US Women's Team Learns First FIFA World Cup Matchups

The defending champion Americans will face the Netherlands, Vietnam, and a playoff winner to be determined next summer in the group stage of the women’s soccer World Cup. Those matches will be played in New Zealand, the AP reports; the draw was completed Saturday in Auckland. The US beat the Dutch team in the 2019 final, the most recent American world title. On paper, the draw putting the Americans in Group E appears advantageous for the US, per the New York Times. Lindsey Horan, a US midfielder, welcomed it.

"Netherlands is a very good team and one that's developing a lot, and it’s changed a lot in the last two years or so," said Horan. "And then the opening game against Vietnam, I think that's great for us to get us going in the tournament and just overall I’m very excited." The team's third opponent will be Portugal, Cameroon, or Thailand, per CBS Sports. Australia also will host group matches, scheduled for July and August; 10 stadiums in the two countries will host games. Overall, 32 teams will compete, for the first time. More than 800 people attended the ceremony Saturday, including New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. The matches will take place in 10 stadiums in the two countries. (More US women's soccer stories.)