Portugal 0-0 USA: World champions USA scrape into last 16

The US person drawn their past 2 games astatine the Women's World Cup

Defending champions the USA suffered a immense scare against Women's World Cup debutants Portugal earlier scraping done to the past 16.

Portugal, who would person caused 1 of the biggest upsets successful the competition's past had they won, deed the station done Ana Capeta successful the 91st minute.

In the extremity the USA were relieved to perceive the full-time whistle, the constituent capable to instrumentality them done arsenic runners-up to the Netherlands, who thrashed Vietnam 7-0.

However, the United States were erstwhile again acold from their champion arsenic they struggled to interruption down a gritty Portugal defence, portion keeper Ines Pereira produced 2 good saves to contradict recalled guardant Lynn Williams.

The world's fig 1 broadside volition present look the winners of Group G, which volition beryllium decided connected Wednesday with Sweden - the past federation to decision the USA successful a 90-minute crippled astatine the World Cup - acceptable to decorativeness apical unless determination is simply a 10-goal swing.

On a bitterly frustrating nighttime for the four-time satellite champions successful Auckland, midfielder Rose Lavelle was booked and volition miss the adjacent crippled aft her 2nd caution of the tournament.

• Reaction and investigation aft USA held by Portugal

USA neglect to impress

The US came into this tourney arsenic blistery favourites to triumph it, but they person failed to impressment successful beforehand of their thousands of travelling fans successful New Zealand.

They decorativeness the radical signifier with 4 points - 2 down the Netherlands - and questions arsenic to wherefore they look a shadiness of the squad that conquered the satellite successful 2015 and 2019.

After missing a big of chances successful their opening 3-0 triumph implicit debutants Vietnam, the US were held by the Netherlands successful a repetition of the last 4 years ago.

Manager Vlatko Andonovski had named the aforesaid starting XI for the archetypal 2 games but opted to made 2 changes arsenic Lavelle, who has recovered from a caller genu injury, started aft coming disconnected the seat to supply the assistance for Lindsey Horan to equalise against the Netherlands.

Forward Williams besides got her archetypal sensation of this World Cup arsenic Savannah DeMelo and Trinity Rodman dropped out.

But the changes failed to animate the US, who failed to people successful a World Cup crippled for the archetypal clip since being held 0-0 by Sweden successful 2015.

Portugal bow retired with heads held high

Portugal, who finished 3rd successful the radical - 1 constituent down the USA - exit the contention with their heads held precocious aft going truthful adjacent to causing an almighty shock.

They played 13 matches - 10 radical games and 3 play-off matches - to scope their archetypal World Cup and lone secured their spot with a 2-1 triumph implicit Cameroon successful February.

Having mislaid narrowly to the Netherlands successful their opening radical game, Francisco Neto's broadside secured a historical archetypal triumph connected the planetary signifier arsenic goals by Telma Encarnacao and breathtaking young endowment Francisca Nazareth defeated Vietnam 2-0.

The information Portugal went into the 3rd radical crippled inactive successful with a accidental of qualifying for the knockout signifier volition beryllium seen arsenic progress.

They were beardown astatine the backmost and speedy connected the break, with Jessica Silva wasting a large accidental successful the archetypal fractional earlier Nazareth went close.

The 4th authoritative had conscionable signalled a minimum of 8 further minutes erstwhile substitute Capeta struck the post.