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USWNT vs. Sweden: 2021 Friendly Odds, Time, Live Stream and TV Schedule
April 10, 2021
The United States women's national team's window to choose an Olympic roster is narrowing.
The latest Olympic auditions for players will be held on Saturday when the squad visits Sweden. Head coach Vlatko Andonovski can only choose 18 players to come with the squad this summer to Tokyo, and the two friendlies against Sweden and France could give him more clarity in the decision-making process.
While most of the focus is on the buildup to the Olympics, Saturday will also be about honoring the career of Carli Lloyd.
The USWNT midfielder is set to become the third-ever American soccer player to earn 300 caps. Kristine Lilly and Christie Pearce are the other Americans to achieve that feat.
USWNT vs. Sweden Info
Date: Saturday, April 10
Start Time: 1:10 p.m. ET
TV: Fox
Live Stream: FoxSports.com or Fox Sports app
Odds (via DraftKings Sportsbook): United States (-278; bet $278 to win $100); Sweden (+650; bet $100 to win $650)
Preview
The USWNT has the two friendlies with Sweden and France lined up for April, and then there are international windows this summer to prepare for the Olympic tournament.
Saturday's match should provide the USWNT with yet another test in the buildup to the gold-medal hunt. The matchup itself comes with an edge since Sweden eliminated the USWNT in the 2016 Olympics, as Alex Morgan noted to USA Today's Nancy Armour.
The USWNT finished fifth at the Rio Olympics. It marked the first time the squad did not reach the gold-medal match.
Sweden is one of three European teams headed for Tokyo. Sweden, Great Britain and the Netherlands qualified through their performance at the 2019 World Cup.
Morgan returned to competitive international play during the SheBelieves Cup. She was one of five scorers in the tournament-clinching win over Argentina on February 24.
The USWNT opened the 2021 schedule with five consecutive wins in which it outscored opponents 19-0. Its lowest margin of victory was a 1-0 win over Canada on February 19.
With the attack and defense playing well, it will be hard for Andonovski to narrow his roster down to 18 deserving players, which could mean some veterans are left out of the squad.
Lloyd, 38, has a knack for elevating her play in the biggest games, including the 2015 World Cup final, but she is one of the oldest members of the squad and could be left home in favor of younger goal scorers.
Saturday will not be about an Olympic roster decision for Lloyd, since she will be celebrated for making her 300th international appearance.
Lloyd told Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times that she feels the best she has during her illustrious career.
"I've never felt this fit in my career," Lloyd said. "I've never felt this explosive. My game has evolved over the years and I've become smarter tactically as well."
Lloyd's Olympic status may be in better shape after the pair of European-based friendlies since Catarina Macario was not released for international duty because of a COVID-19 outbreak at Lyon.
The 21-year-old, who made a switch to represent the USWNT instead of Brazil, is pushing to make the Olympic roster, but she has had a limited amount of time to impress Andonovski in game play.
For the USWNT players on the current roster, they will face Sweden for the first time since 2017 and put a 37-game unbeaten streak and 16-game winning streak on the line. Those streaks made the USWNT an overwhelming betting favorite for the friendly at -278.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from USSoccer.com.
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