Portugal vs USWNT: Debutants take on reigning champions
Portugal will hope to keep their hopes of qualifying for the round of 16 intact when they take on the USWNT, who are the reigning champions, on Tuesday. Francisco Neto’s team were dealt a setback in their tournament opener when they were beaten 1-0 by the Netherlands, but rebounded brilliantly against fellow debutants Vietnam on matchday two.
Writing their name in the history books: Will Portugal’s journey continue?
Telma Encarnacao has now earned her name in footballing history as it was her effort to break down a stubbornly defensive Vietnam side that opened proceedings. Just 14 minutes later, Kika Nazareth added Portugal’s second to help Neto’s squad gain control of the match, yet despite recording a whopping 29 attempts on goal, they were unable to add more to their tally. Now, they will face their sternest test yet, with the USWNT standing between Portugal and a potential spot in the round of 16 for the first time.
Although the win over Vietnam certainly will have boosted their confidence, Portugal’s record against Team USA leaves something to be desired. Tuesday’s meeting will be the 11th between the two sides, but Portugal have historically struggled. Not only have they lost all ten of their past encounters, but they have yet to score a goal in that miserable run after being outscored 39 to zero.
As such, finding the back of the net will be much easier said than done, but this Portugal side have started to show signs of brilliance and could give the USA a stern test – considering that the reigning champions really have yet to get out of second gear so far.
The USWNT has yet to really get up and running. Will this be the game where they finally shine?
Meanwhile, the USWNT come into this game having drawn the Netherlands 1-1 in their last match. It was an intriguing battle between the two finalists of the 2019 Women’s World Cup, and ultimately, their efforts ended up canceling each other out. Vladko Andonovski’s team are currently on top of Group E following a comfortable 3-0 win against Vietnam, and as the world’s number one side, are the natural favorites to progress against Portugal. Although their upcoming opponents have shown signs of growing confidence, the USWNT’s impressive head to head record, which includes ten wins out of ten and zero goals conceded, can’t be ignored.
That being said, they have yet to really kick into gear just yet, and it will be interesting to see if the USWNT finally come out of their shells or simply take a more cautious approach, secure all three points with a solid win and look forward to the next round. It could be that the strategy indeed is to conserve their energy for the tougher battles that await them in the knockout rounds, where they will take on either Sweden, Argentina, South Africa, or Italy in the round of 16.
On Tuesday, Portugal will be facing more than an uphill battle against a tournament heavyweight – they will be facing a battle against history. Will they be able to pull off what would be one of the biggest upsets so far at this summer’s competition? Or will the USWNT finally awake from their slumber and steamroll the aspirants en route to securing yet another knockout round berth?
