“Alex is fine,” coach Jill Ellis told reporters Sunday. “(Julie) is fine."
Ertz, who started against both Thailand and Chile, didn’t play against Sweden in the USA’s group-stage finale after suffering a minor hip injury, while Morgan played just 45 minutes before she was subbed out for Carli Lloyd.
Morgan got knocked down by a Swedish player and was slow to get up. She played for a few more minutes and was able to run, but didn’t look like herself. Ellis said after the game that the substitution was precautionary.
“It’s a zero-risk game in terms of having players available for the next round,” Ellis said.
Morgan opened the tournament with an impressive five-goal performance against Thailand, which tied the record for most goals in a World Cup game as the Americans won 13-0. Ellis rested Morgan the following game against Chile.
The winner of Monday’s match will face the winner of the France-Brazil game in the quarterfinals, which is set for Friday.
