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Three keys to the USWNT’s Olympic quarterfinal match against the Netherlands

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The U.S. women’s national team has advanced to the knockout stage in Tokyo, where they’ll face the Netherlands on Friday in a re-match of the 2019 World Cup.

In that final, the USWNT dominated the Dutch, rolling to a 2-0 win behind goals from Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle.

The USWNT, however, looks to be in very different form from their menacing World Cup presence, having already been blown out by Sweden in their opening game and settling for a 0-0 draw with Australia in their final match.

The United States finished Group G in second place, recording a win, a tie and a loss. Playing impatient and nervy throughout each of the games, the USWNT left a lot to be desired in the Olympic group stage.

The USWNT players will have their work cut out for them against the Netherlands, who scored 21 goals in the group stage. But it’s not yet time to give up hope on the world’s No. 1 team. Heading into the knockout round, the USWNT has the opportunity to start fresh. As Alex Morgan said, “This is when the tournament starts.”

Here are the three keys for the USWNT in their matchup with the Netherlands:

1. Contain Vivianne Miedema

Miedema is already having a record-breaking Olympics. The Dutch striker has scored eight goals in the Netherlands’ three group stage matches, more than any other woman in Olympic history. At her current pace, Miedema is scoring at a rate of one goal every 22 minutes. The Arsenal forward’s historic momentum will undoubtedly be something the U.S. will have to contend with. Though the USWNT beat Netherlands in a friendly late last year, Miedema wasn’t playing. With her, the Netherlands are an entirely different team.

It doesn’t help that the USWNT’s defense has been uncharacteristically leaky this tournament, letting in four goals in three games. Miedema, an expert at exploiting gaps in the backline, will be a test to the U.S.’ hole-plagued defense. Space between the outside backs and center backs has been a problem for the USWNT so far and will be of particular concern against the Netherlands.

2. Find any offensive momentum and keep it

The USWNT isn’t exactly riding high following the team’s group stage performance, meaning the squad will have to generate its own momentum going into the Netherlands matchup.

In the U.S.’ last Group G game against Australia, head coach Vlatko Andonovski relied on a conservative approach, with an eye toward the knockout round. Andonovski’s game plan was a gamble. On the one hand, the team conserved energy for the Netherlands; on the other hand, they aren’t heading into the contest with much momentum or confidence.

The USWNT will first be tasked with jumpstarting their sputtering offense against the Dutch. According to NWSL Analitica, a Twitter account that focuses on statistical analysis, Julie Ertz currently leads the USWNT in chances created (a chance is defined as a pass that ends in a shot), with five so far. Tierna Davidson and Megan Rapinoe follow close behind with four. While a great stat for Davidson, it’s not the most promising sign for an offense when the center back is setting up so many of the team’s scoring opportunities.

Notably, Kelley O’Hara has created two chances and Crystal Dunn just one, something the team will look to fix in the Netherlands game. The flanks, where the USWNT generates most of its attack, have been awfully quiet so far this tournament. To defeat the Netherlands, the United States will have to find a way to get Dunn and O’Hara incorporated into the attack.

3. Win the aerial battle

The USWNT got burned in the air against Sweden. All three of the Swedes’ goals were off headers, leaving the USWNT’s defense without an answer. The United States will look to tidy up its set-piece defending ahead of Friday’s quarterfinal in an effort to address the team’s vulnerabilities in the air.

On the other side of the ball, the USWNT should hope to diversify its attack, looking to the likes of Lindsey Horan or Sam Mewis to nod balls into the back of the net.

Tune in: The USWNT will face off against the Netherlands in the Olympic quarterfinals on Friday, airing at 7 am EST on NBCSN.

USC’s Aaliyah Gayles Opens Up About Her Journey Back to Basketball

USC Basketball - Aaliyah Gayles

As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview her teammate Aaliyah Gayles. Here are five things to know from our conversation with the redshirt freshman guard from Las Vegas.

#1 Aaliyah suffered from a near-death act of violence in 2022.

The incident taught her a lot about herself and the support around her. “[USC] Coach Lindsay [Gottlieb] was one of the first people to fly out there and come see me. That means a lot to me off the court.” 

#2 Her favorite USC memory is when she surprised her teammates after getting out of the hospital.

She left her walker at the door to show she was on the road to returning to the court. “That was my favorite memory because it was family. It was my first time being able to walk to you guys and see you practice.”

#3 There's a reason she wears #3.

#3 was her grandpa’s favorite number and a golden number in her life. Plus, AG3 has a nice ring to it. 

#4 She has a list of basketball GOAT’s:

Candace Parker, Magic Johnson, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, and Cason Wallace.

#5 There have been many celebrity appearances at USC’s games over the years, especially this season.

Aaliyah’s favorites include Will Ferrell, Kehlani, and Saweetie. And she hopes Lil Durk will come to watch a game soon.

Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.

Gotham, USWNT forward Midge Purce out with ACL tear

(Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

Midge Purce announced on Wednesday that she has torn her ACL. 

The Gotham FC and USWNT forward went down with the injury on Sunday during Gotham’s 1-0 win after tweaking it earlier in the game. Gotham coach Juan Carlos Amorós did not have any immediate updates following the match, with further evaluation revealing the tear. 

