The U.S. women’s national team had been knocking on the door of a goal in Thursday night’s 2-1 loss against Germany at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Scratch that: Lindsey Horan was knocking on the goal frame, repeatedly. The 28-year-old midfielder banged a shot off the crossbar late in the first half, then slammed a ball into the post with a bicycle kick early in the second.

Both of Horan’s chances ricocheted away from the net. The second turned into a counterattack for Germany, which then turned into their own shot off the post. The visiting team, though, proved luckier than Horan.

German forward Klara Bühl’s shot knocked off the left post, then off the back of U.S. goalkeeper Casey Murphy and into the net to give the visitors the lead and the momentum, which they carried to a victory.

Murphy, despite being credited with an own goal, made several key saves playing in place of regular starter Alyssa Naeher.

Among position players, Rose Lavelle provided a bright spot. The midfielder helped the team control the pace in the first have and nutmegged a defender to set up Horan’s first close call off the crossbar.

Yet while the U.S. looked strong at times, particularly in the middle of the field, they struggled on set plays and in transition, which doomed them in the final minutes.

The USWNT tied the score in the 85th minute, as Alex Morgan fed the ball to a wide open Megan Rapinoe, who snapped it into the goal. But Germany responded three minutes later, turning a transition opportunity into a goal from Paulina Krumbiegel to take the win.

The loss marks the third in a row for the USWNT, which fell in back-to-back games against England and Spain in October. The team previously had not lost three consecutive games since 1993, when it lost to Norway and then twice in a row to Germany.

Since its founding in 1985, the USWNT never has lost four matches in a row, though the team did kick off its existence with a four-match winless streak (three losses and a tie). The squad will look to avoid that ignominious first when it faces Germany again at 5 p.m. ET Sunday at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

The U.S. women’s national team will face Germany in two matches in four days, starting Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

German coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, though, was not sold on the merits of the international trip for her team.

Speaking after her team’s Oct. 7 friendly against France, the coach cited the stress of travel and the wear on players’ bodies as concerns, per German Women’s Football. All but one of the 26 players on Germany’s roster for the two friendlies play in European leagues, which are in the middle of their seasons, as opposed to the U.S.-based NWSL, which ended its season on Oct. 29.

A native of Germany, Voss-Tecklenburg has coached her home country’s national team since 2019 after a six-year stint with the Switzerland national team. She led Germany to a runner-up finish at the Euros this summer.

Germany holds the No. 3 spot in the FIFA world ranking, behind the United States at No. 1 and Sweden at No. 2.

While Voss-Tecklenburg said her team is excited to face the USWNT, she wants to “do everything to ensure that our players stay healthy,” per a translation from German Women’s Football.

The German team agreed to the matches because of a contractual obligation with the U.S. squad, Voss-Tecklenburg said.

Both sides engaged in talks, and the coach “wouldn’t have have minded” an alternate arrangement — just one game, or two games with more time between them, she said. But they ended up with the two-game trip to the United States.

“We’ll now try to make the best of it,” said the coach, according to the translation from German Women’s Football.

Florida is under a hurricane watch as Tropical Storm Nicole approaches, but U.S. women’s national team coach Vlatko Andonovski doesn’t expect the weather conditions to affect his team’s friendly with Germany.

The match is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET Thursday at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, which is under a hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning through early Thursday morning.

The USWNT released a statement Wednesday via Twitter addressing the possible impact of inclement weather on the match.

“The safety of the players, staff and fans is always of paramount importance,” the statement reads. “U.S. Soccer has been monitoring the situation for several days and the current weather forecast indicates that the USWNT vs. Germany match in Fort Lauderdale will be able to proceed as planned on Thursday night.”

The statement also said U.S. Soccer, Inter Miami CF and local authorities will be monitoring the forecast on an hourly basis.

Andonovski echoed the statement and added that, despite heavy rain, his team’s training session Wednesday morning went well.

