Getty The USWNT take on Chile in their second World Cup match of 2019.
USA takes on Chile in the second of three group stage matches in the World Cup. The USWNT match against Chile kicks off at 12 p.m. Eastern on Fox. Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl reported that there could be as many as seven changes to the USA’s starting lineup against Chile.
“Hearing 7 changes in the lineup for USWNT today, including the entire front 3,” Wahl tweeted.
Why is USWNT star Alex Morgan not starting? There is nothing wrong with the forward, but the U.S. likely wanted to rest her ahead of Thursday’s major match against Sweden which will likely be for Group F.
Team USA got off to a stellar start to the 2019 World Cup with a 13-0 blowout victory against Thailand. While Chile is expected to provide more of a fight, the USA is still a heavy favorite heading into the game. Chile is coming off a 2-0 loss to Sweden in their first match. The U.S. defeated Chile 4-0 and 3-0 in their last two friendlies, per Sports Illustrated.
It will be interesting to see how the USWNT responds to some of the criticism the team received after scoring 13 goals against Thailand. Some took issue to the amount of goals scored and celebrations while holding such a sizable lead. The U.S. players defended their play noting that goal differential means every score matters in the group stage. U.S. manager Jill Ellis was asked how her team prepared given how well they played in the first match.
“I struggle to tell my team not to tackle each other in training the day before,” Ellis noted to Sports Illustrated. “So yeah, I think at this point it’s making sure your focus is on yourself and your performance is about yourself and you put yourself in the best position to advance in this tournament. For us, it’s making sure that we play as well as we possibly can in every game.”
The USWNT Will Play Sweden in Their Final Match of Group Play
After the USA takes on Chile, the USWNT will square off with Sweden on Thursday, June 20. A win against Chile could punch the U.S.’s ticket to the knockout round depending on the Sweden-Thailand result.
Even if Team USA is able to clinch a spot, the match against Sweden will still have meaning as the teams could potentially be fighting for who wins the group. If the USWNT does advance, their most likely opponents are France, Canada and the Netherlands depending on where they finish in Group F.
Here’s a look at the USA’s starting lineup and roster.
USA Women’s Soccer Starting XI vs. Chile
| POSITION | PLAYER |
| GK | Alyssa Naeher |
| D | Ali Krieger |
| D | Tierna Davidson |
| D | Becky Sauerbrunn |
| D | Abby Dahlkemper |
| M | Morgan Brian |
| M | Lindsey Horan |
| M | Julie Ertz |
| F | Carli Lloyd |
| F | Mallory Pugh |
| F | Christen Press |
Chile’s Starting XI vs. USA
USWNT Roster for World Cup
| NUMBER | PLAYER |
| 1 | GK Alyssa Naeher |
| 2 | F Mallory Pugh |
| 3 | M Samantha Mewis |
| 4 | D Becky Sauerbrunn |
| 5 | D Kelley O’Hara |
| 6 | M Morgan Brian |
| 7 | D Abby Dahlkemper |
| 8 | M Julie Ertz |
| 9 | M Lindsey Horan |
| 10 | F Carli Lloyd |
| 11 | GK Ali Krieger |
| 12 | D Tierna Davidson |
| 13 | F Alex Morgan |
| 14 | D Emily Sonnett |
| 15 | F Megan Rapinoe |
| 16 | M Rose Lavelle |
| 17 | F Tobin Heath |
| 18 | GK Ashlyn Harris |
| 19 | D Crystal Dunn |
| 20 | GK Allie Long |
| 21 | GK Adrianna Franch |
| 22 | F Jessica McDonald |
| 23 | F Christen Press |