USWNT Opens October Window With Loss to Portugal
Despite scoring in the opening minute, the U.S. came up short in its first meeting with Portugal.
Thursday saw Emma Hayes and the United States Women’s National Team return to action when they opened the October window with a meeting against Portugal inside Chester, Pennsylvania’s Subaru Park.
Phallon Tullis-Joyce got the start in goal behind the backline of Emily Fox, Tara McKeown, Emily Sonnett, and Avery Patterson. Rose Lavelle, Sam Coffey, and Lindsey Heaps formed the midfield behind the attacking trio of Alyssa Thompson, Catarina Macario, and Michelle Cooper.
It didn’t take long for the U.S. to get its first chance of the evening. After building out of the back, Tullis-Joyce booted a ball downfield that skipped through to an advancing Macario.
Macario darted along the top of the box, but Portugal’s defense forced her to slam the brakes. She attempted to slot the ball to the right flank, but the ball deflected off a Portugal defender and fell right to Lavelle.
Lavelle got onto the deflection, spun toward goal, and unleashed a shot to the right side of the net that evaded the reach of Ines Pereira and crashed into the net to give the United States a 1-0 lead just 33 seconds into the match.
Portugal came close to finding the equalizer in the 25th minute thanks to a free-kick opportunity. After a short pass to restart the game, Lucia Alves whipped a ball into the box from distance that nearly found Catarina Amando. Tullis-Joyce ended the threat as she dove onto it before Armando could capitalize.
The goalkeeper came up big in the 40th minute to keep the clean sheet intact. Some give-and-go passing between Francisca Nazareth and Tatiana Pinto led Nazareth to chip the ball into the box. Avery Patterson attempted to clear the ball away from danger, but Pinto got to the ball first as she found herself one-on-one with Tullis-Joyce. Pinto looked to slot the ball to the right corner, but Tullis-Joyce’s kick save redirected the shot out for a corner.
Despite being denied moments earlier, Portugal capitalized on the ensuing corner kick. It started with Francisca Nazareth standing over the ball and delivering from the right corner to the head of Diana Gomes, who sent a bouncing header past Tullis-Joyce and into the net to level the game right before halftime.
Four changes came in the 69th minute as Lily Yohannes, Claire Hutton, Yazmeen Ryan, and Emma Sears replaced Cooper, Heaps, Coffey, and Macario.
Momentum swung in Portugal’s favor in the 72nd minute following a well-placed corner kick. It started with Nazareth lobbing the corner kick into the box that found Fatima Pinto who attempted to volley home the corner, but had her initial attempt blocked.
Pinto got onto the rebounded volley and rocketed the ball toward goal. Luckily for Pinto, her shot deflected off the boot of Yazmeen Ryan and ricocheted toward the bottom-right corner. Tullis-Joyce stretched out, looking to get a hand to the ball, but wasn’t quick enough as it rolled under her outstretched hands and into the net as Portugal took a 2-1 lead.
Hayes’ final change came in the 78th minute when Jaedyn Shaw replaced Lavelle.
Despite the effort, Hayes and the United States came up short as Portugal held on to secure the 2-1 victory and snap their eight-game unbeaten streak.
Hayes and the U.S. will have a chance to get its revenge on Sunday when both sides meet again inside East Hartford’s Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field.