“It’s a reality I’m still struggling with and has left me with not too much to say,” Purce wrote in a statement on social media. “I’m heartbroken to no longer be available for my season with Gotham FC or for Olympic selection with the USWNT – know I’m rooting for you both all year long. 

“Though you may not see it, I’ll be doing everything I can to get back on the field.”

Purce is just the latest women's soccer star to tear her ACL, and joins USWNT teammate Mia Fishel in having torn her ACL in the last couple of months. Other notable players include Catarina Macario and Christen Press, with Macario only just returning to the USWNT lineup after tearing hers in 2022. 

International stars such as Alexia Putellas, Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema and Leah Williamson have also suffered ACL tears. 

Purce’s injury caused Amorós to call out the international schedule, which has been a growing point of concern as more players fall victim to injuries and the playing schedule becomes more packed. Kansas City’s Debinha suffered a hamstring injury in the team’s opening game, while both Lynn Williams and Rose Lavelle have yet to play for Gotham due to injuries picked up during the W Gold Cup. 

“We lost Midge during the game which for me is a bittersweet flavor,” Amorós told reporters after Sunday’s game. “By the way, it’s another player that came from the Gold Cup. Last week, it was Debinha. We are paying the consequences of a tournament that shouldn’t have happened.”

“We’re talking about protecting the players, [who shouldn’t] go to play an international competition after one week of preseason,” Amorós continued. “We’ve seen the consequences now. We’ve got Rose, Lynn, last week it was Debinha in Kansas [City] and now we have Midge. From my experience, the clubs are going to keep paying for that competition."

In her statement, Purce said that “so many friends, teammates and even players I’ve only ever competed against” reached out to offer support. 

“I am so blessed,” she wrote. “Your messages have meant so much to me throughout this process, you have consoled what, for a moment, felt inconsolable. Thank you for reminding me that our football world is not only full with incredibly talent but also, incredible kindness.”

Lauren Jackson included on Australia Olympics roster

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 01: Lauren Jackson of Australia celebrates with team mates after playing her final Opals game during the 2022 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 3rd place match between Canada and Australia at Sydney Superdome, on October 01, 2022, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)

Lauren Jackson has come out of retirement once again to compete for a spot on Australia’s Olympic roster. 

Jackson was included on the 26-player roster named by coach Sandy Brondello on Tuesday that will take part in training camps, tours and games in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics. The roster will eventually be whittled down to just 12 players selected from the 26 named on Tuesday.

Jackson helped Australia qualify for the Olympics with a win over Germany in February. After that, she announced her retirement, revealing that she struggled to spend so much time away from her two young children. 

The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported that Jackson and the basketball federation had come to an agreement in which they would help cover costs for her children to travel with the team for training camps and the Olympics. 

She’s largely expected to make the Opals’ Olympic roster. 

"It's always an exciting time to announce an Olympic squad and I congratulate all the athletes," Opals coach Sandy Brondello said. "They all know what it means to play for Australia and they all want the opportunity to represent their country at an Olympics. Our squad is full of exceptional talent and they will make the decision to pick a final 12 very difficult."

At the 2022 FIBA World Cup, Jackson helped Australia win a bronze medal with 30 points against Canada. She had previously retired in 2016 due to knee injuries, but slowly made a return in a domestic Australian league the last few years.

Jackson has won four Olympic medals, including three consecutive silver medals starting with Sydney in 2000 when she was a teenager. 

First two rounds of NCAA tournament boast record attendance, viewership

(David K Purdy/Getty Images)

The first two rounds of the women’s NCAA tournament broke attendance and viewership records set just last year – and it wasn’t even close. 

The NCAA announced on Tuesday that attendance for the first two rounds of the tournament was more than 292,000 – up from last year’s record, when almost 232,000 fans attended the first two rounds.

Among the host sites, Iowa had the biggest crowds with nearly 29,000 fans packing Carver-Hawkeye Arena in the first and second rounds. 

"We expected the historic success and quality of play and high level of competition from the regular season would carry through into March Madness. Our championship is again delivering," NCAA vice president of women's basketball Lynn Holzman said in a statement. "Record crowds, ratings, incredible performances and evolving storylines will continue to make the next two weeks a must-see for fans across the world."

And for those that couldn’t attend the sold-out Iowa games, they watched on television. Monday’s matchup between Iowa and West Virginia drew 4.9 million viewers, setting a record for a women’s D-I tournament game prior to the Final Four. 

It is also the third most watched tournament game in the last 20 years, behind last year’s national championship between LSU and Iowa (9.92 million) and Iowa’s Final Four win over South Carolina (5.6 million).

Iowa’s game against Holy Cross in the first round drew 3.23 million viewers. 

But it wasn’t just Iowa drawing big viewership. ESPN’s five games on Monday averaged 2.25 million viewers. UConn and Syracuse drew 2.05 million viewers while LSU and Middle Tennessee on ABC drew 2.01 million viewers on Sunday. 

The full, 16-game slate for the second round averaged 1.4 million viewers – a 121% increase from last year and the highest average ever for the second round.

The full tournament so far is averaging 812,000 viewers per game, a 108% increase from last year.

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