The USWNT completed group play at the Women’s World Cup with a 0–0 draw with Portugal by the skin of their teeth, advancing to the knockout stage to continue their run towards an unprecedented third straight World Cup title.
With that said, the USWNT has not looked sharp through three matches. The 3–0 win over Vietnam should have been much more convincing given the talent deficiencies between the two sides, and the last two draws against the Netherlands and Portugal only further emphasized the notion that the U.S. has not played its best soccer.
Portugal had a great chance in stoppage time, when a shot that would have likely won them the match went off the post. The U.S. needed a draw or victory to advance out of group play.
Fox Sports soccer analyst Carli Lloyd, who was a member of the last two teams to win a World Cup for the United States prior to her retirement, blasted her former teammates for their celebration with the fans after the Portugal draw, which came in very disappointing fashion.
“I have never witnessed … and just seeing these images for the first time right now on the desk, I have never witnessed something like that,” Lloyd said. “There’s a difference between being respectful of the fans and saying hello to your family. But to be dancing, smiling? I mean, the player of the match was that post. You are lucky to not be going home right now.”
Fox's Carli Lloyd did not mince words about the USWNT appearing to celebrate their disappointing 0-0 draw with Portugal.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 1, 2023
"To be dancing? To be smiling? The player of the match was that post." pic.twitter.com/QPHCIAoZ1e
Lloyd is right. The United States, which boasts veterans like Julie Ertz, Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe to go along with a plethora of young players, many of whom are making their first World Cup appearances, have not held the standard thus far of teams that Lloyd was a part of in her career.
The U.S. now has no margin for error in the knockout stage. If the Americans don’t bring their A-Game moving forward, an exit sooner rather than later from the tournament should be expected.
The U.S. plays again on Sunday in the Round of 16. Their opponent will be the Group G winner, who is likely to be Sweden.
