SOCCER

FanDuel Women's World Cup Single-Game Helper: United States vs. Netherlands

Alex Morgan is headed for the golden boot, and possibly the golden ball, at the Women's World Cup final. With the United States looking to repeat as champions against the reigning European champion, Netherlands, who should you zero in on in DFS?

The World Cup Final is here, and FanDuel is staging its biggest contest of the tournament for the match between the United States and Netherlands. The final takes place on Sunday, July 7 at 11:00 a.m. EST with the USWNT looking to repeat as champions.

The moneyline currently gives the United States a 72% implied win probability. Megan Rapinoe ($14) trained with the team after missing the semifinal. Rose Lavelle ($10) was taken off in the semifinal and the commentary team rightly read her lips as she mouthed, "It's my hamstring."

Netherlands will come into the match with one less day of rest after playing an extra time match against Sweden. They do not appear to have any injury concerns, but fatigue could be a factor as the reigning European champions reach their first World Cup final.

This is the USWNT's game to lose, but the pressure to defend a title is immeasurable. Let's look at some players across different price points who can shine for either the United States or Netherlands.

Forwards/Midfielders

Alex Morgan, United States ($16)

The golden boot comes down to Morgan and Rapinoe, but Morgan has the inside track and was the pre-tournament favorite. Morgan's goal in the first half against England proved to be the game winner. Her sip of tea celebration may have been the most notable part of the goal, but what should have been grabbing headlines is how Morgan looked healthier than she had in the previous knock out round matches. Morgan has three assists to go with her six goals and is second on the team with eight shots on target. Morgan is averaging 1.35 goals and over two goals plus assists per 90 minutes. This is the biggest stage and Morgan will have added motivation with another one of the world's best strikers, Vivianne Miedema ($14), on the other side.

Sherida Spitse, Netherlands ($13)

Spitse led her team in crosses in the semifinal against Sweden and now leads the entire competition with four assists. She drew four fouls in the last match and was active on defense. She had four tackles and four interceptions to finish with 23.3 FanDuel points. Spitse has yet to score a goal in the tournament but is averaging 22 points. She has had at least one tackle each match and has totaled nine during the knock out rounds. She has a total of 25 defensive actions over the last three matches. Spitse will be busy in a box-to-box role but will need to pay specific attention to the defensive game facing a potent USWNT attack. She will still have the responsibility in certain dead ball situations looking to create a few chances for her side.

Jackie Groenen, Netherlands ($10)

Groenen scored the only goal of the semifinal to push Netherlands to the final. It was her first goal of the tournament, but she has scored double-digit FanDuel points in all but one match. She has drawn at least three fouls in three matches and has created a chance in each of the last two matches.


However, defensive work rate increases her value. Groenen completed at least three tackles in every match in conjunction with Spitse through the middle of the field. Groenen became Manchester United's first non-English signing this summer and remains optimistic ahead of the final. Groenen wears number 14 for Dutch legend Johan Cruyff and has now joined Oranje lore.

Sam Mewis, United States ($9)

Mewis went back to the bench for the semifinal but was inserted when Lavelle went down in the 65th minute. If Lavelle is healthy, Mewis likely starts on the bench again. She may not be as creative as Lavelle, but Mewis has shown her worth this World Cup. In the last three matches that Mewis started, she had eight tackles and four clearances. She created five chances against Sweden in the last match of the group stage. Mewis will likely play more box-to-box in the match and take on an occasional chance from outside of the box. She has remained confident and focused during the tournament and seems ready to go if called upon. Lavelle and Lindsay Horan ($8) are good pivots should Mewis not start.

Danielle van de Donk, Netherlands ($8)

Van de Donk's FanDuel point output has increased in every match of the knock out round. She drew an impressive six fouls against Sweden. That was her best match of the tournament as she created two chances and had seven tackles. Of the three Netherlands midfielders listed here, van de Donk will likely have the most defensive assignment trying to support the back line and keep the USWNT attacking front three at bay. The limited offensive upstate will lower her ownership, but she could rack up defensive points when the USWNT attempts to build through the middle of the pitch.

Defenders

Crystal Dunn, United States ($7)

Dunn has been featured in many primers throughout the tournament, but she continues to excel against some of the best attackers in the world. She has 15 tackles and six clearances in the past two matches. She will have her hands full with either Shanice van de Sanden ($7) or Lineth Beerensteyn ($5). However, there may be a chance for Dunn to get forward as the Sweden left-back, Magdalena Eriksson, had six crosses in the semifinal match. That may come down to the USWNT game plan, but remember that Dunn is a converted attacker that is proving that her ability and effort equates to being a great defender. Dunn has scored at least 10 points in every match and now averages 16.5 per match.

Stefanie van der Gragt, Netherlands ($6)

Teammate Dominique Bloodworth ($8) has been fairly consistent, but van der Gragt has improved as the tournament progressed. She has scored near 24 points in each of the last two games and led both teams with 10 clearances in the semifinal game. Van der Gragt had five other defensive actions in the match, including a tournament-high two tackles. She will be in charge of tracking Morgan, which can lead to many opportunities to match her defensive numbers from the Sweden game. Van der Gragt scored a goal against Italy and will get forward on corners, but her value lies in pricing and defensive actions.

Becky Sauerbrunn, United States ($5)

There were a few nervy moments against England as the USWNT kept playing their high line. Sauerbrunn was given a yellow when her knee clicked Ellen White as they both ran toward the U.S. goal. It was likely the right call, but it was unfortunate for Sauerbrunn, who was coming off her best match of the tournament. She still finished with four clearances and two interceptions in the match against England. She completed at least four clearances in every match of the knock out rounds with her tournament-best seven clearances against France. A shut out is in the books according to the odds at the FanDuel Sportsbook, but Sauerbrunn will have her hands full with a talented Netherlands' front three. However, she is a good option to save money and load up on top attackers.



Doug Smith is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Doug Smith also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username aquemini03. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.