USWNT vs. Colombia: Double-header Begins In Utah

• The USA women’s national team will face Colombia twice in the next few days
• The USWNT is still in recovery mode after a disappointing World Cup performance
• This will be a good test for Colombia, which outperformed the USA in the summer

USWNT vs. Colombia Odds

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USA Building Towards Olympics After World Cup Disappointment

The USWNT did not do themselves justice at the Women’s World Cup 2023. The defending champions were seeking a third triumph on the bounce, and while there were a few doubts surrounding the side in the build-up to the tournament, few expected them to crash out in the round of 16.

But that is exactly what happened. The USA could even have been eliminated earlier. They won just one of three games in the group phase, scraping through after a 0-0 draw with Portugal.

Sweden needed penalties to get past them in the last 16, but the USWNT could have no complaints. Put simply, Vlatko Andonovski’s women were not good enough, and the manager paid the ultimate price for the team’s shortcomings.

The US Soccer Federation is taking its time to name a permanent replacement. Twila Kilgore, a former assistant to Andonovski, remains in interim charge for now, but it would be a surprise if she landed the job on a full-time basis.

These two games against Colombia could be the last ones with Kilgore calling the shots. Laura Harvey, Tony Gustavsson and Bev Priestman have all been mentioned as prospective candidates, but Sarina Wiegman has already indicated that she is happy with England.

Although the World Cup has only recently finished, the USWNT cannot afford to be in full transition mode. They will expect to win the CONCACAF Gold Cup in February and March, but more important is next summer’s Olympics tournament, which is taken much more seriously in the women’s game than the men’s.

As the World Cup showed, the USA can no longer just turn up and expect to win. Getting a head coach in place as soon as possible will be key to their chances of having a successful summer in Paris. While the USWNT are in limbo, other teams are preparing.

Colombia Hoping to Show That World Cup Was Not a One-off

Fans of the USWNT may not agree, but those who advocate for the women’s game more broadly will have been pleased that it was not just the same established powers making headlines at the 2023 World Cup.

Soccer has long been the most popular sport on the planet, which is why the USMNT, despite advantages such as a large population and a rich economy, has never been among the best teams around. America was relatively slow to take up soccer on a mass level and it has been playing catch-up ever since.

Alas, the women’s game was not always taken so seriously around the world, which allowed the USA to use its aforementioned advantages to become the preeminent side. However, World Cup 2023 showcased the vastly improving strength in depth of women’s soccer.

Take Colombia as one such example. They upset the odds to finish at the top of Group H, thanks in large part to a stunning 2-1 victory over Germany. They then edged out Jamaica, another surprise package, in the round of 16, before losing narrowly to eventual runners-up England.

It was the first time that Colombia had reached the last eight of the World Cup. They were a breath of fresh air in Australia and New Zealand, playing fearless soccer and getting their just rewards.

“This is a team with skill, class and hierarchy, one that was not afraid to face any opponent,” Colombia coach Nelson Abadia said in the summer. His team will be looking to demonstrate those same qualities against the USWNT too.

USA Should Get Over the Line but This Game Should Be Close

The USWNT have called up 27 players for these two friendlies against Colombia. Becky Sauerbrunn and Sophia Smith are back on the roster after missing out on last month’s games against South Africa (a 2-0 win and a 3-0 win) through injury.

“I was very impressed and pleased with the focus, energy and dedication of the players to prepare for the two games against South Africa in September and I'm expecting the same for this camp, even if we'll only have a few training days together,” said Kilgore.

Colombia showed in the summer that they should not be underestimated, so we can expect the USA to take their threat seriously. Yet while Las Cafeteras are certainly capable of causing their hosts a few problems, we still like the USA’s chances of coming out on top.

The Stars and Stripes crashed and burned at the World Cup, but their squad is arguably still the most talented in the women’s game. They also have home advantage in their favor, with the vast majority inside America First Field ready to cheer them on.

With a new manager set to come in soon, every American player will be determined to make a positive impression. The home team should therefore come out on top here.

How to Watch USWNT vs Colombia

• Teams: USWNT vs Colombia
• Location: America First Field, Utah, United States.
• Date and Time: Oct. 26 , 2023, 9 p.m. ET 
• How to Watch: TBS, Universo