The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website | home
PORvUSA
Portugal Inches Away From Ousting World Champions
by Jeremy Ruane
 |
 |
Reigning FIFA Women's World Cup holders the USA were just the width of a post away from being eliminated from the 2023 event at the group stages on August 1, as a new New Zealand record crowd for a football match - 42,958 people piled into Eden Park - saw the title-holders held to a scoreless draw by a Portugal side which came desperately close to causing a massive upset on women's football's biggest stage.
The world champions started strongly, Lynn Williams and Emily Fox working a one-two on the right before the winger whipped in a cross to the near post. Alex Morgan was arriving on cue, but so was the covering figure of Diana Gomes, who blocked the shot for a corner.
Rose Lavelle's delivery was pinpoint, Williams rising at the near post to head it goalwards, only for Ines Pereira to save solidly, a feat she repeated ten minutes later to keep out another Williams header with Morgan fast closing, after Lindsey Horan had sent Sophia Smith down the left, from where she delivered quality to the far post.
Portugal weren't lying down quietly - indeed, they were giving cheek aplenty, and enjoyed the greater share of possession in the first half. In between Williams' headed efforts, Ana Borges combined with Jessica Silva on the right.
The latter's back-heeled pass was delicious, and Tatiana Pinto latched onto it in a flash before setting up Andreia Norton for a shot from the edge of the penalty area which was always rising, unlike Jessica Silva's fiercely-struck twenty-yarder in the sixteenth minute, which she sent flying past the far post after Carole Costa and Kika Nazareth had combined to play her through the shaky USA rearguard.
Whatever was going on in the US back-line at times defied logic. Allowing crosses to bounce in the area is a cardinal sin for any defender, but here we were watching the world champions let it happen on numerous occasions. Madness!
And they really struggled with Portugal's midfield diamond, particularly in the first half. But they still managed to create goalscoring opportunities, such as Lavelle's nineteenth minute free-kick, which saw Morgan and Pereira contesting the ball in the air, the 'keeper ending up much the worse the wear for the experience but able to continue.
Eight minutes later, Morgan caused Portugal more problems, turning an opponent on the left before darting along the by-line - she did well to keep the ball in - and pulling the ball back via a ricochet off Dolores Silva to Williams, whose first effort was parried by Pereira. The rebound was volleyed over the bar by the US winger.
After Nazareth had lashed a thirty-yarder narrowly over the bar, Portugal threatened again in the 42nd minute, Nazareth and Norton combining to unleash Jessica Silva down the left, from where she delivered a cross which found Diana Silva on her heels. Had she been anticipating the delivery, she'd likely have got on the end of it and done justice to a great chance.
In the shadows of the half-time whistle, the USA earned a corner which Andi Sullivan fired into the danger zone. Pereira punched it away, and the ball eventually found its way to Naomi Girma, who pinged the ball back into the danger zone. Williams was the beneficiary, but directed her volley on the turn straight at Pereira.
The early stages of the second half were played with the accompanying sound of the Eden Park fire alarm adding to the USA's on-field unease. (Someone had set off a sprinkler in one of the concourse shops ... smoking/vaping. Filthy habits!)
Soon after the siren stopped, alarm bells were ringing in Portugal's defence as Horan intercepted a pass and powered forward before slipping Morgan through the inside right channel. She rounded Pereira, but saw her acute-angled shot prevented from crossing the line by the covering figure of Gomes in the 54th minute.
Three minutes later, Morgan threatened again, this time heading a Lavelle free-kick over the bar from six yards. And another Lavelle set-piece on the hour saw Williams heading wide from six yards, seconds after the USA's set-piece specialist had been in full flight when her shirt was pulled by Norton, who escaped punishment for this deliberate action.
|
An enormous roar erupted around the ground on the hour at the introduction of Megan Rapinoe to the fray, but in truth, she had little influence on proceedings, even though her team-mates had the better of things in the second spell, adjustments having been made to counter Portugal's tactics.
They didn't find a way to counter Portugal's stubborn resistance, however, while the attacking threat of Jessica Silva was something else the world champions struggled to contain. She earned a free-kick in the 82nd minute which Andreia Jacinto delivered into the danger zone.
It was headed clear to Costa, who drove it back into the goalmouth, where the largely untested Alyssa Naeher promptly spilled it, only recovering the ball after it bounced back to her off Julie Ertz.
The grateful goalkeeper started an attack which featured a peach of a pass down the left by Rapinoe for Morgan, who skipped through the inside left channel before seeing her shot blocked by Costa. The ball rebounded back to the striker, who evaded a challenge before drawing a smothering save by Pereira at the base of her right-hand post.
Soon after, the USA earned another corner, which Lavelle delivered into the danger zone. Pereira punched the ball clear, but was promptly clattered into by Emily Sonnett, a challenge which left the goalkeeper seeing stars. Thankfully she was able to continue after treatment.
Into stoppage time we went, and the moment when women's football history was nearly revised came to pass after two of the eight extra minutes. Dolores Silva picked up a loose ball in midfield and pinged it downtown. Telma Encarnacao headed it on, and surging in between defenders was fellow substitute Ana Cadeta, who had only entered the fray three minutes prior.
Emily Fox was hurtling across in a desperate bid to tackle the striker when Cadeta let fly from just inside the area. As the ball thundered past the diving figure of Naeher, time froze - were the world champions heading out of the Finals at the group stage?
The sight of the ball crashing off the base of Naeher's left-hand upright to safety was met with despair by the Portuguese fans and an enormous sigh of relief from the many Americans present - they knew their team had dodged a bullet, and Francisco Neto's side had gone desperately close to causing a women's footballing upset of seismic proportions.
The USA responded instantly to this let-off, and went close to winning the game themselves. Rapinoe spread ball to Emily Fox, who raced downfield before bringing Trinity Rodman into play. Her cross was headed clear to Rapinoe, who threaded the ball through for Morgan, off whose knee the ball bounced - it just wasn't her night! (To say her announcement as the FIFA Player of the Match was surprising is something of an understatement!)
There was still time for Portugal to come again, and come again they did, via a long-range free-kick from Joana Marchao. Her delivery from the left touchline arced into the penalty area, luring Naeher off her line as a mass of players converged in the general vicinity of where the ball was heading.
Remarkably, it touched no one on the way through for a goal kick - Naeher had another lucky escape! - and seconds later, the USA's passage into the last sixteen as group runners-up was secured.
But they had been given an almighty fright by a Portuguese team which will head for home with a vastly enhanced reputation, a great number of new supporters and, crucially, with a new-found belief in their own capabilities - they can beat the best, and on this occasion, they were just the width of a post away from doing so.
Portugal: Pereira; Borges, Costa (booked, 56), Gomes (booked, 72); Pinto, Dolores Silva, Norton (Encarnacao, 81), Amado (booked, 85) (Marchao, 89); J. Silva, Nazareth (Jacinto, 62), Diana Silva (Capeta, 89)
USA: Naeher; Fox, Girma (booked, 81), Ertz, Dunn (Ohara, 90); Lavelle (booked, 38), Sullivan, Horan (Sonnett, 84); Williams (Rodman, 84), Morgan (Thompson, 90), Smith (booked, 52) (Rapinoe, 61)
Referee: Rebecca Welch (England)
|