This will be one of the last international friendlies the Matildas play against a top five ranked side before the FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off in June.

Although the Aussies have traditionally struggled against the USA (having lost all four friendlies between 2012 and 2015), the Matildas have begun to pose a serious challenge to their new rivals over the past two years.

In the inaugural Tournament of Nations in 2017, the Matildas shocked many in the footballing world by defeating the USA 1-0 in Washington thanks to a clever Tameka Butt strike. Australia would go on to win the tournament undefeated after convincing wins over both Japan and Brazil.

In the same tournament the following year, Australia and the USA saw out a 1-1 draw after a dramatic 90th minute equaliser by midfielder Lindsey Horan, which cancelled out a blistering counter-attacking goal by Chloe Logarzo.

While both finished on equal points that year, the hosts would go on to lift the trophy thanks to a superior goal difference (+5 vs +4).

There is no doubt now that the Matildas are heavyweights in world football. Despite a period of underwhelming performances in mid-2018, the Aussies have maintained their no.6 world ranking and will head into the World Cup as a seeded team.

Meanwhile, the USA has had their own hiccups to deal with, having finished runners-up in the 2019 SheBelieves Cup after two 2-2 draws with Japan and England.

This stuttering period was preceded by some unconvincing 1-0 friendly wins over Spain, Scotland, and Portugal at the end of 2018, as well as a 3-1 loss in January to upcoming World Cup hosts France.

These two teams are meeting at an interesting time in their preparation cycles.

While the Matildas are arguably on the upswing after sweeping the Cup of Nations, USA head coach Jill Ellis continues to experiment with different players in different positions, sometimes to the detriment of their results. This upcoming clash will provide much insight into what we can expect from both teams heading into the World Cup.

KEY BATTLES

Becky Sauerbrunn v Sam Kerr

Taken by Stephanie Meek (@stephaniemeekphotography)

It’s rare that one of the best strikers in the world comes up against one of the best centre-backs in the world, but that is what will happen when Becky Sauerbrunn takes on the almost-unstoppable Sam Kerr.

Sauerbrunn, who currently plays for NWSL side Utah Royals, is one of the most experienced players in the US women’s national team. At 33 years old, Sauerbrunn anchors the defence alongside the less experienced Abby Dahlkemper, commanding the central channels with her physical presence and dictating play from the back.

Her ability to read attackers’ body language means her slide tackles and one-on-one contests are largely accurate, while her clever reading of the opposition play allows her to move into positions to pressure opponents backwards or intercept slicing through-balls.

Sauerbrunn kept Matilda Sam Kerr mostly quiet in their 1-1 Tournament of Nations draw in 2018, but history seems almost irrelevant when it comes to the Ballon D’Or finalist. We all know what the Perth Glory and Chicago Red Stars striker can do on the ball, but it’s Kerr's off-the-ball movement that the USA still struggle to handle.

For example, in the aforementioned ToN draw, it was Kerr’s wide run that pulled a back-tracking Dahlkemper out of position, opening up space for Logarzo to attack and score through.

Kerr has demonstrated time and again for both club and country that she is a force to be reckoned with, whether she’s working hard off the ball to create space for others, attacking set pieces, or getting the ball at her feet and running at defenders herself.

Having never scored against the USA, you can bet that that’s a trend Kerr would like to finally break. And who better to do it against than one of the best defenders on one of the best national teams in the world?

Lindsay Horan v Elise Kellond-Knight

It was the USA and Portland Thorns midfielder Lindsey Horan’s stoppage-time header in the 2018 Tournament of Nations that prevented the Matildas from defending their 2017 title.

Horan’s recent top form is indisputable, having won the NWSL’s Most Valuable Player award in 2018, in addition to being named in the league’s Best XI and finishing runner-up in the Golden Boot race with 14 goals across the season. While she missed the 2019 SheBelieves Cup through injury, it’s expected that Horan will get some good minutes in the upcoming Matildas friendly. 

Playing as a central midfielder for both club and country, Horan is almost unparalleled in her ability to keep the ball, create space, and open up passing lanes for others. While she may not be the fastest midfielder, her footwork, technical skills, and large motor make her a certain starter when she’s fit. 

She is also incredibly powerful in the air, not only winning aerial duels around the centre of the park, but also dominating in the box when attacking corners and free kicks – 7 of her 14 goals in the 2018 NWSL season came from headers.

Tasked with keeping Horan quiet is Matildas defensive midfielder Elise Kellond-Knight. After some awkward experimentation that saw Kellond-Knight play in different defensive positions throughout 2018, new head coach Ante Milicic has recognised the importance of “KK” in the centre of the park.

Her ability to relieve pressure in possession, create pressure when out of it, and dictate the speed of play makes her a crucial cog in the Matildas machine. Having most recently played for Melbourne City, American fans will finally get to see what all the fuss is about with KK joining Reign FC for the 2019 NWSL season.

Similar to Horan in her strength on the ball and her large motor, KK’s greatest strength is her reading of the play – she can often think two or three steps ahead of many players around her and position herself accordingly to intercept, pressure, or pass out of danger. As the midfield is often where a game can be won or lost, this battle between two highly experienced and clever midfielders will be one to watch.

Alex Morgan v Alanna Kennedy

The other end of the pitch will host another key striker v centre-back contest that promises to be just as intriguing as Kerr v Sauerbrunn, with the USA’s superstar centre-forward Morgan coming up against Sydney FC and Orlando Pride team-mate Kennedy.

Having played together in the NWSL for the past two seasons, the players’ familiarity with each other can be seen as both a blessing and a curse. While Morgan will have gradually learned Kennedy’s defensive weaknesses over the course of their work together, Kennedy will have simultaneously learned Morgan’s strengths, and will likely have adjusted her own game in order to keep those strengths in check.

Taken by Stephanie Meek (@stephaniemeekphotography)

Whether they cancel each other out or one gets the upper hand over the other could decide the game.

Morgan finished 2018 with 18 international goals across all competitions – taking her total tally to 99. She would likely love nothing more than to score her 100th goal against the team that has been a thorn in the USA’s side for some time. Like Kerr, much of Morgan’s brilliance is in her off-the-ball work – creating space for herself and others, making darting runs in behind or out wide to pull defenders out of position, and providing important combination plays across the field.

Meanwhile, Alanna Kennedy is coming into this week’s friendly off the back of a successful 2018/19 season with Sydney FC, winning the club’s first Championship in five seasons.

Having come into the team late after recovering from surgery on her feet, Kennedy made an immediate impact. Not only was she important defensively - rallying her less experienced defensive team-mates, dictating play from the back, and making several key challenges every game - but she was also key in the attacking third, regularly threatening in the air from set pieces and scoring 3 goals herself from free kicks.

While both Morgan and Kennedy had disappointing 2018 seasons with the Orlando Pride, each is beginning to find their form again; this friendly will be a great test to see whether they have come far enough to go toe-to-toe with each other heading into what could be the most competitive World Cup yet.

MATCH DETAILS

United States v Australia
Dick's Sporting Goods Park
Thursday, April 4 at 9pm (local time)
Friday, April 5 at 12:30pm (AEDT) 
LIVE on FoxSports 503 and SBS or follow #USAvAUS on Twitter for live updates