The U.S. Women’s National Team has one game left in group play of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, with the American squad facing off against Portugal at 3 a.m. ET early Tuesday morning. Through two games, the U.S. has beaten Vietnam 3-0 and played to a 1-1 draw in a feisty matchup with the Netherlands.
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As it stands currently, the U.S. and Netherlands sit tied atop Group E with four points apiece. Portugal is next with three points, followed by Vietnam, which has yet to notch any points. The top two teams move on to the knockout stage, with Group E matching up against Group G.
Let’s take a look at each of the possible outcomes and how the United States can move on following the final two games of Group E.
How the U.S. can win Group E
There’s a very simple road to winning Group E for the United States, and winning the group would go a long way as it would allow the women’s squad to avoid a No. 3 ranked Sweden team.
Here’s how the U.S. can take the group:
- United States beats Portugal
- Vietnam beats the Netherlands
or
- United States beats Portugal
- The Netherlands beats Vietnam, but scores fewer than two goals more than the U.S.
If both teams win, the tiebreaker relying on goal differential and then head-to-head. Currently, the U.S. has a two-goal lead on the Dutch in the standings, so as long as the Americans stay within two goals, they’ll take the top spot. If they both win and the Dutch outscore them by two, things will get more complicated as tiebreakers go: goal differential, total goals, head-to-head, then comparisons of yellow cards awarded.
How can the U.S. move on to the Round of 16
Winning the group would be great, but the goal is to stay alive in the Women’s World Cup. Here’s the U.S. path to the knockout stage:
- United States ties Portugal
or
- United States loses to Portugal
- Vietnam beats the Netherlands
In the second scenario, the U.S. would once again need to beat the Netherlands in goal differential.
How can the U.S. make an early exit?
No one wants to think of this, but it’s definitely still possible if things go poorly. The U.S. would head home early if:
- United States loses to Portugal
- The Netherlands beats Vietnam
