LYON, France, July 6 -- U.S. coach Jill Ellis said Saturday that she expected a competitive match against the "disciplined" Netherlands in the FIFA Women's World Cup final here on Sunday.
"The Netherlands are a tremendous team," Ellis told a pre-match press conference. "They are European champions. They've got a lot of talented players, and the coach knows what she is doing. They move the ball very well, and are very disciplined in what they do. I expect it to be a very competitive match."
"They like the ball and want to have the ball. This is a team who want to have the ball to get a big shape. They have a variety, and are excellent in their positioning in terms of being in good spaces to receive the ball. They are very well schooled in their system, and added on that is the personality of the players," said Ellis.
It will be the fifth World Cup final for Ellis' side, but something is new for the Netherlands in their second appearance at the quadrennial women's soccer tournament.
Ellis' opinion was echoed by striker Megan Rapinoe, who had been sidelined for a 2-1 semifinal win over England citing a hamstring injury.
"I don't think that you get to the final of the World Cup without being a fantastic team, front to back, and being able to play in different ways," said the 34-year-old.
"In this tournament they've shared the ball in a lot of games, but they also had to dig in and grind out wins, with some of them very easy and some others very difficult. That's a sign of a very good team to make this level and play this game tremendously," she added.
The United States eliminated Spain, France and England, all from Europe, in the World Cup knockout stage.
"They are the champions of Europe. We've seen first hand in our last three games that trying to go through Europe is very difficult. It's so high for them to be champions of Europe and have that pedigree experience under their belt. They are a great team for sure," Rapinoe pointed out.
She added, "The European champions is a very difficult thing to do and it takes a certain level of discipline, mental strength and all of the intangible things outside the playing field. This team is tested against the best competition. They can have an idea of what it takes to win the championships more than any other team that we face."
Talking about an update on her own injury, Rapinoe revealed, "As of now I'm expected to be ready for tomorrow. I feel good. I'm excited for that opportunity."
"At this point, no one wants to be ruled out. That's encouraging me as a coach," Ellis noted.
"We've come through a tough road in terms of teams we played to this point. But what I love in this group is they are still hungry," she said.