United States vs. Netherlands: Updated Odds and Championship Predictions

The final of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup is poised to be a heavyweight tussle, with the United States and the Netherlands set to go head-to-head for glory in Lyon on Sunday.

Throughout the tournament, the United States, who are defending the crown they won four years ago, have played like the standout team and have showcased tremendous grit to get past Spain, host nation France and England on their way to the competition climax.

The Dutch are the underdogs in the clash, although the personalities they have in their group will likely relish that tag. After a hard-fought semi-final win against Sweden—the Netherlands netted the only goal in extra time—confidence will be high as they gear up for their first World Cup final.

Here is a look at how the bookmakers are seeing the game and how it could pan out.

World Cup Final Odds

Outright Win

United States win (4/9)

Draw (3/1)

Netherlands (13/2)   

First Goalscorer

United States: Alex Morgan (11/5), Christen Press (4/1), Carli Lloyd (15/4), Megan Rapinoe (5/1)

Netherlands: Vivianne Miedema (15/2), Lieke Martens (11/1), Lineth Beerensteyn (12/1), Shanice van der Sanden (14/1)

Odds courtesy of Oddschecker

Preview

Although there will be a belief in the Netherlands camp that they can get past the United States on Sunday, they face a massive uphill task in the final.

Not only does the U.S. women's national team have the edge on them on paper, but the holders have also had an extra day's rest, having beaten England 2-1 in their semi-final on Tuesday. By contrast, the Dutch were involved in an attritional affair that went 120 minutes against Sweden on Wednesday.

For coach Sarina Wiegman, getting the players prepared physically for the game will be a challenge, although midfielder Danielle van de Donk has said some comments from the United States have fired them up:

The pressure is off the Netherlands, too, especially given they only played in their first World Cup match in 2015.

The team Twitter account shared the following clip of some of their celebrations after the Sweden win:

The United States won't be daunted by any situation, as the core of their squad have been involved in huge games frequently.

That experience has been crucial to them making it to the final. In the wins over Spain, France and England, there were times when they slipped into a lull during the match, although they have enough big personalities in the group to steady the ship.

It meant that even without Megan Rapinoe against the Lionesses, they maintained a huge attacking threat. Rapinoe's replacement, Christen Press, opened the scoring, while Alex Morgan headed the winner.

Morgan's celebration, in which she simulated drinking tea, has attracted some headlines, but the striker doesn't appear fussed by any criticism:

The big question facing coach Jill Ellis now is whether Rapinoe will be recalled for the final, fitness permitting.

Football journalist Kim McCauley suggested there were tactical reasons behind the decision against the Lionesses:

The dilemmas are positive ones for Ellis, though, and in another boost for the United States, Rose Lavelle has said she's "ready to go" having hobbled out of the semi-final with England due to injury, per Seth Vertelney of Goal.

With a surfeit of attacking class to choose from, the United States represent formidable opposition for any side in a game of this magnitude. The Dutch should be diligent and have players capable of causing issues on the counter, but the physical toll of Wednesday's semi will see the USWNT run away with the game late on.

Prediction: United States 3-1 Netherlands