Oranje Lionesses to face Vietnam on Tuesday to secure group top spot over the Americans

The Netherlands will face Vietnam on Tuesday at 9 a.m. (Dutch time) at the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia, aiming to secure the top spot in Group E. At the same time, Portugal and the U.S. will compete in a match that will help determine the group's final standings.

Following a victory against Portugal and a draw against the United States, the Oranje Lionesses are almost certain to qualify for the round of 16. In Group E, the U.S. and the Netherlands stand at 4 points, with Portugal at 3 points and Vietnam at 0. The Americans have a better goal difference than the Dutch.

The results of the matches on Tuesday morning will decide which two teams from Group E will progress to the round of 16 in Melbourne and Sydney. The Oranje Lionesses’ chances for first place will significantly increase if they manage to secure a victory against Vietnam with a large goal difference. This scenario assumes a U.S. victory over Portugal. In that case, the Dutch would need to score over three goals to surpass the American team in terms of goal difference.

The Oranje women only need one point to secure their spot in the knockout phase. However, if they lose against Vietnam, they still have a chance to finish third in the group, but that will depend on whether the United States wins against Portugal. Vietnam has lost all of its group-stage matches and can no longer qualify for the round of 16.

In the next round, the group winner of Group E will face the runner-up from Group G in Sydney on August 6, and the second-placed team from Group E will go up against the group winner from Group G in Melbourne on August 6. Group G consists of Sweden, Argentina, Italy, and South Africa.

Finishing in first place would be advantageous for the Orange Lionesses as it would help them avoid facing Sweden in the knockout phase. The Scandinavians lead Group G after a 5-0 win over Italy. ”We are not afraid of Sweden, but you have to think: we would rather play against South Africa or Italy,” said Dutch head coach Andries Jonker on Monday to NOS.

For Dutch TV viewers, securing second place in the group would be more advantageous. This would result in the next match(es) being played in the morning (Dutch time). If the Netherlands becomes the group winner, the round of 16 in Sydney and possibly the quarterfinals would take place in the middle of the night.