Team USA Knocked Around By Portugal: Limp Into Round of 16

AUKLAND – The United States Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) faced a valiant opponent in Portugal yesterday evening in Auckland, New Zealand. The Selecção das Quinas came out with a game plan to first stifle the United States attack, then outright dethrone them. And only the diameter of a goal post saved the United States from an embarrassing defeat.

Portugal played way up to the World Champions. The United States played flat before an audience of 42,000 that was more engrossed at times with starting stadium wide waves than watching the monotonous 0-0 match.  

Stateside, millions of television viewers where spared from bouts of late night reflux and panic attacks, as the game kicked off a 7 p.m. Kiwi time or 3 a.m. Eastern U.S. time.

It was only a ricocheted ball off the of post that saved the USWNT from a long boat ride back to the United States. Portugal’s Ana Capeta launched a sidewinder missile that slipped under Yank’s keeper, Alyssa Naeher’s outstretched body and smacked bottom of the left post in hold-your-breath stoppage time. 

“It was a beautiful sound to hear it hit the post, that’s for sure,” a relieved Naeher said afterward. “But that’s something we talked about – we knew they were good on the counterattack and they like to get in behind.”

Watch the highlights here, but before you do so, have your phone ready to dial 9-1-1.

Portugal must have taken exceptional notes from the U.S.’s previous matches with Vietnam and the Netherlands. They effectively double and triple teamed Sophia Smith, played shoulder-to-shoulder with Lindsey Horan, contained Alex Morgan and even the America’s best substitute Megan Rapinoe.

Postgame, co-captain Morgan expressed her team’s sentiments, “It is tough to be second, we wanted to go through first. This team gave everything. We just couldn’t put the ball in the beck of the net.” 

The steady veteran continued,  “In the last few minutes we just had to hold it down, get the result and move on. Now we look forward. It is not the result we wanted but we move forward.”

The USWNT did launch a total of 17 total shots in the general direction of the goal or straight into Portugal’s spirited gatekeeper, Inês Pereira.

Despite the quantity of strikes, their quality of did not yield much wanted results.

“We had our opportunities in front of goal and even two yards out and we have to finish them, and we will,” Horan told early morning television viewers following the match. “We’re going to move forward, we’re through to the next round, and that’s going to come.”

And who may they expect to face-off with next Sunday in Sydney? That would be their arch enemy: Sweden.

The surging Swedes currently lead Group G. They wrap up play today with Italy. The U.S. would have preferred to play host to the Italians.

Megan Rapinoe wrapped up the team’s dispirited press conference by stating, “I think in the first half, there was a lot of space for us to play into and just a little bit rushed,” adding “I think we could’ve switched the point of attack a little bit more. I thought we were finding the width but I think we needed to open them up a little bit more and draw them out.”

After it was all said and done, the Lady Yanks escaped Eden Park Stadium with a ball bag filled with bad memories. They now must regroup and rediscover their ability to play world class football, otherwise, one of the smaller teams just may kick them off of the continent of Australia into the Tasmanian Sea.

Photo Credit: John Babiak.

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