USA ties with Portugal in final Women’s World Cup match: Highlights

Star U.S. forward Alex Morgan spoke after the game.

“It is tough to be second, we wanted to go through first. This team gave everything. We just couldn’t put the ball in the beck of the net," Morgan said, according to NBC Sports.

"In the last few minutes we just had to hold it down, get the result and move on. Now we look forward, Morgan added. "It is not the result we wanted but we move forward."

That was close, but the U.S. scrape through their group in second place.

That means they face a long old trek to Melbourne in Australia next up where they will play on Sunday, Aug. 6th at 5 a.m. ET.

Sweden will almost certainly await the U.S. having won their opening two games in their group.

Ranked as the third best team in the world rankings and having won silver at the Olympics in 2021, it certainly will be a much-sterner test than the U.S. would have liked at this stage.

Sweden though will be familiar opposition for the U.S. with the two teams facing each other at every single one of the last five World Cup tournaments — the good news is that the U.S. has never lost to Sweden at the World Cup.

The United States qualifies for the knockouts, but now faces a tough road ahead after a nervy and disappointing tie.

That means the Netherlands finishes top of the group with the U.S. 2nd.

The United States' World Cup hopes are hanging by a thread here, with Portugal hitting the post in stoppage time.

A goal would've sent the U.S. home, but there's till time for the shock.

The U.S. is trying to pile on the pressure late in the game, with just a few minutes remaining to try and get a goal that could see them win the group.

In need of a goal, the U.S. has turned to a legend.

Megan Rapinoe has taken to the field, substituted on for 22-year-old Sophia Smith with just about 30 minutes remaining.

The anticipation has been high for an appearance from the veteran forward, who's playing in her last World Cup.

A break from midfield released Alex Morgan who took it past the Portugal goalkeeper but had to stretch and saw her effort blocked by a defender in front of the net.

The resulting corner came to nothing but that was a more positive sign from the U.S.

FIFA says ticket sales for the Women’s World Cup have reached 1.678 million over the first 38 matches of the tournament in Australia and New Zealand.

It said in a statement Tuesday that total attendance across those matches had reached 982,975 and it would surpass the 1 million mark for spectators at Tuesday’s final Group E match between the United States and Portugal at the 50,000-capacity Eden Park stadium at Auckland, New Zealand.

The previous record was around 1.35 million who attended a 52-game tournament in Canada in 2015. The 2023 edition has been expanded to 32 teams and will include 64 matches.

The opening games on July 20 set records for women’s soccer matches in both co-host countries. The crowd at New Zealand’s upset win over Norway set a new national mark of 42,137. Australia’s 1-0 over Ireland later that day attracted 75,784 at Stadium Australia. A week later, more than 49,000 people attended the Matildas’ upset 3-2 loss to Nigeria in Brisbane.

We have kicked off the second half in Auckland, with the U.S. searching for improvement and a goal against Portugal.

An outstanding half for the Netherlands has seen the U.S. rival take a 5-0 lead against Vietnam at half time in the other Group E game.

At this point, the Netherlands is on track to win the group, with the U.S. currently in position to advance in second place and face a tough opponent in the next round.

The parents of late Stanford goalkeeper Katie Meyer are, like millions of other Americans, passionately cheering on the U.S. women’s soccer team at the World Cup.

But few are doing so with the same amount of conflicting joy and sadness as Steve and Gina Meyer.

It’s been a little more than 16 months since the couple’s daughter died of suicide, so it’s been an emotional roller coaster watching the Americans play on this world stage.

“It’s a mix,” father Steve Meyer told NBC News on Monday ahead of the match. “We miss her dearly and there’s a real sadness that she’s not with us, that she’s not there with them cheering them on. She would’ve been there one way or another. But there’s also some happiness and joy, through her former teammates there, we see her spirit living on.”

Read the full story here.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — U.S. fans at Eden Park showed strong support for the women's team, with many traveling to Auckland, New Zealand, to cheer them on.

But the match has led some to also voice growing frustration, with boos heard ringing out from the stands after the referee showed Rose Lavelle her second yellow card of the tournament.

