sykes, an Unrivaled investor and a founding member of the Philadelphia Sisters, a women's sports advocacy group. "Unrivaled, this groundbreaking league, is set to elevate the women's basketball ecosystem as a whole, and we are honored that Philly has been chosen as its first-ever tour stop."

How to purchase tickets to Unrivaled in Philadelphia

Unrivaled isn't revealing the four participating teams until sometime next month, but fans can secure their own spots at the Philadelphia tour stop today.

Tickets for the January 30th doubleheader are currently available for purchase online at Ticketmaster.

With just four regular-season matchdays remaining in the 2025 NWSL season, the clock is quickly ticking down for teams making a late push to rise above the postseason cutoff line on the league table — including the No. 10 Houston Dash.

Currently sitting three points outside of playoff contention, a motivated Houston side will look to make a leap against No. 5 Orlando on Friday night, as the defending champion Pride continues reeling from their recently snapped nine-game NWSL winless streak.

"For us, the next couple of matches are finals," Dash head coach Fabrice Gautrat said after last weekend's 4-0 loss to the No. 2 Washington Spirit. "We have to keep approaching it one game at a time like we've been doing, but we definitely have to have a response against the Orlando Pride."

Notably, Houston enters Friday's matchup with new firepower in the midfield, as teen phenom Chloe Ricketts joins the Dash as a short-term signing from the Spirit before she moves to incoming expansion side Boston Legacy FC in 2026.

"[Ricketts] is very lively, has great energy, great attitude, is eager and ambitious," said Gautrat of Houston's Wednesday signee. "She could play anywhere on our front line, to be honest."

How to watch the Houston Dash vs. Orlando Pride

The No. 10 Houston Dash will host the No. 5 Orlando Pride at 8 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage airing on Prime.