The U.S. women's national team will wrap up their World Cup group stage with a high-stakes match against Portugal on Tuesday and have plenty to prove with a spot in the round of 16 on the line. Kickoff is set for 3 a.m. ET.
Head coach Vlatko Andonovski said he is not looking past this game despite the odds being in the USWNT's favor as the knockout stage nears.
"For us, the most important thing is getting into the knockout stage, first and foremost," he said, per ESPN. "We don't want to look two, three, four steps forward. It's the first step. Let's make sure that we get into the next stage. If we start thinking too far ahead our chance may never come."
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The USWNT are searching for their best form up top and have yet to put together a complete performance Down Under. Chatter from the outside world is not impacting the team much, though; Andonovski said the USWNT is in a "bubble" and is not concerned with the discourse. The head coach also feels familiar with the pressures of the job nearly four years into it and relishes it.
"The moment I sat in this chair in 2019 -- is when the pressure starts," he said. "The only thing that changed from 2019 to now is I just learned how to turn the pressure into excitement. I came into this World Cup not thinking, 'Oh my gosh' -- it's, 'We're having a chance to compete for a title.'"
Here's what to keep an eye on as the USWNT officially enter the business end of the tournament.
1. A strong start
Setting the tone and taking command of the match and the scoresheet early is no doubt the best-case scenario for the USWNT. It will likely require Andonovski to start his best team and address the attacking issues that have plagued them so far this tournament. All eyes will be on the lineup to see if Andonovski makes personnel changes after starting identical groups for the first two group stage matches.
It remains unclear if Rose Lavelle will be fit enough for a start on Tuesday -- Andonvoski indicated that she was only ready for a 45-minute shift against the Dutch. Lynn Williams is likely a contender if the USWNT coaching staff chooses to change things against Portugal, a player who was "top of mind" when Andonvoski considered substitutes against the Netherlands. The in-form forward has yet to play a minute at this World Cup and seems like the most obvious option as the Americans focus on fixing a misfiring attack.
Whatever Andonovski and his staff decide, Tuesday's lineup will likely provide plenty of clues about the USWNT's first-choice lineup moving forward in the tournament, should they advance.
2. Boosts from the bench
Andonovski probably will not live down his head-scratching decision to make just one substitute against the Netherlands until he corrects course, and the match against Portugal should provide an opportunity to do so. Just to end the discourse, Megan Rapinoe argued the bench is a "huge asset" for the USWNT as they eye a three-peat and sang the praises of both the starters and the substitutes against the Netherlands.
"I think I could've helped but I think Lynn could've helped and I think Trinity [Rodman] was helping and I think [Sophia Smith] was helping and we had chances and it was right there for us," she said. "They were giving everything and still creating chances up till the very end."
However Andonovski chooses to line up against Portugal, it will be imperative to get some substitutes involved regardless of the game state. Even if the changes are made to afford some players rest, ensuring important substitutes receive game time will allow the USWNT coaching staff to examine how well those players can help solve problems -- and could also open up the door for bench players to play themselves into the lineup in the knockout rounds.
3. Remembering the good things
On the flip side, Andonovski's lineup choices against Portugal are poised to signal a vote of confidence in players who retain their starting roles for a third successive match. That may be good news for the back line, which has conceded just one shot on goal in two games.
The quartet of Emily Fox, Julie Ertz, Naomi Girma and Crystal Dunn has only played together twice, but these players have mostly passed the tests in front of them so far and continue to make their case as the USWNT's first choice as the must-win matches come thick and fast. The defense has also built a solid foundation for the USWNT attack to do its thing, and despite the offensive inconsistencies, there have been some successes going forward.
The team has not been as clinical in front of goal as many expected, but they have recorded a chunk of shots in both group-stage matches so far -- the Americans had 18 shots (three on target) against the Dutch and 27 against Vietnam (six on target). That figure is especially impressive against the Netherlands, considering the opponents dominated in possession and clogged the midfield after going ahead in the 17th minute.
The USWNT found their way back into the game and, unlike a handful of other contenders for the title, have avoided being on the wrong side of an upset despite their struggles. At a surprise-filled World Cup, that's not such a bad thing.
