Key occasions
Portugal staff information: six modifications from Vietnam victory
Francisco Neto has modified greater than half the staff that beat Vietnam 2-0 on Thursday.
In Ines Pereira, Diana Gomes, Catarina Amado, Andreia Norton, Dolores Silva, Diana Silva.
Out Patricia Morais, Ana Seica, Lucia Alves, Andreia Jacinto, Joana Marchao, Telma Encarnacao.
Portugal (attainable 3-4-1-2) Pereira; Borges, C Costa, D Gomes; T Pinto, Norton, D Silva, Amada; Nazareth; J Silva, D Silva.
Substitutes: Morais, R Costa, Alves, Rebelo, Marchao, Jacinto, Rute, F Pinto, Seica, Mendes, Capeta, Encarnacao.
USA staff information: Lavelle and Williams begin
The US make two modifications from the draw with the Netherlands. Lynn Williams and Rose Lavelle substitute Savannah DeMelo and Trinity Rodman. It’s Lavelle’s first begin of this World Cup; she has been eased into the match by Vlatko Andonovski as she recovers from a knee damage.
We’ll have the Portugal staff information shortly.
USA (attainable 4-2-1-3) Naeher; Fox, Ertz, Girma, Dunn; Sullivan, Horan; Lavelle; Williams, Morgan, Smith.
Substitutes: DeMelo, Rodman, Sanchez, Huerta, O’Hara, Thompson, Prepare dinner, Sonnett, Rapinoe, Murphy, Kingsbury, Mewis.
Preamble
Hey and welcome … to dwell, minute-by-minute(ish) protection of Portugal v USA in Auckland. Life is binary as of late, and there are broadly two methods right this moment’s match can go. Both the USA will proceed to the final 16 as anticipated, or Portugal will trigger one of many biggest earthquakes within the historical past of the ladies’s soccer.
Assuming the Netherlands beat Vietnam within the different Group E sport, it is a straight shootout for a final 16 place: Portugal want a win, the USA will undergo with a draw.
The USA have by no means failed to achieve the semi-finals of a World Cup, by no means thoughts the final 16. They’re chasing a 3rd consecutive World Cup win and a fifth general. A defeat right this moment can be totally with out precedent.
Realistically they need to have an excessive amount of for Portugal; they’ve gained all ten conferences between the edges, scoring 39 and conceding none. If that’s the case, the USA will then grow to be concerned in a shootout with the Netherlands to resolve who wins Group E. It gained’t be confirmed till tomorrow, however the chances are high that the runners-up will meet Sweden within the final 16, with the winners going through both Italy or South Africa.
The group winners might additionally face Spain in a mouthwatering quarter-final. However we’re getting forward of ourselves now. Earlier than we will speak about tomorrow, there’s reasonably necessary enterprise to take care of.
Kick off 7pm in Auckland, 3am EST, 8am BST.
Rob will likely be right here shortly, within the meantime right here’s Jeff Kassouf with a preview of right this moment’s match:
4 years in the past, the US steamrolled their method via the Girls’s World Cup, scoring within the opening 12 minutes of their first six video games on their march to a second straight title.
Their begin to the 2023 World Cup has been much less dominant. A 3-0 victory over Vietnam of their opener was passable for a brand-new beginning 11, even when they had been wasteful in entrance of purpose. Then got here a horrendous first-half in opposition to the Netherlands. USA captain Lindsey Horan ultimately salvaged a degree for her staff in opposition to the Dutch, however the temper was considered one of disappointment not solely on the end result, but in addition the efficiency.
Now the People are in unfamiliar territory: they need to choose up at the very least a degree in opposition to Portugal on Tuesday in Auckland to safe passage to the knockout spherical. They’re heavy favorites to win the sport, however their performances to date have solely raised additional questions of a staff that has not regarded this uncertain of itself in a very long time.
“I believe being on the US ladies’s nationwide staff sort of all the time looks like this,” stated Megan Rapinoe, who’s taking part in in her fourth and last World Cup. “When was the final time anyone wrote a headline that was like: ‘They performed the most effective sport and that’s precisely what we had been anticipating them to’? No. If you’re on the high, you’re all the time trying to get higher.”
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