The sound of USWNT's advancement to the knockout stage of the Women's World Cup wasn't signified with raucous cheers, but a loud clank.
Team USA snuck through Group E in second place behind the Netherlands following a disappointing 0-0 draw vs. Portugal early Tuesday. The USWNT went 1-0-2 in group match play, marking the first time in World Cup history it won only one game in the group stage.
But even that is preferable to the alternative that nearly became reality late in the contest vs. Portugal: Ana Capeta received a long pass and fired from within the U.S.'s box in the first minute of stoppage time, with goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher nowhere near close enough to make a save.
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What could have been the deciding goal — and ultimate eliminator of Team USA — instead bounced harmlessly off the goal post, allowing the USWNT to advance to the knockout stage:
Portugal Off The Post. In added time. Nearly bounce USWNT from the World Cup in the group stage. 🇺🇸🇵🇹pic.twitter.com/NsRSYdE167
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) August 1, 2023
"It was a beautiful sound to hear it hit the post, that's for sure," Naeher told reporters after (via ESPN). "But that's something we talked about — we knew they were good on the counterattack and they like to get in behind."
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Below is a closer look at just how close Capeta's strike was to ending the USWNT's hopes of a World Cup three-peat:
Portugal hits the post in stoppage time 😱 pic.twitter.com/PooU3ejT66
— ESPN (@espn) August 1, 2023
With that, the USWNT will almost certainly play Sweden — the top team of Group G heading into the final group match day — in the knockout stage's Round of 16. The Swedes have beaten their two opponents by a combined score of 7-1, topping South Africa 2-1 and second-place Italy 5-0.
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In comparison, the USWNT has scored only four goals in its three matches, three of which came in a 3-0 trouncing of World Cup-debuting Vietnam. Striker Alex Morgan acknowledged it wasn't the result Team USA wanted, but added this is still a team capable of winning the World Cup — assuming they put it all together on the field.
"I know this team and I know what we're capable of, and just because it hasn't clicked every moment on the field and we're not putting the goals in the back of the net doesn't mean these aren't the right players for the job," Morgan said (via ESPN). "The confidence is there and now we just have to prove it out on the field."
