2020 Tokyo Olympics – Bronze Medal Match
Date: August 5, 2021
Venue: Ibaraki Kashima Stadium; Kashima, Japan
Broadcast: USA, Telemundo, NBCOlympics.com, Telemundo Deportes App
Broadcast Time: 4:00 a.m. ET
Official Kickoff Time: 4:00 a.m. ET
Starting XI vs. Australia: 18-Adrianna Franch; 5-Kelley O’Hara, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn (Capt.), 12-Tierna Davidson, 2-Crystal Dunn; 8-Julie Ertz, 3-Samantha Mewis, 9-Lindsey Horan; 11-Christen Press, 10-Carli Lloyd, 15-Megan Rapinoe
Available Subs: 6-Kristie Mewis, 7-Tobin Heath, 13-Alex Morgan, 14-Emily Sonnett, 16-Rose Lavelle, 17-Abby Dahlkemper, 22-Jane Campbell
GAME NOTES | FIVE THINGS TO KNOW – AUSTRALIA
- U.S. WNT Starting XI Cap Numbers (including this match): Lloyd (312), Sauerbrunn (193), Rapinoe (185), Press (155), O’Hara (145), Dunn (122), Ertz (116), Horan (104), S. Mewis (83), Davidson (39), Franch (8)
- Today’s Starting XI features five different players from the starting lineup that faced Canada in the semifinal: Franch for an injured Naeher in goal, Samantha Mewis for Lavelle in the midfield, and a new forward line with Press, Lloyd and Rapinoe in place of Heath, Morgan and Lynn Williams
- Tonight’s lineup against Australia features eight of the 11 players who started against the Matildas in the group stage match on July 27. The only differences are Franch for Naeher in goal, Horan for Lavelle in the midfield, and Lloyd for Morgan at striker.
- Team captain and three-time Olympian Becky Sauerbrunn will earn her 193rd cap, passing Brandi Chastain for 13th on the USWNT’s all-time caps list. If she goes without a goal today, Sauerbrunn would break the record for most USWNT caps without scoring a goal, currently held by USWNT General Manager Kate Markgraf, who scored her first – and only – goal for the USWNT in her 193rd cap.
- After coming on in the 30th minute of the Olympic semifinal to replace an injured Alyssa Naeher, Adrianna Franch will make her first start of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in what will be her eighth international appearance for the USWNT. This will be Franch’s fifth career start and her first start at a world championship event.
- Kelley O’Hara will make her fifth start of the 2020 Games and her 15th Olympic appearance – and Olympic start -- overall. A three-time Olympian, O’Hara will have now started in all 13 matches in which she’s appeared in 2021.
- Tierna Davidson will earn her 39th cap as she makes her fourth start of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The 22-year-old Davidson started and went the full 90 minutes in the group stage against New Zealand and Australia, and again in the semifinal against Canada. This will be her sixth international appearance at a world championship – one at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and five at the Olympics.
- Crystal Dunn will make her 122nd international appearance for the USWNT and sixth consecutive start at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the only player to start every match of the Olympics for the USA. Dunn leads the USA in minutes in the tournament with 464 and ranks seventh in total minutes played among all field players at the Olympics.
- Julie Ertz will make her fifth consecutive start of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and her sixth appearance of the 2020 Olympic Games. Since subbing on at halftime of the USA’s Olympic opener vs. Sweden on July 21, Ertz played every minute for the USA over its final two group stage games and went the distance in the quarterfinal and semifinal. The two-time World Cup champion and two-time Olympian, Ertz is set to earn her 116th cap.
- Lindsey Horan will make her fifth start of the 2020 Olympics and earn her 104th cap overall. One of only two players to appear in every match for the USWNT this year, Horan has played 409 minutes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, fourth among all USWNT players behind only Dunn (464), Ertz (435) and Naeher (420). Horan played the final 25 minutes of the group stage match against Australia, tallying two shots.
- Samantha Mewis will make her fourth start and sixth appearance overall of the 2020 Olympics, in what will be her 83rd international appearance overall. Mewis tallied both a goal and an assist in the USA’s quarterfinal matchup against the Netherlands and is tied for second on the team in scoring in 2021 with six goals.
- Christen Press will make her 155th international appearance as she makes her third start of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and first since the group stage draw vs Australia on July 27. Press tallied both a goal and an assist in the USA’s group stage victory over New Zealand and has either scored or assisted in 18 of her last 26 games for the USA.
- Carli Lloyd will make her 312th international appearance today, passing former USWNT great Christie Pearce Rampone for the second-most international appearances in both USWNT and international soccer history. A four-time Olympian, this will also be Lloyd’s 22nd career match at the Olympics, tying Pearce Rampone for the most by any player in USWNT Olympic history. Of Lloyd’s 126 career international goals, eight have come at the Olympics, trailing only Abby Wambach (9) for the most in USWNT Olympic history.
- Megan Rapinoe will earn her 185th cap as she makes her 14th career appearance at the Olympics. This will be Rapinoe’s third start at Tokyo 2020 and her first since the Group Stage draw vs. Australia on July 27. Rapinoe leads the USA in scoring with seven goals in 2021 and has three goals and four assists in her Olympic career.
