USA v Portugal: Women’s World Cup 2023 Group E – live - 8 minutes read
Key eventsShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureJeff Kassouf has filed his report from Auckland. That’s my cue to wrap this blog up, but please join Sarah Rendell for the (other) big game: England v China, kick off in precisely 79 minutes.Thanks for your company and emails. Congratulations to Portugal, commiserations to the USA. Bye!Match report: Vietnam 0-7 NetherlandsAlex Morgan’s reaction
It’s tough to finish second. We gave everything; we just didn’t put the ball in the back of the net. In the last few minutes we just had to hold it down, get the result and move on. It’s not the result we wanted, but we move forward.
It’s just not going in the back of the net. We had so many corners, so many opportunities, we got the crosses in. We’ve been unlucky, at times we haven’t followed through with shots or made the right decisions in front of goal – all that combined.
“The FOX chuckleheads are blaming youth,” says Robyn Schelenz, “but I thought Morgan and Rapinoe were pretty ineffectual ... and again if the youth don’t know what they’re doing, who is to blame?”I thought Morgan looked quite sharp in the second half, though Rapinoe was ineffectual when she came on. It probably didn’t help that the team was so disjointed. Apart from a dominant spell around the hour mark, the USA were almost bewilderingly poor.“I stayed up all night for this?” sniffs Lance Berc. “Sheesh!”Watch Capeta hit the post for PortugalThe reaction on the sideline is beautiful/heartbreaking.Updated at 10.19 BSTFull time: Vietnam 0-7 NetherlandsThe Netherlands have won Group E after hammering Vietnam. You can get reaction to that game with Sarah Rendell.This is the USA’s worst performance in the group stage of a World Cup, and it means they will almost certainly face Sweden in the last 16. They’ll know for sure this time tomorrow. If they get through that, Japan or Norway will be their quarter-final opponents.Read more about Ana Capeta, the former goalkeeper who came this close to scoring one of the most famous goals in Women’s World Cup history. She’d been on the field for less than two minutes.Ana CapetaAna CapetaFull time: Portugal 0-0 USAPeep peep! The USA have gone through with a whimper. At least they reached the last 16, but this was an awful night for the holders. They were disjointed, listless and increasingly grumpy. The body language at the final whistle says it all. After a 0-0 draw, both teams look they have lost.Some of the Portugal players are in tears. In time, they will reflect on their World Cup debut with immense pride. Failure doesn’t come much more glorious, and they were inches away from a seismic shock when the substitute Ana Capeta whistled a shot against the post in injury-time.Updated at 10.06 BST90+7 min Double substitution for the USA Alyssa Thompson and Kelley O’Hara replace Alex Morgan and Crystal Dunn.Updated at 09.56 BST90+6 min Rapinoe completely mishits a volley from the edge of the area. The USA – and I can’t quite believe I’m typing this – are hanging on against Portugal.90+5 min: Another half-chance for Portugal! Marchao drives a free-kick into the USA area from the halfway line. Naeher charges off her line, gets nowhere near the ball and is extremely relieved to see it bounce through everyone and wide of the far post. That was awful goalkeeping.90+2 min What a moment! Ana Capeta, who has just come onto the field, almost caused an earthquake with her first two touches. Pinto’s speculative long ball was headed on by the stretching Encarnacao towards Capeta. She anticipated it better than the USA defenders, knocked the ball into space and whistled a fierce low drive from the edge of the area. It beat the diving Naeher and thumped the base of the post.Ana Capeta watches as her shot comes back off the post. That was the moment. Photograph: Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty ImagesUpdated at 10.03 BST90+1 min: Capeta has hit the post! I do not believe it.Ana Capeta hits the beans! What a chance for Portugal! Photograph: Phil Walter/Getty ImagesUpdated at 09.55 BST90+1 min Rapinoe puts Morgan through in the inside-left channel, but the angle is tight and she sprays wide of the near post under pressure.90 min There will be e-i-g-h-t minutes of added time.90 min: Double substitution for Portugal Ana Capeta and Joana Marchao replace Catarina Amado and Diana Silva.87 min Lavelle drops a corner under the bar, where Pereira is flattened by Sonnett. She might have been booked for that.A Portuguese player was booked just before the corner; I think it was Amado.While Pereira receives treatment, the USA have another team meeting on the touchline.86 min “Possibly the most impressive thing that Portugal has done so far today, and it’s a long list, is riding out the storm of American attacks without panicking,” writes Kári Tulinius. “They just kept playing, regained control of the midfield, and now we’re back as we were.”In the first half, certainly, I thought they worked the ball really neatly through midfield. The second half has been pretty one-sided.85 min The Netherlands are now 7-0 up.84 min Morgan cuts inside from the left and drives a low shot that is held to her right by Pereira. A decent save, though I think Morgan was offside in the build up.84 min: Double substitution for the USA Trinity Rodman and Emily Sonnett replace Lynn Williams and Lindsey Horan.83 min “The only person who knows what buttons to push for this team seems to be Daniëlle van de Donk,” says Robyn Schelenz. “And she’s indisposed at the moment.”That game is still 6-0 (I think), so even if the US score here they will finish second in