The 2023 Women’s World Cup is in full swing, and these daily files will give you the latest reporting from around the tournament as well as betting lines, what-to-watch-for information and best reads. Check in with ESPN throughout the tournament as we bring you the latest from Australia and New Zealand.
The lead: USWNT advances by the width of a post
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — The U.S. women’s national team was inches away from seeing their Women’s World Cup end in catastrophe — until the loud clank of the ball hitting the post.
With the USWNT facing elimination with a loss to Portugal and the score tied 0-0 in stoppage time, Portugal’s Ana Capeta got onto the end of a long lofted ball and fired from inside the box. USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher dove, but she would never be able to reach it. Instead, the nearside post made the save.
“It was a beautiful sound to hear it hit the post, that’s for sure,” Naeher said afterward. “But that’s something we talked about — we knew they were good on the counterattack and they like to get in behind.”
Naeher gave credit to Girma for tracking Capeta’s run and blocking off the far post, forcing the shot to the near side where it went barely wide. Girma, a centerback, was arguably the USWNT’s best player all night.
– Women’s World Cup: Landing page | Schedule | Rosters | News
– How teams can qualify for the round of 16
Now, with the USWNT finishing second in their group, a date awaits with Sweden in the round of 16. It’s surely a path the USWNT would want to avoid — it was only two years ago that Sweden demolished the USWNT in the Tokyo Olympics.
Striker Alex Morgan said the draw to Portugal was not the performance the USWNT wanted, but the players still have faith.
“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. “The confidence is there and now we just have to prove it out on the field.”
Asked if Sweden will be the favorites heading into the round of 16, Morgan’s response was succinct: “No.”