By half time, some in the crowd appeared a bit stunned by the lackluster U.S. performance so far.

That's half time after a frustrating first 45 minutes for the U.S. finished with a good effort from Lynn Williams inside the box.

Neither side has created very much but Portugal will surely feel better about how things have gone so far. Can the U.S. change things and improve after the break?

U.S. midfielder Rose Lavelle has been shown a yellow card after taking out an opponent in midfield.

It means she'll have to walk a tightrope for the remainder of this game but also that she will now be suspended and will miss the next match assuming the U.S. advances.

That could be a big blow for the team.

The Netherlands is already leading 3-0 against Vietnam in the other Group E game.

With the U.S. still tied against Portugal, that means as it stands the Netherlands would win the group with the U.S. advancing but in second place.

That would leave the U.S. facing a tougher opponent in the next round.

Portugal has settled into the game well after a strong start from the U.S. and just came close to scoring.

A pass in behind the U.S. defense led to a shot across Alyssa Naeher's goal. The U.S. won't be feeling so great about these opening 20 minutes.

In the 10 times they have faced off, Portugal has never bested Team USA.

In fact, Portugal has never scored against the U.S.

Overall, the U.S. has outscored Portugal 39-0, but two of the last four outings have been decided by only one goal.

Their last meeting was in 2021 in Houston, when the U.S. came out on top 1-0, thanks to a 76th-minute goal from Samantha Mewis.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — The U.S. has started well, winning an early corner off a cut back to Alex Morgan and already having a couple efforts on goal.

We are underway in Eden Park with the USWNT looking to seal a place in the knockouts.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — The excitement was growing as fans gathered at Eden Park ahead of kickoff.

“Definitely gotta bring these potstickers to U.S. women’s soccer games!” said Kennedy Stomps, center, with Krista Jimenez and Wilson Griffith.

Sabrina Justen and Dan Bagnall, who live in Auckland, show their support for the women's national team. Sabrina, a Colorado native, is a former pro footballer. “This is a magical experience to see the sport come so far. I cried!”

By U.S. summertime standards, it’ll be a cold evening in Auckland when the Americans and Portuguese kick off in their Group E finale at Eden Park.

It’s expected to be about 55 degrees with some wind, and gusts up to around 20 mph, that’ll make the air feel closer to 51 degrees.

Rose Lavelle will start today after entering as a substitute in the first two games of the tournament, while Lynn Williams also enters the lineup in place of Trinity Rodman.

Portugal could use a swarming defense to try to prevent the United States from scoring the way Vietnam — unsuccessfully — played the Americans in the opener.

Portugal defender Ana Borges said her team will be prepared.

“This is the stage where we want to be. It’s against these teams that we want to play because we’re going to learn and grow from them,” Borges said. “Not saying anything about the other team, but if we weren’t prepared for this challenge, we wouldn’t be playing football.”

Portugal enters the match as a decided underdog against the Americans, despite posting scores similar to the U.S. so far this tournament. 

Portugal lost, 1-0, to the Netherlands and beat Vietnam, 2-0, in results nearly mirroring the Americans’ 1-1 draw and 3-0 win over those same opponents.

The U.S. needs to at least draw against Portugal to move on to the knockout stage and perhaps keep alive a streak nearly as remarkable as its back-to-back World Cup titles.

The Americans have played into the final weekend of every World Cup since the tournament launched in 1991.

When the United States isn’t winning it all (as it did in 1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019), it's been in up to the end. The United States fell to Japan in penalties in the 2011 title match and lost in the semifinals before bouncing back to win third-place matches in 1995, 2003 and 2007.

That 2007 tournament was best known for the Americans’ surprising benching of goalkeeper Hope Solo for the semifinal match vs. Brazil, a move that had drastic ripple effects.

In its final match of group play, Team USA will take on Portugal.

When: 3 a.m. ET Tuesday, 7 p.m. local time

Where: Eden Park, New Zealand’s national stadium, in Auckland.

How to watch: Watch the action on Fox, Telemundo and Peacock.