• The US Women’s National Team faces the Netherlands in its toughest test of the World Cup so far.
• The two sides have played several high-stakes games — including the 2019 World Cup final — in recent years.

The US Women’s National Team faces its biggest test of the 2023 World Cup so far on Wednesday night — or Thursday afternoon, if you’re on hand in Australia or New Zealand for this summer’s tournament.

The reigning champions kick off against the Netherlands — FIFA’s ninth-ranked squad — in a blockbuster rematch of the 2019 World Cup final. The sides have faced off twice since then, and on all three occasions, one player has forged a reputation as the Netherlands’ Achilles heel: Rose Lavelle.

Lavelle, a star midfielder who began making her mark for the USWNT in 2017, does not fit the conventional mold of a supervillain. She’s slender and stands at just 5-foot-4, with pale skin and a young-looking face that belies her 28 years. She often makes reference to her beloved English Bulldog — Wilma Jean Wrinkles — and has called having a cow named in her honor one of the greatest accomplishments of her life.

Somehow, the very same Rose Lavelle has found her way into the collective nightmares of the Dutch national team since 2019, when the then-24-year-old appeared in her first major international tournament. During that year’s closely watched World Cup final in France, Lavelle burst onto the scene with a spectacular second-half goal that secured the USWNT’s title defense and destroyed the Netherlands’ hopes of winning their first-ever World Cup.

A little more than a year later, Lavelle and her USWNT teammates traveled to Europe for a friendly against the Netherlands on their home turf. Once again, the crafty star tortured the Dutch; she launched a rocket off of her left foot to open scoring in the 41st minute and help the US to a 2-0 road win.

The US and Netherlands met once more in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympics. With their hopes for a medal on the line, the rivals battled to a 2-2 draw through regulation. After two scoreless 15-minute periods of extra time, the match came down to penalty kicks.

Vivianne Miedema — the Netherlands’ all-time leading scorer — stepped to the line first, but longtime USWNT keeper Alyssa Naeher made a diving save to keep the Dutch off the board. Up next for the US was none other than Rose Lavelle, who coolly converted her shot and gave the Americans a lead they’d never relinquish.

Now, the Netherlands have to face their nemesis from Cincinnati in yet another high-stakes game. The two sides are battling Down Under for the top spot in their group of four, with the victor likely earning a preferable draw for the knockout stage of the tournament.

And as fate would have it, Lavelle is fully healthy and available to start for the first time since April 8, when she tweaked her knee in a friendly against Ireland.

“We know every time we play the Netherlands, it’s going to be a great game,” Lavelle said, per ESPN. “They have a lot of experience on the field.”

“I think it’s going to be fun.”

The US-Netherlands game kicks off at 9 p.m. ET Wednesday (1 p.m. Thursday local time) at Sky Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand. Fans stateside can tune in to watch the action unfold on FOX.