Group E.82 min A heartstopping moment for the US. The free-kick reaches Costa beyond the far post on the left. She smashes a cross that is fumbled by Naeher, but there are no Portugal players around to put away the loose ball.81 min: Portugal substitution Telma Encarnacao, who scored against Vietnam, replaces Andreia Norton.81 min Girma is booked for a cynical foul on Jessica Silva 35 yards from goal.80 min According to the English commentary I’m listening to, Kika Nazareth went off because of a hamstring injury.79 min “Props to Aly Wagner in booth: told truth about Megpoe’s touches v Vietnam and lack of defensive prowess for current dilemma,” says Mike Chiropolos. “Speaks volumes coming from a former teammate. Think another former teammate weighed in with essentially the same sentiment from outside the booth.”78 min Jessica Silva shoves Sullivan over the touchline, a gratuitous foul for which she might have been booked. I’m not sure the referee even gave a free-kick.77 min The USA are still miles short of their best, but they have had more control of this game in the second half. And ultimately, for all Portugal’s heroism, Alyssa Naeher hasn’t had a save to make.74 min It’s still 0-0…73 min “Is it just me or is there a real size disparity between the two teams?” writes Ursolin Waxoh. “The Americans seem much taller than their opponents. Whenever I see Lindsey Horan, she looks twice as big as any Portuguese midfielder. “It’s somewhat significant (I predict it will make a difference later in set pieces) but not much: one of the most wonderful things about football is that, unlike other sports, genius comes in all shapes and sizes. Still, if Portugal do manage an upset, it will be a giant-slaying in more than one sense.”Lindsey Horan. Tall. Photograph: Simon Watts/ShutterstockUpdated at 09.41 BST72 min Diana Gomes gets a yellow card for a foul on Morgan, whose movement in the second half has been much sharper. Gomes will miss the next match if Portugal do get through.Updated at 09.31 BST71 min Portugal are looking tired now. They have played heroically, but with Nazareth off the field they are struggling to create openings never mind chances.69 min “Whenever I see this team play I remember a few things,” writes Sérgio. “There are only 10,000 registered players in the Portugal, in all age groups. No more than four fully pro teams in the league. Not a single player plays for a top club in the big five leagues. Our manager is the same from 10 years ago, when 99.9% of Portuguese people weren’t aware this team existed.“Most of these players started when practice was at 10pm and women’s football wasn’t even an afterthought, and even players didn’t watch women’s games. They play for them, and above all for all the generations that have come and gone dreaming of this day. Only by channelling their collective love of football can they put up this incredible performance against a country with pretty much infinite resources and history.”They’re already had an outstanding World Cup debut. Imagine if they win this game!
It’s tough to finish second. We gave everything; we just didn’t put the ball in the back of the net. In the last few minutes we just had to hold it down, get the result and move on. It’s not the result we wanted, but we move forward.
It’s just not going in the back of the net. We had so many corners, so many opportunities, we got the crosses in. We’ve been unlucky, at times we haven’t followed through with shots or made the right decisions in front of goal – all that combined.
“The FOX chuckleheads are blaming youth,” says Robyn Schelenz, “but I thought Morgan and Rapinoe were pretty ineffectual ... and again if the youth don’t know what they’re doing, who is to blame?”I thought Morgan looked quite sharp in the second half, though Rapinoe was ineffectual when she came on. It probably didn’t help that the team was so disjointed. Apart from a dominant spell around the hour mark, the USA were almost bewilderingly poor.“I stayed up all night for this?” sniffs Lance Berc. “Sheesh!”Watch Capeta hit the post for PortugalThe reaction on the sideline is beautiful/heartbreaking.Updated at 10.19 BSTFull time: Vietnam 0-7 NetherlandsThe Netherlands have won Group E after hammering Vietnam. You can get reaction to that game with Sarah Rendell.This is the USA’s worst performance in the group stage of a World Cup, and it means they will almost certainly face Sweden in the last 16. They’ll know for sure this time tomorrow. If they get through that, Japan or Norway will be their quarter-final opponents.Read more about Ana Capeta, the former goalkeeper who came this close to scoring one of the most famous goals in Women’s World Cup history. She’d been on the field for less than two minutes.Ana CapetaAna CapetaFull time: Portugal 0-0 USAPeep peep! The USA have gone through with a whimper. At least they reached the last 16, but this was an awful night for the holders. They were disjointed, listless and increasingly grumpy. The body language at the final whistle says it all. After a 0-0 draw, both teams look they have lost.Some of the Portugal players are in tears. In time, they will reflect on their World Cup debut with immense pride. Failure doesn’t come much more glorious, and they were inches away from a seismic shock when the substitute Ana Capeta whistled a shot against the post in injury-time.Updated at 10.06 BST90+7 min Double substitution for the USA Alyssa Thompson and Kelley O’Hara replace Alex Morgan and Crystal Dunn.Updated at 09.56 BST90+6 min Rapinoe completely mishits a volley from the edge of the area. The USA – and I can’t quite believe I’m typing this – are hanging on against Portugal.90+5 min: Another