USA Women seek World Cup revenge four-years in the making
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Japan Women will seek a second consecutive World Cup triumph when they take on the USA in Vancouver, but are heavy outsiders against one of the tournament’s biggest threats.
Although the participants in the 2015 final are the same, Ladbrokes expect the result to be different from four years ago, when Japan came through on penalties to lift the trophy.
The bookmaker rates the USA as 4/5 favourites to bag a 90-minute win, while the holders are at 4/1 and the draw 12/5.
A recent rivalry has developed between the two teams, with the 2011 final followed a year later by a gold-medal encounter at the London 2012 Olympics. On that occasion it was the Americans that were able to gain revenge, but landing the World Cup trophy remains their main mission.
Japan reached the final in the most dramatic fashion, after England defender Laura Bassett’s own goal in the 93rd minute of the semi-final gave them the win. The world’s fourth-ranked side have won every game they’ve played in Canada thus far, conceding just three goals but can’t even claim the best defensive record at the tournament.
That belongs to the Americans, who have shipped just once en route to the final. Unsurprisingly, a game of under 2.5 goals stands at 5/11 with Ladbrokes.
A better price of 7/5 surrounds both teams finding the net during the game, which has happened in each of the past four meetings between the two teams.
USA midfielder Carli Lloyd needs a hat-trick to finish as the tournament’s joint-top scorer with Germany’s Celia Sasic and Ladbrokes go 50/1 that she manages it on the biggest stage.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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