The historically untouchable US Women's National Team came within literal inches of its earliest-ever World Cup exit
- The US Women's National Team is through to the knockout stage of the World Cup — but just barely.
- The reigning champs advanced with a 0-0 draw vs Portugal, but the European side nearly stole a win.
Only a goalpost stood between the US Women's National Team and its earliest-ever World Cup exit.
The two-time reigning champions settled for a scoreless draw against Portugal Tuesday in their final group stage match of the 2023 World Cup, which is being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. They needed a win or a tie to advance, but instead of racking up goals in an attempt to steal the group's top spot from the Netherlands, the Americans found themselves struggling to stave off elimination.
And in the final minutes, the USWNT came within literal inches of a stunning upset that would've led FIFA's top-ranked team to its first group-stage exit in program history.
In stoppage time of Tuesday's matchup Down Under, one of Portugal's defenders cleared the ball well past the center line. Forward Telma Encarnação managed to get a head on it, nodding a pass upfield between two US defenders.
Striker Ana Capeta used a back-door run to catch up to the ball, then took a touch into the 18-yard box as the Americans played chase. She fired off a low, hard strike with her right foot that rocketed under the outstretched arms of USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.
For the briefest of seconds, the Portuguese looked to have done the impossible: take down the mighty Stars and Stripes. Instead, the ball ricocheted off of the goalpost with a pang that broke hearts on the Iberian Peninsula and prompted sighs of relief thousands of miles across the Atlantic.
Had Capeta's shot skidded a few inches to the left and found its way into the back of the net, Portugal would have leapfrogged the US for a spot in the knockout stage for the first time in team history. Instead, Capeta and company are headed home while the Americans move on to a daunting potential matchup against rival Sweden.
The USWNT's first match of the knockout round is scheduled for Sunday at 5 a.m. ET (7 p.m. local time) in Melbourne. Fans stateside can tune in to watch the action unfold on FOX.