The four-time world champion USA just avoided embarrassment at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Despite a poor performance, the defending champions advanced to the round of 16 as group runners-up thanks to a 0-0 draw against Portugal.
A loss in front of 40,958 fans in Auckland would have eliminated the USA. So the strong Portuguese women have to fly home. The World Cup is also over for debutant Vietnam, who lost 7-0 (5-0) to group winners Netherlands in Dunedin. For the Oranje team it was the highest victory in World Cup history.
Substitute Megan Rapinoe said: “Of course we want to play well and score a lot of goals, but we didn’t manage that. We know we can and must do better.” In the round of 16, the USA are now threatened by Sweden, who can only theoretically be ousted from first place in Group G. The Scandinavians inflicted the US team’s last World Cup defeat to date in 2011.
USA so far at every World Cup at least in the semifinals
Even the old star Rapinoe (38), who came on after an hour, did not bring the hoped-for momentum to the US game. The world champion of 1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019, who has reached at least the semi-finals at every World Cup so far, was extremely lucky shortly before the end: Portugal’s Ana Capeta hit the post with a low shot at the beginning of injury time, shortly afterwards US goalkeeper Alyssa sailed Closer to the ball. “I really thought the goal would come at that moment,” Portugal coach Francisco Neto Capetas commented on the post-shot.
In front of 8,215 spectators in Dunedin, the Dutch women put on enormous pressure in the parallel game in Group E, which Vietnam could never withstand. Lieke Martens (8th minute), Katja Snoeijs (11th), Esmee Brugts (18th/57th), Jill Roord (23rd/83rd) and Danielle van de Donk (45th) scored the goals, some of which were good. Vietnam’s World Cup debut ended pointless and goalless in the first round. “Of course it helps when you finish first in your group. And of course it helps when you win 7-0,” said Oranje head coach Andries Jonker.
