Women’s World Cup: USA vs. Sweden by the numbers

Last updated: 2023/08/05 at 9:04 AM

BigP Published August 5, 2023

The United States and Sweden will add another chapter to their fierce rivalry on Sunday, when they play each other in the knockout stage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time (coverage begins at 4 a.m. ET, with kickoff at 5 a.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).

Sweden got the best of the U.S. at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, beating the Americans, 3-0, but the U.S. won the last World Cup matchup with Sweden in 2019, 2-0.

Here’s a statistical breakdown of how both teams have performed at the tournament so far, from the FOX Soccer Research Team:

54 — Through three games, 54% of Sweden’s shots have come from set pieces, the highest rate among knockout-stage teams.

[Why set pieces could be the difference in USA-Sweden matchup]

20 — The USWNT is unbeaten in a Women’s World Cup-record 20 straight games, last losing outright to (you guessed it) Sweden in the 2011 group stage.

9 — The U.S. is the only country that has advanced to all nine Women’s World Cup knockout stages.

7.8 — The USWNT generated 7.8 expected goals in the group stage, the fourth-most of any team at this year’s tournament.

7 — The U.S. and Sweden will meet at the Women’s World Cup for the seventh time, the most that any two teams have played each other at the Women’s World Cup.

5 — The USWNT had five points in the group stage, its fewest points ever at the Women’s World Cup.

4 — Sweden has four goals off corner kicks, the most by a team in any group stage at the last four Women’s World Cups.

“There’s this misconception that inside, we’re not doing well” — USWNT’s Sophia Smith on upcoming match against Sweden

3 — Amanda Ilestedt leads Sweden with three goals — all headers — at this Women’s World Cup. She is tied with five other players for third-most in the competition. Hinata Miyazawa and Alexandra Popp have four each, though Popp was eliminated with Germany.

2 — The USWNT has never been shut out twice at a single World Cup. The U.S. was last shut out in consecutive games in March 2017 against England and France.

0.7 — The USWNT has conceded a tournament-low nine shots and 0.7 expected goals in the group stage.

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