USWNT Survives Against Portugal in 0-0 draw and Advances to Round of 16

Unhappy with previous results, United States coach Vlatko Andonovski began the game with a few lineup changes which included starting forward Lynn Williams and midfielder Rose Lavelle, the latter being a key part of the turnaround against the Dutch in the second half to rescue a draw for the Americans. Andonovski, who has been heavily criticized over the past few matches for his lineups, lack of substitutions, and overall tactics, decided to bench forward Trinity Rodman and midfielder Savannah Demelo for this third group stage match.

By Austin Gage

Contributing Sports Writer

Coming off a disappointing 1-1 draw against the Netherlands on July 26th, the United States desperately needed a good result Tuesday in order to qualify and furthermore enter the FIFA Women’s World Cup knockout stages with momentum. While the USWNT did check off their goal of advancing to the Round of 16 with a 0-0 draw against Portugal, they definitely didn’t answer any of the concerns that many fans formulated in the earlier match against the Dutch.

In a match that kicked off at midnight Tuesday morning on the West Coast, the United States looked very sluggish and out of sorts for 90 minutes in Auckland, New Zealand. Ranked 21st in the world according to FIFA, the Portuguese also entered the match with an opportunity to reach the knockout stages in their first-ever Women’s World Cup appearance. But to do so, they would have to manufacture arguably the greatest upset in women’s soccer history: a win versus the top ranked Americans.

Unhappy with previous results, United States coach Vlatko Andonovski began the game with a few lineup changes which included starting forward Lynn Williams and midfielder Rose Lavelle, the latter being a key part of the turnaround against the Dutch in the second half to rescue a draw for the Americans. Andonovski, who has been heavily criticized over the past few matches for his lineups, lack of substitutions, and overall tactics, decided to bench forward Trinity Rodman and midfielder Savannah Demelo for this third group stage match.

It seemed that Andonovski’s decision to give Williams the start was the correct one almost immediately, as she delivered a brilliant driven pass to forward Alex Morgan in the third minute but Morgan could not finish off a first time shot. Coming off a 2019 World Cup in which she scored six goals and had three assists, Morgan has struggled to find the back of the net in 2023 and even missed a penalty in the United States’ first match against Vietnam.

In the 14th minute, forward Sophia Smith deployed an arching cross into the box that found the head of Williams, but Williams could not muster enough power on the shot attempt and the try was calmly saved by Portuguese goalkeeper Inês Pereira. Ever since scoring a two-goal brace in the opening match, Smith has also struggled in finding her rhythm apart from a few moments in the latter two games. Smith, the 2022 NWSL MVP, must be able to find her form once again if the Americans are to go deep into the tournament.

The overall disappointment of the match was enhanced in the 39th minute as Lavelle picked up a yellow card on a reckless tackle attempt, meaning that she would miss the United States’ next game, the first game of the round of 16, due to her acquiring two total yellow cards in group stage play. But as the first half came to close, the question of whether there would even be another match for the United States started to loom much larger.

Right before half, Williams pounced on a controlled volley inside the box but found the hands of Pereira once again instead of the back of the net.

It seemed that the Americans finally would break through in the 54th minute as midfielder Lindsey Horan delivered a through ball to Morgan, who took a touch around the keeper inside the box to attempt a shot from a slanted angle. However, the shot attempt was denied by Portugal defender Diana Gomes and the score remained knotted at zero.

For the next 35 minutes, the action was limited on both sides outside of a chance by Morgan that was relatively easily saved by the Portuguese goalkeeper. The United States knew they needed a draw at least to qualify for the knockout rounds and understood that under no circumstances they could concede a goal.

This all changed in the 91st minute when every American fans’ heart sank as Portuguese forward Ana Capeta fired a laser that seemed destined to send the Americans packing back home. Capeta’s right foot strike was placed in a position along the right side of the goal that was unsavable for United States’ goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. To the dramatic relief of the number one team in the world, the ball miraculously hit the right post and bounced away from any immediate danger. Had Capeta’s attempt hit the mark, it would have presented the first ever instance in which the USWNT had been eliminated from the Women’s World Cup in the group stage and represented the greatest upset victory in women’s soccer history.

Relief but disappointment could be the perfect phrase to describe the match.

The United States held on to survive with a 0-0 draw and advance to the knockout stages as the second place finishers in Group E with five points. Group winners Netherlands ended with seven points while Portugal (four points) and Vietnam (zero points) ended their tournament hopes.

After the match’s final whistle, veteran leader and defender Kelly O’Hara was seen sharing words with the huddled team. “We did what we had to do, we’re moving on. Group stage is done, this is over and it’s in the rearview, we have our next game in front of us and that’s the only one that matters,” said O’Hara after the game.

Players, coaches, and fans of the American side understand that much more is needed in order to win a trophy in this tournament, especially with a showdown against Group G winners and third ranked Sweden.

Coach Andonovski relayed a similar message to O’Hara’s. “We’re not happy with our performance, but we qualified for the next round,” Andonovski said, “We’re moving on.”

The United States will take on the Swedish side in the Round of 16 on August 6th in Melbourne, Australia with kickoff starting around 2 A.M. PST.