With the eyes of the world on them, will the USWNT pull off a win against Portugal, or fall out of the group stages for the first time in history?
The USWNT are fresh off a 1-1 tie against the Netherlands last week in a game that left fans with more questions than answers. The United States will move in into the knockout rounds of the Women's World Cup with a win or a tie over Portugal, but this team will be looking to redeem itself from a less-than-ideal performance against the Netherlands.
In the worst-case scenario, they could even lose and still move on if the Netherlands doesn't catch up to them on goal difference. But that loss would be a huge blow to the team and likely shake their confidence heading into the knockouts.
Although Portugal is new to the World Cup, they aren't new to the United States. The two sides have faced off ten times in their history, with the USWNT walking away with a perfect record of ten wins in ten games. The United States will want to carry on that streak and head into the knockouts with a win under their belts. But it likely won't be that simple.
USWNT preview: What's at stake in final group stage match vs. Portugal?
The States put on a concerning performance against the Dutch last week, conceding early in the first half and having to claw their way to a tie in the second. Their best moments came from individual brilliance, not team cohesion.
These individual sparks brought life back into this game, such as a footwork masterclass from super substitution Rose Lavelle or a much-needed header from Lindsey Horan to equalize. But the United States looked lost on the field against the Netherlands, and they can't afford another performance like that against Portugal.
The Portuguese won't go quietly with their own chance at making it to the knockout rounds on the line as they prepare to face off against the defending champions. They're a formidable side who are coming off a historic win after beating Vietnam with two goals and earning a shutout. This was their first World Cup win and resulted in knocking out fellow World Cup debutante Vietnam. In a World Cup where it feels like anything could happen, no team can afford to take a game for granted, even if you're ranked number one.
Portugal is well known for their defensive structure, playing with strong numbers in the midfield and on the backline, which is how they held the Netherlands to just a 1-0 scoreline. Stifling passing channels and playing with aggression are two of Portugal's tactics, and if they execute them well enough to frustrate the USWNT, they might find their way to a goal or two.
The United States were on the defensive for most of their last game, and with only one substitution made and their next game close at hand, the States will be tired heading into this one. It'll be interesting to see if there are any fresh legs in the starting lineup against Portugal or if Andonovski will continue to use the same starting eleven as he did for the first two games. Which marked the first time since 1999 that the United States had repeated a starting lineup in consecutive group-stage matches.
It's impossible to ignore the pressure for the United States, who are trying to make history by becoming the first country to win a world cup three times in a row, men or women. But if they continue to struggle with on-the-field chemistry and tactics, they could see themselves making another kind of history, and not make it to the knockouts for the first time ever.
Fans looking to catch this match will have to choose between a late night or an early morning as the United States kickoff against Portugal at 3 a.m. EST.