“We were able to get the training in, and I thought we made the most of it,” he said. “I’m very happy with the way training went, and the preparation went.

“The weather did not quite cooperate with us as much as we wanted, but we did have great training. Everybody is in the right mindset.”

That mindset is important for the squad, which is coming off back-to-back friendly losses at the hands of England and a depleted Spanish National Team. The European trip marked the first time the team was defeated in two consecutive matches since 2017.

The USWNT will play two friendlies with Germany, the first coming Thursday in Florida and the second at 5 p.m. ET Sunday at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey.

The U.S. women’s national team will end its year with two friendlies against Germany, the first on Thursday and the second on Sunday.

Thursday will mark the first time the two teams have played since 2018, and the first time they’ve played in a friendly since April 2013, a match that ended in a 3-3 tie.

In total, the teams have met 33 times, the most for the United States against any European team other than Norway (50) and Sweden (42). The USWNT holds a 22-4-7 advantage (W-L-D), including a victory in the 2015 World Cup semifinals and in the 1999 World Cup quarterfinals.

Germany is fresh off a runner-up finish at the 2022 UEFA Women’s Euros this summer, while the USWNT won the Concacaf W Championship weeks earlier. But the U.S. is coming off consecutive losses to England and Spain in October.

“Playing Germany in the final matches of the year will be ideal for our World Cup preparations for all of our players and coaching staff, but it’s also fantastic for all the fans,” USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski said. “USA-Germany is always one of the most entertaining match-ups in women’s international soccer and it’s a rivalry that has some wonderful history as well.”

Ahead of Thursday’s match, Just Women’s Sports hit the rewind button. Take look back at three key matches in the history of the rivalry — going back to the USWNT’s most recent loss to Germany in 2003.

March 1, 2018 – SheBelieves Cup
USA 1 – Germany 0

The USWNT opened up its 2018 SheBelieves Cup championship run with a 1-0 win over Germany. It marked the third year in a row that the U.S. beat Germany in the tournament, including a gold-medal win over Germany in 2016, but the teams have not played since then.

Megan Rapinoe scored the game’s lone goal – the 35th of her career at the time – and was assisted by Alex Morgan. Fittingly, the two players will feature once again for the USWNT on Thursday.

June 30, 2015 – World Cup semifinal
USA 2 – Germany 0

The 2015 Women’s World Cup featured Germany as the top-ranked team in the world, but USWNT pulled out the upset win in the semifinal round.

Carli Lloyd and Kelley O’Hara each scored, and Hope Solo set the record for the longest shutout streak in U.S. World Cup history. Her 10th clean sheet also set the FIFA Women’s World Cup record.

But the game wasn’t without controversy, as Lloyd’s goal came on a penalty kick after a questionable call outside the box. O’Hara, though, provided a second goal to quiet the complaints and send her team to the final.

The USWNT would go on to win its third title, defeating Japan 5-2 in the final after Lloyd recorded her historic hat trick. Lloyd was named the tournament’s best player, tying for top scorer with Germany’s Célia Šašić at six goals apiece.

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Carli Lloyd (right) celebrates with teammates after scoring against Germany at the 2015 World Cup. (Michael Chow/USA TODAY Sports)

Oct. 5, 2003: World Cup semifinal
USA 0 – Germany 3

Germany got the best of the USWNT in the World Cup semifinal in 2003 — and got revenge for its loss to the USWNT in the 1999 World Cup tournament.

German players gave credit in part to the eight-team WUSA, as the professional league gave them the opportunity to play with and against some of the best U.S. players outside of international competitions.

“This time, we knew we could play against them,” three-time FIFA World Player of the Year and all-time leading scorer Birgit Prinz told reporters after the game. “We knew that they are not better than us.”

In the 16th minute, Kerstin Garefrekes struck first. Two more stoppage time goals were added later as German goalkeeper Silke Rottenberg recorded the clean sheet.

