Women’s World Cup Briefing: A Close Call

Plus: Back From the Edge, U.S. Tries to Focus on What Comes Next

ADVERTISEMENT Aug. 1, 2023, 11:00 a.m. Eastern time Kelley O'Hara applauding fans after the final whistle.Buda Mendes/Getty Images By Andrew Das Kelley O'Hara called the team huddle to order and got right to the point. This part of the World Cup was over, she told her United States teammates in no uncertain terms. They had come to Eden Park to play Portugal with a single objective — to qualify for the knockout round — and they were walking off the field having done precisely that. No, the performance wasn't nearly good enough. No, it did not meet the U.S. team's exacting standard. But the job was done, O'Hara said, and they had no option now but to look ahead. Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan were soon making the same point to reporters under the stadium, and Coach Vlatko Andonovski echoed them in his news conference. There was no disputing the accuracy of their claims: The U.S. will, indeed, move on. It will play someone, probably Sweden, in the round of 16 on Sunday. But this had been yet another unsatisfying performance by the United States, the latest in a recent run of them, and that might have been why their words sounded less like confidence and more like a sales pitch, a way to persuade themselves that their brush with World Cup elimination — avoided only when a late Portuguese shot hit the post and ricocheted out instead of in — had been a close call but nothing more. Maybe the players believe that. Maybe they will buy that sales pitch. Maybe the United States will look back in a few weeks and see Tuesday night as the moment everything turned. They will hope it will have been for the better. But for just a brief moment, they must be wondering if it might yet get worse. Featured Today How Hwee Young/EPA, via Shutterstock   Back From the Edge, U.S. Tries to Focus on What Comes Next A close call against Portugal at the Women's World Cup gave the United States a chance to consider what might have been, and then move past it. Read this story Latest Results Group D FULL TIME Haiti 0 Denmark 2 FULL TIME China PR 1 England 6 Group E FULL TIME Portugal 0 United States 0 FULL TIME Vietnam 0 Netherlands 7 Next Matches Group F WEDNESDAY 6:00 A.M. EASTERN TIME | MELBOURNE RECTANGULAR STADIUM Jamaica Brazil WEDNESDAY 6:00 A.M. EASTERN TIME | SYDNEY FOOTBALL STADIUM Panama France Group G WEDNESDAY 3:00 A.M. EASTERN TIME | WELLINGTON REGIONAL STADIUM South Africa Italy WEDNESDAY 3:00 A.M. EASTERN TIME | WAIKATO STADIUM Argentina Sweden More World Cup Coverage Women's World Cup: U.S. Settles for Draw With Portugal, Knowing It Could Have Been Worse The Americans advanced to the round of 16, dodging a near collapse, and will face a more difficult road with its second-place finish in Group E. The Netherlands finished first by routing Vietnam. A New Era of Soccer Moms Navigates a Rapidly Changing Game Women have long blended motherhood and elite sports. But as soccer expands its support systems, it is also demanding ever more of its players. Women's World Cup: Australia Gets the Victory It Needed Against Canada Sam Kerr stayed on the bench, but Australia did not need her in a 4-0 victory. Japan cruised past Spain, though both had already clinched spots in the round of 16. See more stories Receive alerts about the latest sports news as it happens with the New York Times app. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Women's World Cup Briefing from The New York Times. To stop receiving Women's World Cup Briefing, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018