After a winning start to the 2024 Olympics, the U.S. women’s national team now faces a significant step up in competition. The USWNT meet 2016 Olympic champion Germany in their second group match in France.
A 3-0 victory over Zambia earned an expected three points to start Group B play for the United States, but the road to redemption after last summer’s World Cup disappointment remains long and arduous.
Following Germany’s emphatic 3-0 victory over Australia, three points for Die Frauenteam would seal a place in the knockout stage. The same can be said for the United States only if Australia drops points against Zambia. But even if the Matildas earn victory in the other game, a USWNT win here would leave them in pole position heading into the final match.
The Sporting News is following the USA vs. Germany match live, providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.
USWNT vs. Germany live score
| Score | Goal scorers | |
| USA | – | – |
| Germany | – | – |
Kickoff: 9 p.m. local (3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT)
Location: Stade Orange Velodrome (Marseille, France)
Referee: Yael Falcon (ARG)
MORE: 2024 Olympic football schedule and results
Starting lineups:
USA (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Naeher (GK) — 2. Fox, 4. Girma, 12. Davidson, 7. Dunn — 10. Horan, 17. Coffey, 16. Lavelle — 5. Rodman, 11. S. Smith, 9. Swanson.
Germany (4-4-2, right to left): 12. Berger (GK) — 15. Gwinn, 3. Hendrich, 5. Hegering, 19. Rauch — 16. Brand, 6. Minge, 9. Nusken, 17. Buhl — 11. Popp, 7. Schuller.
USWNT vs. Germany live updates, highlights
30 mins to kickoff: WELL! Just 15 minutes ago we mentioned how insane the Australia vs. Zambia match had been, and it’s only gotten wilder! Zambia scored first early in the second half to make it 5-2, but Australia have stormed back within one as a pair of goals bracketing the hour mark have it at 5-4 with 20 minutes to go!
Meanwhile, in Nice pic.twitter.com/h2tRXthduh
— Megan Swanick (@Meg_Swanick) July 28, 2024
45 mins to kickoff: The other Group B match between Australia and Zambia is in play currently, and it’s absolute chaos. Zambia scored in the opening minute, and a Barbara Banda hat-trick has them up 4-2 at the halftime break. Their other star forward Racheal Kundananji also has a goal, underpinning just how impressive the opening clean sheet was for the United States.
A Zambia win or draw would mean the United States could all but seal a knockout stage place with a win today thanks to their head-to-head victory in the opener.
1 hour to kickoff: Lineups are in, and Emma Hayes names an unchanged lineup from the opener against Zambia. That means Sophia Smith indeed recovers from her injury in that match, and Crystal Dunn again starts at left-back over Jenna Nighswonger. It appears Dunn may be indeed the preferred option for the new USWNT head coach, instead of just a spot starter against Zambia’s pacey forwards.
For Germany, the only change from the opening round win over Australia is a swap, ironically, at left-back, as Sarai Linder is replaced by Felicitas Rauch. Linder has come down with an illness, and Rauch was her replacement on the roster, sliding straight into the XI.
1 hour 15 mins to kick: One German player the U.S. will focus extra defensive attention on is Jule Brand, a budding star in global football. At just 21 years old, she will earn her 49th international cap today, one away from the half-century. Playing for global women’s power Wolfsburg, Brand is an incredibly talented player with a massive skill-set as a two-way midfielder.
She has extremely strong defensive capabilities and can crop up in front of goal as well, scoring in the opener against Australia, but her most notable contributions is chance creation. She’s an all-star dribbler, in the 97th percentile of shot-creating actions off the dribble of all attacking midfielders and wingers in the last calendar year.
Jule Brand vs Australia
1 goal
3 chances created
1 big chance created
5 dribbles completed
10 duels won
2 clearances
2 tacklesStargirl 🪄🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/OhIlRFQ8KA
— Casey 🐝🇩🇪 (@casey_szn12) July 25, 2024
1 hour 30 mins to kick: After the first round of matches, two goals for Mallory Swanson has her level with Marie-Antoinette Katoto of France atop the Golden Boot standings. 12 other players have scored once, including her U.S. teammate Trinity Rodman.
