It all comes down to this moment at 3:00 am Eastern time.
The U.S. women's national team (USWNT) can advance to the Round of 16 by defeating Portugal. That would be the easy outcome but they can advance with a draw. Due to criticism of the 1-1 draw against the Netherlands, there is mild trepidation about the game.
They've also always reached at least the semi-finals, winning the World Cup four times, including the past two tournaments in 2015 and 2019. The USWNT faced its first real adversity test of the 2023 World Cup in its second group-stage game. Now, it's about how they respond. Here are three key things to know as the USWNT looks for their spot in the knockout round (and you brew your coffee for the early kick)
Using subs isn't a maybe, it's required
Arguably the biggest sticking point from everywhere on social media was why didn't the USWNT use its sub against the Netherlands. Head coach Vlatko Andonovski only subbed in Rose Lavelle at the beginning of the second half and that was it.
Now it's perfectly natural that fans will question their team's performance when it's below their expectations while the coach makes no adjustments. And what infuriated American fans was watching Andonovski sub no one else during the game against the Netherlands. There were tired legs on the pitch from both sides of the ball.
The U.S. HAS a large depth of fresh, rested legs on the bench waiting for their chance to hit the pitch. Lynn Williams, Megan Rapinoe, and Alyssa Thompson all sat there waiting to relieve their teammates. While a one-off would be fine, Andonovski went with the exact same roster as the Vietnam game. What is a concern is that he plans to not make changes for change's sake against Portugal.
Granted, Portugal isn't going to be the same scoring threat that the Dutch posed. They're coming off their first-ever World Cup victory, a 2-0 win over fellow debutants Vietnam. But it will not be an easy win for the USWNT. Andonovski will likely run a 4-3-3 again against the Portuguese but it would be beneficial to change who he's going to put in the starting XI.
Unfamiliar group stage territory
The Americans have never been eliminated from the group stage in World Cup history. They're clearly favorites to win a three-peat but isn't as easy as a path as many hoped. The 3-0 win over Vietnam gave hope for a win over the Netherlands.
Instead, that contest ended in a 1-1 draw that had a very tired USWNT that gave some pause if they were capable of making it to the final and their third consecutive title. But this isn't a group of competitors where the USWNT can steamroll their way to the knockouts.
This squad must force at least a draw to punch a ticket to the knockout stages. Especially given that Group E is where everyone has a stake. Portugal is trying to achieve a historic first of its own and it sits just one point behind the U.S. and the Netherlands.
A stunning upset against the U.S. could see Portugal advance instead or a high-scoring draw could also be enough, depending on if Vietnam upsets the Oranje. This isn't going to be the likely scenario for this group or the USWNT. But it's a World Cup. Upsets happen all the time.
Meshing together is at a critical peak
There's a very clear thing the USWNT is struggling with at the moment.
They have not had a significant amount of time to mesh. Each and every training session and competitive match brings serious value in figuring out how to have a working attack between the young and veteran players.
This USWNT is still adjusting to play together. The World Cup isn't really where coaches want to figure out how to make the squad jell. The 23 players that Andonovski brought to Australia and New Zealand aren't exactly the 23 he wanted. Injuries have plagued the veterans of the 2019 group keeping many star players with World Cup experience away from the pitch.
These players also aren't playing with each other more than a few weeks a year. They don't all play for the same NWSL team or even in the U.S. at all. Granted, the 2019 team was in a similar spot but they didn't have 14 new faces to bring into the fold.
Playing Portugal is a game with high stakes. The USWNT has never left a World Cup before the knockout stages. They sit atop Group E based on goal differential and advance to the knockout round with a win or draw. But a loss, an awful loss, means the three-peat dream is over.
But no pressure right?
How to watch
Team USA plays against Portugal in the World Cup Tuesday, August 1 at 3 a.m. ET on Fox. It's an early kick so prep your coffee now.
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Mandatory Credit: AP Photo/Josie Lepe, AP Photo/Andrew Cornaga
