The USWNT looked uncharacteristically weak and disorganized in a tough 2-1 loss against Portugal on Thursday in Pennsylvania. It was the team’s third loss of the year, and their first ever loss to Portugal.
The team struggled to maintain possession and get shots on net. Although they went up early in the first minute of the game thanks to a goal by Rose Lavelle, they conceded twice off of set pieces in the 41st and 72nd minutes.
“I still didn’t think we got a grip of the game. I thought defensively, from the front to back, we just mistimed everything,” said coach Emma Hayes.
The match is the first of three USWNT matches in the October international break, and the team’s first match since playing Canada in July. The team’s next game is also against Portugal, on Sunday, October 26th.
The match was a retirement game for USWNT legend Alex Morgan, who retired last fall after 224 caps and 124 international goals.
Coach Emma Hayes said the entire team had a poor performance
The USWNT looked disorganized and weak throughout the match. At times, they struggled to keep possession. In the second half, they were getting into the box more often, but failed to create good chances or get off shots on target.
The USWNT had only five shots on target to Portugal’s four. The U.S. had 1.63 expected goals, while Portugal had 0.85.
“The reality is, it’s not good enough,” said Hayes. “From the team, not any individual. I thought the team was poor tonight, and I said that to the players afterward.”
USWNT needs to practice defending against set pieces
The USWNT struggled to defend against set pieces, specifically corner kicks, and conceded both goals off of corners.
Portugal’s first goal was a neat header by Diana Gomes, who shook off defenders to get on the end of a corner kick by Kika Nazareth. Their second goal came from Fatíma Pinto, who received the ball and got around defenders to place a shot into the lower right corner of the goal.
Defending against corner kicks is something the team will need to work on leading up to the 2027 World Cup.
Roster solidifies in run-up to 2027 World Cup
With less than two years left until the 2027 World Cup, the USWNT’s roster options are narrowing down. Going forward, the team will focus less on bringing in new players and more on preparing the current squad for the tournament.
Hayes said that Tullis-Joyce, who played as goalkeeper in the Portugal match, was the current favorite to be the team’s starting keeper.
However, Hayes also emphasized the importance of the U-23 camp training alongside the senior USWNT, and said that players may rotate from U-23 to the senior team and vice versa. After the match, the team announced that Eva Gaetino would move from the U-23 camp to the senior camp to fill the spot left open by Trinity Rodman.
Alex Morgan’s legacy lives on
While the match’s results were less than ideal, fans still turned out to celebrate USWNT legend Alex Morgan at her retirement game.
The game was full of celebrations for Morgan; at a ceremony before the game, U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone and CEO JT Batson presented the legendary forward with flowers and a framed jersey.
Many former teammates also turned out to support her, including Abby Wambach, Megan Rapinoe, Ali Krieger, and Kelley O’Hara.
Morgan’s retirement game took place at the same stadium where she scored her first ever USWNT goal fifteen years ago, in a friendly against China in 2010.
USWNT will get another chance against Portugal in three days
The USWNT will again face off against Portugal in East Hartford, Connecticut on Sunday. The game kicks off at 4:00 ET. This match will honor another recently retired USWNT legend, longtime goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.
Hayes said she was glad the team has another opportunity to play Portugal in a few days, but emphasized she cares more about the performance than the result.
“We got another one in a few days,” she said. “Thank goodness, because it gives us an opportunity to rectify the performance—not the result, the performance.”