half-chance for Portugal! Marchao drives a free-kick into the USA area from the halfway line. Naeher charges off her line, gets nowhere near the ball and is extremely relieved to see it bounce through everyone and wide of the far post. That was awful goalkeeping.90+2 min What a moment! Ana Capeta, who has just come onto the field, almost caused an earthquake with her first two touches. Pinto’s speculative long ball was headed on by the stretching Encarnacao towards Capeta. She anticipated it better than the USA defenders, knocked the ball into space and whistled a fierce low drive from the edge of the area. It beat the diving Naeher and thumped the base of the post.Ana Capeta watches as her shot comes back off the post. That was the moment. Photograph: Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty ImagesUpdated at 10.03 BST90+1 min: Capeta has hit the post! I do not believe it.Ana Capeta hits the beans! What a chance for Portugal! Photograph: Phil Walter/Getty ImagesUpdated at 09.55 BST90+1 min Rapinoe puts Morgan through in the inside-left channel, but the angle is tight and she sprays wide of the near post under pressure.90 min There will be e-i-g-h-t minutes of added time.90 min: Double substitution for Portugal Ana Capeta and Joana Marchao replace Catarina Amado and Diana Silva.87 min Lavelle drops a corner under the bar, where Pereira is flattened by Sonnett. She might have been booked for that.A Portuguese player was booked just before the corner; I think it was Amado.While Pereira receives treatment, the USA have another team meeting on the touchline.86 min “Possibly the most impressive thing that Portugal has done so far today, and it’s a long list, is riding out the storm of American attacks without panicking,” writes Kári Tulinius. “They just kept playing, regained control of the midfield, and now we’re back as we were.”In the first half, certainly, I thought they worked the ball really neatly through midfield. The second half has been pretty one-sided.85 min The Netherlands are now 7-0 up.84 min Morgan cuts inside from the left and drives a low shot that is held to her right by Pereira. A decent save, though I think Morgan was offside in the build up.84 min: Double substitution for the USA Trinity Rodman and Emily Sonnett replace Lynn Williams and Lindsey Horan.83 min “The only person who knows what buttons to push for this team seems to be Daniëlle van de Donk,” says Robyn Schelenz. “And she’s indisposed at the moment.”That game is still 6-0 (I think), so even if the US score here they will finish second in Group E.82 min A heartstopping moment for the US. The free-kick reaches Costa beyond the far post on the left. She smashes a cross that is fumbled by Naeher, but there are no Portugal players around to put away the loose ball.81 min: Portugal substitution Telma Encarnacao, who scored against Vietnam, replaces Andreia Norton.81 min Girma is booked for a cynical foul on Jessica Silva 35 yards from goal.80 min According to the English commentary I’m listening to, Kika Nazareth went off because of a hamstring injury.79 min “Props to Aly Wagner in booth: told truth about Megpoe’s touches v Vietnam and lack of defensive prowess for current dilemma,” says Mike Chiropolos. “Speaks volumes coming from a former teammate. Think another former teammate weighed in with essentially the same sentiment from outside the booth.”78 min Jessica Silva shoves Sullivan over the touchline, a gratuitous foul for which she might have been booked. I’m not sure the referee even gave a free-kick.77 min The USA are still miles short of their best, but they have had more control of this game in the second half. And ultimately, for all Portugal’s heroism, Alyssa Naeher hasn’t had a save to make.74 min It’s still 0-0…73 min “Is it just me or is there a real size disparity between the two teams?” writes Ursolin Waxoh. “The Americans seem much taller than their opponents. Whenever I see Lindsey Horan, she looks twice as big as any Portuguese midfielder. “It’s somewhat significant (I predict it will make a difference later in set pieces) but not much: one of the most wonderful things about football is that, unlike other sports, genius comes in all shapes and sizes. Still, if Portugal do manage an upset, it will be a giant-slaying in more than one sense.”Lindsey Horan. Tall. Photograph: Simon Watts/ShutterstockUpdated at 09.41 BST72 min Diana Gomes gets a yellow card for a foul on Morgan, whose movement in the second half has been much sharper. Gomes will miss the next match if Portugal do get through.Updated at 09.31 BST71 min Portugal are looking tired now. They have played heroically, but with Nazareth off the field they are struggling to create openings never mind chances.69 min “Whenever I see this team play I remember a few things,” writes Sérgio. “There are only 10,000 registered players in the Portugal, in all age groups. No more than four fully pro teams in the league. Not a single player plays for a top club in the big five leagues. Our manager is the same from 10 years ago, when 99.9% of Portuguese people weren’t aware this team existed.“Most of these players started when practice was at 10pm and women’s football wasn’t even an afterthought, and even players didn’t watch women’s games. They play for them, and above all for all the generations that have come and gone dreaming of this day. Only by channelling their collective love of football can they put up this incredible performance against a country with pretty much infinite resources and history.”They’re already had an outstanding World Cup debut. Imagine if they win this game!
Source: The Guardian
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