The USWNT, having never conceded in 11 previous all-time matches against Portugal, were stunned by a pair of set pieces in 2-1 loss
There was no masking the frustration. Speaking moments after her team's shocking 2-1 loss to Portugal – a team that have never beaten or even scored a goal in 11 previous all-time matches against the USWNT – manager Emma Hayes was notably irritated. She had reasons to be. The U.S. had lost in her tenure twice before, to high-caliber teams, Brazil and Japan.
They had not, however, lost in the way they did Thursday night.
"Sometimes, as a coach in this position, it feels like whack-a-mole," Hayes told TNT. "I aged 113 years on the touchline. It’s frustrating… What am I telling them for the next game? Let’s get our fundamentals right. We can’t score at the start of the game and be on back foot afterwards… We scored a goal, and we stopped playing. If the Under-23s were watching, we’ve worked on our principles and plays and if they’ve watched that tonight, they’d wonder what ours were?
"We didn’t look like a team the whole evening, on both sides of the ball. We didn’t press together, we didn’t possess together, it felt like a yard off in our brain. I could see that.”
After netting just 33 seconds into the match on a finish from Rose Lavelle, the USWNT, in Hayes' eyes, switched off. That can happen. The problem was that they never switched back on, giving up two inexcusable set-piece goals to a Portugal team that had, coming into the game, gone winless in their last eight matches.
And while much of the credit goes to Portugal for standing firm against the defending Olympic gold medalists, Hayes and the USWNT – which hadn't played since July, and bore the rust to prove it – are rightly looking in the mirror after something of a wakeup call.
"We can use that as an excuse, but I think that’s a cop out," midfielder Sam Coffey told TNT, referring to the long layoff. "We’re too good for that and ultimately, tonight was just not acceptable. It was not our standard. I think we were really individual. There’s a lot of weight that comes with wearing this jersey, and that’s the way – we take it so seriously. That’s the best responsibility in the world and I don’t think we did a good enough job honoring that tonight.
"With that being said, it's a bump in the road. And I know this team and we have to respond now in the best way possible."
That response will have to come on Sunday, when these same two teams meet again in East Hartford, Connecticut. It's clear that Hayes will expect something much different.
"I am frustrated," the USWNT boss said. "I have to do my job. I’m in this team, too. I am responsible. It’s my job to pick us up and demand the best from us.”
GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from Subaru Park.
Getty ImagesLOSER: Set pieces
So often, particularly in the modern game, set pieces make all the difference. They create moments of chaos and, ultimately, goals. Teams feast on those dead-ball moments. On Thursday, the USWNT were undone by them.
Both goals that the U.S. conceded came from set-piece situations, giving Hayes a very easy talking point after her game. Given the USWNT's talent, set pieces will often be the best way for teams to get the upper hand. That proved true in this game as the U.S. were unable to clear their lines twice.
Now, would having the injured Naomi Girma organizing help in these moments? Surely, but it's not as if the U.S. was lacking experience in this team. That's not to say that Portugal didn't earn it, mind you. They did, to their credit, play with the USWNT, unlike many other teams. The goals weren't good fortune and they weren't just USNWT mistakes; they were deserved.
That doesn't mean the U.S. doesn't need to clean up those types of moments, and they'll be frustrated to have conceded two very preventable goals.
"Disappointment is the word," Coffey told TNT after the match. "Conceding on two set pieces? We pride ourselves on defensive set pieces and we did not live up to that standard tonight."
AdvertisementGetty ImagesWINNER: Portugal
Portugal didn't arrive at Subaru Park with any sort of good form. They'd won just one of their prior 10 matches, losing to Spain and England by heavy margins this summer. They also had never beaten the USWNT. So, heading into this friendly, they seemed to be set up as a good old-fashioned confidence booster for a young U.S. group still building.
Apparently no one told Portugal, though, as they came out determined to play with the USWNT. And play they did, maintaining their share of possession while, ultimately, cashing in on the chances that decided the game.
Credit to head coach Francsco Neto, who had his team ready to play. Were they physical? Yes, and a bit too physical at certain points, to be fair. That didn't matter to Portugal, though, as they set a tone and kept a pace that the USWNT struggled to match. The U.S. had a few moments, sure, but not nearly enough. Some of that is due to sloppiness. Some of that, too, is due to Portugal.
Good luck to them, though, as they look ahead to Sunday's rematch. It seems unlikely that this Portugal team can get the USWNT twice. But with this win already in their back pocket, they plenty of reason to believe going forward.
Getty ImagesLOSER: Trinity Rodman
Rodman was, as originally planned, in attendance on Thursday. The problem? She was watching on in street clothes, not causing chaos down the right-hand side.
Despite her recent knee injury, Rodman was in the building for the match as part of the celebrations for her former teammate Alex Morgan. It was, for sure, bittersweet. On one hand, it was good to see Rodman back after several months away from the team with a back injury. On the other hand, it was a unfortunate that her return didn't allow her to play as Hayes had originally outlined.
"Obviously not ideal. I wanted to be playing in this camp," Rodman said in pregame, "but, I mean, this is amazing to be able to come to this game, to be able to support the girls. I'm always grateful, and always want to be in it, even when I, like, can't be playing. So, yeah, I'm happy and all smiles for the most part.
"I've been to one camp this year, so that sucks. Like, I was just bored. But yeah, it's important to support, even when I'm injured and, also, with so much change happening with the national team, I think just to be able to watch and to interact with them as much as I can at this stage is important."
The USWNT could have used Rodman in the loss. Rodman, surely, would have wanted to help. The U.S. could certainly use her presence on and off the field.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Alex Morgan
It's not that anyone needed a reminder of Morgan's impact, but it was nice to get one anyway. The scenes before the opening whistle said it all: fans wearing shirts bearing her name, teammates reunited and smiling in her honor and, perhaps most notably to her, her family in attendance to share this moment.
Oh, and her own USWNT bobblehead.
"I just have so many incredible memories with this team. I really grew up with this team," she said pregame. "It’s just really special to run it back one more time."
Morgan was honored as US Soccer celebrated her list of contributions to both the USWNT and the women's game as a whole. That list, of course, goes on and on: trophies, moments, goals and, most importantly, memories. Morgan created them all and, in truth, a pregame ceremony probably isn't even enough to encapsulate her impact on the game.
“I grew up watching her. Every young girl growing up and playing is like, ‘I love Alex Morgan.’ I had a poster of her on my wall," Coffey said. "She’s an incredible player and an incredible person. She's done so much for the women's game. She deserves all the flowers in the world, and it's really exciting to be a part of the game that we get to honor her at.
"She’s like a hero for all of us and is someone that epitomizes what it means to leave something better than you found it.”
Even the frustration from the result couldn't dampen Hayes' enthusiasm when asked about Morgan.
"I mean, she's an icon, and she's done it at the highest level, again and again," Hayes said after the game. "And everybody in the locker room respects her achievements for doing it the highest stage. And just to get a number of caps she had – it was well-earned. That's the thing. You know, playing for this team isn't easy. You've got the expectations to win all of the time. And, you know, I think looking at all Alex has done is a real credit to the work she's put in."
It was nice, then, to see Morgan get her moment.