Back in 2016, Mallory Swanson became the youngest U.S. player to score at the Olympics (18) 👏
Today, in her first Olympic appearance in 2,904 days, she scored twice in the first 25 minutes 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Etqslr4Mvy
— espnW (@espnW) July 25, 2024
1 hour 45 mins to kick: The U.S. women will wear white today in their second match of the Olympics, just as they did in the opener against Zambia.
Sunday in White. ⚪️ pic.twitter.com/Ij7Uqcw1W6
— U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (@USWNT) July 28, 2024
2 hours to kickoff: Sophia Smith was withdrawn just before halftime in the opener against Zambia, leading to significant concerns regarding the health of the USWNT attack. But head coach Emma Hayes stated that Smith would be ready to go against Germany and that her removal was precautionary in nature.
They will still be without Jaedyn Shaw, however, leaving Croix Bethune on the roster as a replacement.
Prepping for Match No. 2 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/bZgLaszx6l
— U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (@USWNT) July 27, 2024
USWNT vs. Germany kickoff time
This group match at the 2024 Summer Olympics kicks off from the Stade Orange Velodrome on Sunday, July 28 at 9 p.m. local time in Marseille, France. Here’s how that time translates across some of the major territories around the globe:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA/Canada | Sun, Jul. 28 | 3 p.m. ET |
| USA/Canada | Sun, Jul. 28 | 12 p.m. PT |
| UK | Sun, Jul. 28 | 8 p.m. BST |
| Australia | Mon, Jul. 29 | 5 a.m. AEST |
| India | Mon, Jul. 29 | 12:30 a.m. IST |
2024 Olympics Group B standings
| Pos. | Team | GP | Points | W-D-L | Goals For | Goals Against |
| 1. | USA | 1 | 3 | 1-0-0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2. | Germany | 1 | 3 | 1-0-0 | 3 | 0 |
| 3. | Australia | 1 | 0 | 0-0-1 | 0 | 3 |
| 4. | Zambia | 1 | 0 | 0-0-1 | 0 | 3 |
USA vs. Germany lineups, team news, starting 11
The U.S. will still be without Jaedyn Shaw who picked up a leg injury in training and missed the opener as a late scratch, replaced for now on the roster by alternate Croix Bethune. The good news, however, is that Sophia Smith is good to return after being withdrawn from the win over Zambia just before halftime.
Crystal Dunn started the opener at left-back, and at the time many assumed that was largely to deal with the pacey Zambian forwards, but she starts again over Jenna Nighswonger and looks to be Emma Hayes’ preferred option at the position.
Catarina Macario is not on the roster after being forced to withdraw from the Olympics due to knee soreness, replaced by Lynn Williams.
USA starting lineup (4-3-3): Naeher (GK) — Fox, Girma, Davidson, Dunn — Horan, Coffey, Lavelle — Rodman, S. Smith, Swanson.
USA subs (7): Murphy (GK), Krueger, Nighswonger, Sonnett, Albert, Bethune, L. Williams.
Germany captain Alexandra Popp has big-game experience, having won two Champions League titles at the club level with Wolfsburg and winning gold in the 2016 Olympics. She has yet to score a national team goal in 2024, however, as the 33-year-old nears the latter stage of her career.
Left-back Sarai Linder has come down with an illness, and was replaced on the roster by Felicitas Rauch, who slides straight into the starting lineup.
Chelsea midfielder Sjoke Nusken was withdrawn at halftime of their opener, but retains her place over Bayern Munich’s Sydney Lohmann who came on at halftime.
Germany starting lineup (4-4-2): Berger (GK) — Gwinn, Hendrich, Hegering, Rauch — Brand, Minge, Nusken, Buhl — Popp, Schuller.
Germany subs (7): Frohms (GK), Schulze-Solano, Doorsoun, Senss, Freigang, Lohmann, Endemann.
USWNT vs. Germany live stream, TV channel
| Date | Time | TV Channel | Streaming | |
| USA | Thu, Jul. 25 | 3 p.m. ET | USA Network | Fubo USA, Peacock, NBC Sports website/app |
| UK | Thu, Jul. 25 | 8 p.m. BST | — | — |
| Australia | Fri, Jul. 26 | 5 a.m. AEST | — | 9Now, Stan Sport |
| Canada | Thu, Jul. 25 | 3 p.m. ET | — | CBC app/website |
| India | Fri, Jul. 26 | 12:30 a.m. IST | — | — |
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