Germany would go on to win the World Cup, defeating Sweden 2-1, and Prinz would be named Player of the Tournament after scoring a tournament-high seven goals.

Since that World Cup defeat, the USWNT hasn’t lost to Germany, going 10-0-5 in the last 19 years. (Full disclosure: That does include one regulation tie but shootout loss to Germany at the 2006 Algarve Cup, but the USWNT still has had the clear upper hand.)

The USWNT will face Germany at 7 p.m. ET Thursday at DRV Pink Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and at 5 p.m. ET Sunday at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. Thursday’s game will air on Fox Sports 1, and Sunday’s game will air on ESPN.

The U.S. women’s national team will face off against Germany in its final matches of 2022, the team announced Tuesday.

The USWNT, which holds the top spot in the FIFA world rankings, will host Germany, the second-ranked team, for a pair of friendlies: on Nov. 10 at DRV Pink Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and on Nov. 13 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.

The announcement of the matches comes one day after the team announced a friendly against Spain to finish a two-match European swing in October.

“Playing Germany in the final matches of the year will be ideal for our World Cup preparations for all of our players and coaching staff, but it’s also fantastic for all the fans,” coach Vlatko Andonovski said. “USA-Germany is always one of the most entertaining matchups in women’s international soccer and it’s a rivalry that has some wonderful history as well.”

The opening clash of the top two teams in the world will mark their first meeting since the 2018 SheBelieves Cup. The USWNT won that game 1-0 in Columbus, Ohio.

The USWNT is fresh off a Concacaf W Championship win this summer, while Germany finished as the runner-up to England in the European Championship.

Germany qualified for the 2023 World Cup with a 3-0 win over Turkey in October, which put them in the top spot in Group H in UEFA qualifying. In qualifying competition, Germany scored 47 goals while allowing just five.

For USWNT, a set of matches against Germany following after two top-10 matchups in October should help the team ramp up for next year’s World Cup. Andonovski has hammered home the need for preparation, noting during the Concacaf tournament that the team was not ready for the World Cup — but would be.

“We are not coaching with an eye toward the next game, we’re actually coaching with an eye toward the World Cup,” Andonovski said. “Everything we do now is a preparation for the World Cup.”

Germany’s top scorer Alexandra Popp was ruled out of Germany’s starting lineup for the UEFA Women’s EURO final against England.

The 31-year was replaced at the last minute Sunday after aggravating an injury during the game’s warm-ups.

Popp is tied with England’s Beth Mead atop the Euro Golden Boot race with six goals.

Lea Schüller replaced Popp in Germany’s starting 11.

A record crowd showed up at Wembley Stadium Sunday for the UEFA Women’s Euro final between England and Germany.

The iconic English venue was sold out for the championship contest, with 87,192 fans in attendance for the Sunday-night affair. The previous attendance record for a men’s or women’s Euro final is 79,115, set in 1964 by the Spain and Soviet Union contest hosted in Madrid.

The 2022 Euros has smashed attendance records throughout the tournament, with England’s quarterfinal against Spain drawing a crowd of 28,994 at Falmer Stadium.

Women’s football has grown in popularity in England after decades of building the game. “We want to inspire the nation,” England coach Sarina Wiegman said. “We hope that in the end, the whole country is proud of us and even more girls and boys will start playing football.”

As England and Germany enter the Euros final Sunday, Beth Mead and Alexandra Popp are deadlocked in the Golden Boot race.

Each player, Mead for England and Popp for Germany, has scored six goals so far in the tournament. That number puts them in a tie for the most ever in a women’s Euros with Germany’s Inka Grings, who scored six in 2009.

With six goals through five games, each has a goals per game ratio of 1.20 – good for second best in history behind England’s Jodie Taylor, who had five goals in four games in 2017 for a ratio of 1.25.

Sunday’s match will decide not just the championship but the winner of the Golden Boot. Of course, they could finish the tournament tied at six goals apiece, but where’s the fun in that? Just Women’s Sports breaks down the state of the competition.

