The U.S. women’s national team enters its final group-stage game against Portugal needing at least a draw to advance in the Women’s World Cup, which means this could be one of the worst days in USWNT history—and one of the best days ever for the sport.
Success, in sports, is not like civil rights: The more that others have, the less there is for you. The USWNT has helped grow the game to the point where the game is harder to dominate. A monumental upset of the U.S. would announce a new era that is already well underway—and Portugal is probably the most fitting country to pull one off.
Portugal represents what women’s soccer needs: an upstart that wants to stick around and has plans to do it. Coach Francisco Neto said before the tournament that his team was hoping to “surprise,” and he mentioned the specific goal of entering its match against the U.S. with a chance to advance. But the real goal for Portugal is for winning to never be a big surprise.
