USA W vs Zambia W: Match Preview, Betting Odds & Expert Predictions

Starting their Olympic campaign against Zambia on Thursday, the United States WMT will seek to recover from last year's disappointing World Cup showing. Emma Hayes has replaced their last 16 loss to Sweden at the World Cup as head coach, and the States are now nine games perfect. Still, the last 0-0 with Costa Rica was a disappointing performance that will have plenty of reason for worry for Hayes. Barbra Banda is one of Zambia's top players in international football. The striker scored 12 goals in her previous 12 games and represents Orlando Pride in the WMLS.

Head-to-Head and Previous Matches

While the US was unquestionably the undisputed leader in women's football a few years ago, some European countries have recently caught up, primarily via their football clubs. Not only does Germany make up Group B, but Spain is also the current world champion. The United States is attempting a comeback. However, they were eliminated in the eighth final of the most recent global championship—their first-ever elimination from the tournament. The British team has an impressive track record in the Olympic Games, winning four gold medals, one silver, and one bronze in 2020 in Japan. They have reached the finals once and finished in the top three three times. This squad started a run of seven straight wins in TCC play in early June when they cruised to 4-0 and 3-0 triumphs in two friendly matches against South Korea. One of the nations working to improve women's football is Zambia, which took a giant leap forward in 2023 when it qualified for its first World Cup.

Getting out of the group stage was different from the magic bullet. Women in Zambia will experience the thrill of competitive athletics for the very first time at every Games. They needed to win three qualifying rounds or six round-robin matches to earn a spot. In February, Mali had to go to Ghana to play, where they won 0-1 in the first leg and 3-3 on home turf. In the last round, they had to reverse a hostile trend after losing 1-2 in the first round to beat Morocco 0-2 in extra time. This was all in preparation for a possible forfeit by Mali.

Kristie Mewis (West Ham, 53 caps), Alex Morgan (224 caps, 123 pawns), Lily Yohannes (Ajax), Sullivan (52 caps), and Moultrie (2 goals in 4 games), all of whom were present during the two friendly matches against South Korea, were not called up from the 2023 World Cup. The group is still very competitive, with Lindsey Horan of the Lyonnaise, Albert of the Parisian, Emily Fox of the Gunner, Crystal Dunn of the offensive, Swanson of the 92nd, Sophia Smith of the 48th, and Trinity Rodman, daughter of the renowned Dennis Rodman, finishing at the top of the standings with 35 goals and 148 selections. On the other side of the coin, there isn't much of a shocker, except for the 2023 world championship-bound Musase and Mapepa, goalie Nali (18 saves, injury), and Musase. It must be mentioned that Banda scored more goals than caps in this group, which is unusual.

Our Predictions

USA to win and Over 4.5 goals @1.50 on Sky247.ng

With three points to open their campaign, the United States is a heavy favorite at 1.05 to win. While we agree with the decision in every way, Zambia will be more formidable than first anticipated. They have brilliant offensive options besides Banda, who is among the world's best attackers. While the United States is eager to make a statement in their first game, they will most certainly find their defensive weaknesses exposed. We anticipate a rout by the United States with a plethora of goals. When the United States takes on Zambia, we predict that the United States will win with over 4.5 goals,

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