Coming off a 3-0 win over Vietnam to open the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and a spirited 1-1 draw against the Netherlands in the second game of group play, the U.S. Women’s National Team will close out Group E on August 1, taking on Portugal at Eden Park in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau (7 p.m. NZT/3 am. ET) on FOX, Telemundo and Peacock).
While the teams have met ten times previously, the all-important group stage finale will be the first matchup ever between the USA and Portugal at the Women’s World Cup as Portugal is one of eight nations making its World Cup debut at this year’s tournament.
Get set for the USA’s final match of Group E with Five Things To Know about Portugal.
LAST TIME OUT
Portugal picked up its first ever win and first ever shutout at the FIFA Women’s World Cup on Thursday evening, beating Vietnam 2-0 in Hamilton/Kirikiriroa.
After falling to the Netherlands 1-0 to open the tournament, the Portuguese put together an impressive performance from the opening whistle against Vietnam and scored just seven minutes into the match when Telma Encarnacao made history by scoring Portugal’s first Women’s World Cup goal. The 21-year-old forward one-timed a half-volley into the back of the net from seven yards out to give the Portuguese a 1-0 lead. Portugal doubled its advantaged in the 21st minute as 20-year-old midfielder Kika Nazareth buried her right-footed attempt hard and low into the bottom left corner.
Portugal outshot Vietnam 28-6 on the day, including a 9-1 advantage in shots on goal. The victory made the Portuguese the second newcomer to record a victory at the 2023 World Cup, following in the footsteps of the Philippines, who downed co-hosts New Zealand 1-0 in their second group stage game.
STAGE IS SET
With three points secured against Vietnam, Portugal still remain in contention for a spot in the knockout rounds heading into the third and final day of group stage play.
Heading into Tuesday’s matchup, the USA leads Group E, tied with the Netherlands on four points but with an advantage over the Dutch on goal differential (USA +3, NED +1). Portugal has three points while Vietnam is eliminated from contention in the knockout rounds with zero points.
To advance to the Round of 16, Portugal would need to either beat the USA, or tie the USA and have Vietnam beat the Netherlands. The Netherlands and Vietnam will square off in Dunedin/Ōtepoti with a simultaneous kickoff to Portugal vs. USA in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau (7 p.m. NZT/3 am. ET).
The last time a team advanced out of the group stage in its World Cup debut was 2015 when the Netherlands, Switzerland and Cameroon all reached the Round of 16 in their first trip to the Women’s World Cup.
ROAD TO DOWN UNDER
The penultimate team to earn a berth to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Portugal qualified for its first ever FIFA Women’s World Cup by defeating Cameroon 2-1 to win Group A in the FIFA Inter-Confederation Playoffs on February 22, 2023. Portugal received a semifinal bye in the Inter-Confederation Playoff, which was hosted in New Zealand, and punched its ticket to it first Women’s World Cup when defender Carole Costa converted a penalty kick in second-half stoppage time to break a 1-1 deadlock with Cameroon.
Portugal qualified for the Inter-Confederation Playoff by way of the UEFA Playoffs, finishing with the fewest points of the three UEFA Playoff group winners, just one point behind the Republic of Ireland (20 points) and two back of Switzerland (22 points), both of whom advanced through to the final tournament after winning their respective playoffs.
Portugal finished second in UEFA Qualifying Group H, earning 22 points in its 10 qualifying group games (7W-1D-2L). Portugal tied Serbia in the opening match of qualification and lost both matchups against eventual group champion Germany, 3-1 in November of 2021 and 3-0 in April of 2022.
By virtue of its second-place finish in the group, Portugal then advanced to the UEFA Playoffs, where it defeated Belgium in Round 1 by a score of 2-1 and prevailed 4-1 in an extra-time thriller against Iceland in Round 2.
INSIDE THE ROSTER
Head coach Francisco Neto, who has served as head coach of the Portuguese Women’s National Team since 2014 and helped Portugal qualifying for its first ever UEFA Women’s Championship in 2017, has selected a 23-player roster comprised primarily of players who play their club soccer in Portugal.
Of the 18 players on this roster who play domestically, nine play for reigning league champions SL Benfica, five play for runners-up Sporting CP, three play for SC Braga and one for CS Maritimo. Of the five players competing outside the country, three play in Spain and the remaining two compete in Italy and Switzerland.
Defender Ana Borges is the most-capped player on this roster with 161 international appearances. Six other players on this roster have 100 or more caps – Carole Costa (154 caps), Dolores Silva (151), Silvia Rebelo (124), Carolina Mendes (116), Jessica Silva (104) and Tatiana Pinto (104). Mendes is the top scorer on this roster with 23 career international goals followed by Diana Silva, who has 20 goals in her 96 international appearances.
PORTUGAL WOMEN’S WORLD CUP ROSTER BY POSITION
Goalkeepers (3): 1-Ines Pereira (Servette FC Chênois, SUI), 12-Patricia Morais (SC Braga), 22-Rute Costa (SL Benfica)
Defenders (8): 2-Catarina Amado (SL Benfica), 3-Lucia Alves (SL Benfica), 4-Silvia Rebelo (SL Benfica), 5-Joana Marchao (Parma FC, ITA), 9-Ana Borges (Sporting CP ), 15-Carole Costa (SL Benfica), 17-Ana Seica (SL Benfica), 19-Diana Gomes (Sevilla, ESP)
Midfielders (6): 6-Andreia Jacinto (Real Sociedad, ESP), 7-Ana Rute (SC Braga ), 8-Andreia Norton (SL Benfica), 11-Tatiana Pinto (Levante, ESP), 13-Fatima Pinto (Sporting CP), 14-Dolores Silva (SC Braga)
Forwards (6): 10-Jessica Silva (SL Benfica), 16-Diana Silva (Sporting CP ), 18-Carolina Mendes (Sporting CP), 20-Kika Nazareth (SL Benfica), 21-Ana Capeta (Sporting CP), 23-Telma Encarnacao (CS Maritimo)
SERIES HISTORY: USA vs. PORTUGAL
The August 1 matchup in Auckland will be the 11th meeting all-time between the USA and Portugal and the fifth in the last six years. The U.S. has won all 10 previous meetings and has outscored the Portuguese 39-0 overall in the series, though two of the last four meetings have been decided by a single goal.
The USA and Portugal played most recently on June 10, 2021, in Houston, Texas, which resulted in a 1-0 win for the USA behind a 76th-minute header from Samantha Mewis. While the USA didn’t get on board until late in the second half, the Americans dominated on both ends of the pitch, outshooting Portugal 26-4, serving in 32 open play crosses and racking up 15 corner kicks.
Prior to that, the USA and Portugal played twice following the 2019 World Cup, a 4-0 win for the Americans in Philadelphia and a 3-0 victory in Minnesota.
Four of the previous 10 meetings between the teams took place at the Algarve Cup in Portugal. Lindsey Horan made her debut for the USWNT at the 2013 Algarve Cup, earning her first cap against China PR.
Emily Fox earned her first cap for the USWNT against Portugal in November of 2018, starting against the Portuguese in a 1-0 victory for the Americans in Estoril, Portugal.