Beth Mead, England

Five of Mead’s six goals came in the group stage, three during England’s 8-0 rout of Norway.

Perhaps even more impressive is that of Mead’s 15 total attempts, just six have been on target – and all of them have gone in. She also ranks first in assists (5) and chances created (14) in this tournament, making her quite the threat for Germany on Sunday.

Alexandra Popp

Playing in her first Euros, Alexandra Popp is making her name known.

Of her six goals, four have come on headers – something that England should look out for come Sunday. In total, she’s made 17 attempts, with seven on target.

She came up big for Germany during the semifinal, scoring both of the team’s goals. But she credits her team for helping her with the chances.

“If I don’t get these passes, I don’t score. It makes me happy when they create chances for me to score,” Popp said following the team’s semifinal win. “It’s not my main objective to win the Golden Boot, the main objective is to win the Euros.”

When England and Germany face off Sunday, they’ll do so as rivals. But two of the players on the opposing sides will do so as a couple.

Mixed into the storylines ahead of Sunday’s matchup – including the race for the Golden Boot between Beth Mead and Alexandra Popp – is the love story of England’s Jess Carter and Germany’s Ann-Katrin Berger. The two first met at Birmingham City as teammates and now play together at Chelsea.

“I think I was – and probably still am – more comfortable than Ann is with publicizing our relationship,” Carter said in an article for the England Football website in December. “But that is just because Ann is a very private person whereas I am more of a ‘the whole world could know and I wouldn’t really care’ kind of person.”

The duo isn’t the first women’s soccer power couple. Sam Kerr and Kristie Mewis have been open about their relationship, with Kerr recently discussing it on the Snacks podcast. There has also long been speculation about a relationship between Tobin Heath and Christen Press, who recently walked the red carpet together at the ESPYs.

Sweden’s Magdalena Eriksson and Denmark’s Pernille Harder – who also both play at Chelsea – are also in a relationship that went viral when their kiss was caught on camera at the 2019 World Cup.

Carter says that over time Berger has gotten used to the publicity of the relationship.

“She doesn’t shout from the rooftop about it but equally when she is asked it is not a secret either,” she continued. “Not everybody is as comfortable announcing to the world who they are with but I think that is the same in straight and gay relationships.”

Carter is a defender and Berger a goalkeeper. Both have spent the Euros as substitutes and will likely start the Sunday final on the bench. But that hasn’t stopped Chelsea from poking fun, with the club taking to Instagram following Germany’s win over France.

“Well well well, we’ll be seeing you both at Wembley!” they wrote.

England and Germany will face off in the Euros final at 12 p.m. ET Sunday on ESPN.

One day after Beth Mead made history and extended her lead in the Euros’ Golden Boot race, Alexandra Popp made some history of her own — and pulled into a tie with the English striker.

Popp scored twice in Germany’s 2-1 win Wednesday over France to lead the team to a record ninth Euros final.

With her goals, she became the first women’s player to score in five consecutive matches at the Euros. She matches Michel Platini’s record from the men’s tournament in 1984, when he scored in five consecutive matches for France.

Her first tally came in the 40th minute to put Germany up 1-0.

That lead did not hold for long, though, as a strike from France’s Kadidiatou Diani ricocheted off the post, then went into the net off the back of German goalkeeper Merle Frohms.

Credited as an own goal, it also marked the first goal that Germany conceded in the tournament.

Popp, though, played hero in the second half. She put Germany in the lead and tied Mead in the Golden Boot race with a header in the 76th minute.

Both now have six goals on the tournament, tying the Euros record set by Germany’s Inka Grings in 2009.

The 2-1 scoreline held despite a couple of late opportunities for France. Germany will face host England on Sunday in the final at Wembley, on the hunt for a record ninth European championship title.

Germany has won every women’s Euros final in which it has appeared, while England will be looking for its first title.