And then it was back to Auckland for the last of the USA's group stage: Portugal. They are first time WWC participants, so this should be an easy win, right? As the reuslts of the knockout stage attest, this would be a very, very bad assumption.
I must have gotten our tickets via USsoccer, because we found ourselves in a midst of more stars, stripes, red, white, and blue than we'd experienced in our previous matches. But, once again -- great seats!.
In fact, a particular bonus is that right behind us, USWNT former greats were doing interviews: Julie Foudy and Joy Fawcett. And then Shannon Boxx (along with an adorable small Boxx) popped by. I'm guessing USsoccer had a box nearby. I tried to snap a sneaky pic of Julie and Joy
Then the game started. The US opened looking quite a bit different from their game against the Netherlands -- there was a constant, almost frantic, pressure towards the front. While I was excited to see a more attacking posture (and they did, indeed look threatening at times), the team play was not what I've come to expect from USWNT. It felt like players had absolutely no idea where any of their teammates were. There were a few outstanding solo performances: Starting Lavalle made a huge difference -- her speed, creativity, and ability to snatch balls away from opponents set a much different tenor for the game than either of the previous matches. While Lynn Williams started in place of Trinity Rodman, she did not have the same kind of impact, although my suspicion is that she could have done more if there had been more team-play on the field.
Understanding what was plaguing the US, Portugal filled up the midfield, which meant that the US had a difficult time playing through it and setting up strong attacks. It was incredibly effective. For the second game in a row, the US was losing the possession battle; meanwhile the Netherlands were running up the score against Vietnam, dashing all hope of the US topping their group. It's interesting to examine the passing statistics for the game: Approaching halftime, Portugal pass accuracy was at 75% compared to the US's of 64%. More interesting to me: I had no criticism for Crystal Dunn's play, but many did -- she and Girma had 75% and 76% passing accuracy, respectively; no one else was above 75% and Horan was way down at 44%. If you can't pass to your teammates, it's very difficult to move the ball.
Then, in minute 39, devastation! No, it wasn't a Portugal goal, but on a terrible call (someone was able to show the replays on their phone since you don't see replays in the stadium, at least not at Eden Park), Lavalle picked up a second yellow card. This means that she will be out in the round-of-16, assuming that the US advances (which appears a big assumption at this point in the game). So, at halftime, it's a 0-0 game; Portugal is looking the better team; US big names are not doing big things; and things are just not looking good for the red, white, and blue.
The second half continued much in the way of the first. The US still looks dangerous on set pieces, but they failed to convert several just-outside-the-box attempts. Just after the 60th minute, Andonovski makes a single substitution: Rapinoe comes in for Sophia Smith. While Rapinoe and Horan exhibit better on-field chemistry that I'd seen through the game so far, it's too little. They can work the ball up the left side, but not much happens once the cross goes in. At this point, there is no hope for the US to catch the Dutch in goal differential, so technically a tie is as good as a win. Thus, there is no US panic, but there is no US excitement either. Portugal, on the other hand, has everything to gain with a win -- that's where we see some excitement and creativity; it rightly terrifies every American fan in the stadium.
At minute 84, Horan and Willams come off while Rodman and Sonnett come in. The game goes into its 7 minutes of extra time, and almost immediately Portugal sneaks into the US third; Ana Capeta drills a shot that completely beats Naeher, and the US is saved by ... the goal post. That was definitely the US's twelfth player on the field. The USA fails to convert opportunities in the box and Portugal continues to attack. I'm pretty sure every fan in the stadium was just waiting for the whistle. And indeed, when it blew, the score sat at a most uncomfortable 0-0.
It was not the beautiful game.
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