[ad_1] Doug McIntyre Soccer Journalist AUCKLAND, New Zealand — For the United States, the final group-stage match at the Women's World Cup agai
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AUCKLAND, New Zealand — For the United States, the final group-stage match at the Women’s World Cup against Portugal on Tuesday (coverage begins at 1 a.m. ET, with kickoff at 3 a.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app), isn’t a must-win as much as it’s a must-not-lose.
A tie at Eden Park would be enough to guarantee the two-time defending champions a spot in the round of 16.
But the Americans are determined to snare a decisive victory that would both allow them to finish on top of Group E and send the message that, despite lackluster displays by their own lofty standards through the first two games, they remain the odds-on favorite to win the title and complete a historic three-peat.
Portugal won’t go quietly, though. And as Colombia’s stunning upset of Germany — the world’s second-best team behind the Americans both historically and in FIFA’s current ranking — showed, anything can happen over 90 minutes.
Indeed, four of the biggest 10 upsets in Women’s World Cup history have occurred at Australia-New Zealand 2023.
“Of course, there’s a little bit of anxiousness,” U.S. vet Megan Rapinoe said in the lead-up to Tuesday’s game. “We have to perform better, and we have to get this result.”
What should USWNT supporters know about Portugal? We’ve got them covered below.
What makes Portugal dangerous?
As we’ve seen so far Down Under, Francisco Neto’s side is well-organized defensively and difficult to score on. Portugal has conceded just once through its first two group games, a first-half goal by Dutch center back Stefanie van der Gragt in their tournament opening 1-0 defeat.
Carli Lloyd’s projected USWNT lineup vs. Portugal
Portugal also played to a scoreless tie with European champ England earlier this month in one of their final pre-World Cup tune-ups.
Combine that stinginess with the Americans’ lack of ruthlessness through their first two matches, and a tight, tension-filled contest could be in the cards. That obviously favors Portugal. The longer the match remains scoreless, the more susceptible to an outcome-determining error the U.S. becomes.
Portugal also boasts some exciting young players who have already started to make a name for themselves in New Zealand.
It took forward Telma Encarnação, 21, just seven minutes to net her nation’s first-ever Women’s World Cup goal in last week’s 2-0 victory over Vietnam. The second tally came later in the first half via 20-year-old midfielder Francisca “Kika” Nazareth.
“This is a must win” — Carli Lloyd and Alexi Lalas discuss adjustments the USWNT needs to make vs. Portugal
Who is Portugal’s key player?
Midfielder Dolores Silva is Portugal’s captain and the program’s third-most capped player, after current teammates Ana Borges and Carole Costa. In addition to her playmaking skills, Silva can also score; with 17 international goals, she has more than four of the six forwards on Neto’s roster.
Silva also has a better strike rate for her country than fellow vet Borges, who spent most of her career deployed on the wing before converting to fullback.
What is the history between these teams?
Not only has the USWNT won all previous 10 meetings between the sides, they’ve never been scored on. The U.S., meantime, has averaged almost four goals a game against the Portuguese over those 10 contests.
“This is what you train for” – USWNT’s Megan Rapinoe on the must-win game vs. Portugal
The most recent encounter was as close as it gets, though, a 1-0 victory for the Americans in Houston in 2021. Sam Mewis, the France 2019 standout who was forced to miss this World Cup because of injury, notched the winner in the second half.
Key matchup: Encarnação vs. Julie Ertz
The Netherlands’ Van der Gragt had problems with the youngster as soon as she entered off the substitutes bench in Portugal’s opener. Encarnação had Portugal’s best chance — and its only shot on net — against the Dutch, forcing a good save out of keeper Daphne van Domselaar.
Encarnação will now face a similarly physical center back in Ertz, who will rely on her vast experience and positioning to keep the speedy forward — who is adept at dropping back to collect the ball before running out of the midfield or cutting in from the wing — at bay.
Prediction: United States 2, Portugal 0
The Americans know they must produce their best performance yet at this World Cup to secure a spot in the second round and, hopefully, avoid Sweden to kick off the knockout stage.
Expect Vlatko Andonovski’s side to pour on the pressure during the first 20 minutes of the game in search of the goal they need to take control of the match.
Should they get it, Portugal will have no choice but to attack with abandon, leaving open wide swaths of the field that the U.S. can then exploit to put the score line out of reach.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports and he has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Follow him on Twitter at @ByDougMcIntyre.
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