FIFA Women’s World Cup™ on FOX and FS1 Programming Highlights: USWNT vs. Portugal

Today’s Results:

• USWNT draw Portugal 0 – 0 (90 IN 90 HIGHLIGHTS | REPLAY)
• Netherlands def. Vietnam, 7 – 0 (90 IN 90 HIGHLIGHTS | REPLAY)

Must-See Moments:

• Alex Morgan reacts to USWNT’s Group Stage finish” “It’s tough to be second”
• USWNT’s Kelly O’Hara: “We have our next game in front of us and that’s all that matters”
• Megan Rapinoe identifies changes needed for USWNT heading into Round of 16
• Tip your bartender: USWNT was inches away from trailing in the 90^th minute after this close call from Portugal
• Alexi Lalas shakes up USWNT’s position in Power Rankings after final Group Stage performance
• Tom Rinaldi presents the challenges that mothers on the USWNT face and overcome as both dedicated parents and hard-working teammates

Top Stories:

• USA vs. Portugal takeaways: USWNT advances despite very off-key performance (By: Doug McIntyre)
• Portugal draw makes it clear: The world no longer fears the USWNT (By: Martin Rogers)
• Rose Lavelle picks up second yellow card, will be suspended for USWNT’s next match
• World Cup NOW: Should USWNT make lineup changes following Portugal draw?

Tonight’s Top Quotes:

• “I made some comments when I retired in 2021 that I felt that there was a shift within this team, within the federation, within the culture, the mentality. The importance and meaning of winning has changed; what has come from winning has become more important. And you can never take any situation for granted – every time you step out onto that pitch it’s not a guarantee you are going to win, it’s not a guarantee you are going to win a World Cup. And today was simply uninspiring, disappointing; they don’t look fit, they are playing as individuals. And the tactics are just too predictable and really just uninspiring.”
  • FOX Sports analyst Carli Lloyd on USWNT performance in final Group Stage match

• “I didn’t think that Vlatko Andonovski and company could repeat another 45 minutes like we saw against the Netherlands. But evidently, not only can they repeat it, but add another 45. Because this was 90 minutes of poor play. And you can get together and you can sing Kumbaya and talk about what you’ve done in the past, but this is where this team is right now, and this is a team that is struggling. This is not a team that is going to the Round of 16 with any type of momentum or confidence. But this is still the No. 1 team in the world. And there are going to be a lot of people that are doubting this team. There’s going to be a lot of criticism and I think it’s absolutely fair, but it is still all to play for and there are still things that can happen. But there have to be massive changes from practical perspective on the field and a mentality perspective on and off the field.”
  • FOX Sports analyst Alexi Lalas’ instant reaction following USWNT draw vs. Portugal | WATCH

• “I have never witnessed something like that. There’s a difference between being respectful of the fans and saying hello to your family, but to be dancing, to be smiling? I mean, the player of the match was that post. You are lucky to not be going home right now.”
  • FOX Sports analyst Carli Lloyd after seeing USWNT players’ reactions following draw vs. Portugal | WATCH

• “To remind everybody what happened in 2015: we got a good result in the first game, then we draw in the second game and then we stumble in our third game … There was so much chatter like, ‘are we going out early? Does this team have it?’ –  but that doesn’t help. It doesn’t help the players, it doesn’t help the staff, it doesn’t help the football. We need to get behind the team. And in 2015, our backs were against the wall. We fought back, a couple tactical changes were made. We all know Carli Lloyd made history, but this team needs us to get behind them. They are a talented team. They’ve only given up one goal in three games. They’re very defensive minded group, Vlatko Andonovski, he’s conservative coach, so we have to embrace that. For us, it’s the next game. And just like this team – they survived and they advanced. They don’t even care who they’re playing. They don’t care if it’s Sweden, they don’t care if they go one or two in the group. They’re going to take care of business with the next opponent, and they have this crazy self-belief that they’re going to move on..”
  • FOX Sports analyst Heather O’Reilly recalls and compares USWNT’s 2015 Group Stage experience to 2023 | WATCH

• “This is the common theme that we’ve had coming into the World Cup. The lack of connectivity, being in sync, being clinical, having progression. It’s the sum of what we’ve been concerned about and they haven’t been able to find a way aside from that second half against the Netherlands. So, if I’m the US I’m looking to my leaders, a Lindsay Horan, a Kelly O’Hara, a Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan. How do they take away the only positive half they had against the Netherlands and try to use that going forward because guess what? The Netherlands and Swedish are similar-type style teams. We’ve beaten Sweden before. Yes, they’ve beaten us and they’ve outplayed us and they figured out a way to break us down. But I’m going back to that 45 minutes against Netherlands because really, that’s the takeaway.”
  • WOMEN’S WORLD CUP NOW analyst Leslie Osborne on how the USWNT can readjust before the Round of 16 | WATCH

• “As soon as this ball popped out for [Ana] Capeta and she was in behind the back line, we thought this was toast for the United States. This one pings right off the post … That does not miss by much and if the U.S. is not awake to the fact that they are moments from potentially being out of this tournament, they better be now.”
  • FOX Sports match analyst Aly Wagner’s reaction following Portugal’s near miss in final minutes of match vs. USWNT | WATCH

• “We always want to be better, we always want to improve. This result was good enough to put us through to the next round but it’s not good enough for us and we know that. We have to move forward and we learn our lessons from the few things that we can take away from this game but now it’s full focus on this next round.”
  • USWNT co-captain Lindsey Horan shares postgame reaction with FOX Sports Insider Jenny Taft | WATCH

Top Shots

Wednesday Schedule on FOX & FS1 (All Times ET)

• 2:00 AM on FOX, FS1 – FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP LIVE
  • Carli Lloyd, Alexi Lalas, Rob Stone, Ari Hingst, Heather O’Reilly, Kate Gill, Stu Holden
• 3:00 AM on FOX – Argentina vs. Sweden
  • JP Dellacamera, Aly Wagner, Mark Clattenburg
• 3:00 AM on FS1 – South Africa vs. Italy
  • Kate Scott, Danielle Slaton, Dr. Joe Machnik
• 5:00 AM on FOX, FS1 – FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP TONIGHT
  • Carli Lloyd, Alexi Lalas, Rob Stone, Karina LeBlanc, Heather O’Reilly, Kate Gill, Stu Holden, Chris Fallica
• 6:00 AM on FOX – Brazil vs. Jamaica
  • Jacqui Oatley, Lori Lindsey, Mark Clattenburg
• 6:00 AM on FS1 – France vs. Panama
  • Jenn Hildreth, Warren Barton,  Dr. Joe Machnik
• 8:00 AM on FS1 – FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP TODAY
  • Carli Lloyd, Alexi Lalas, Karina LeBlanc, Rob Stone
• WOMEN’S WORLD CUP NOW on @FOXSoccer Twitter
  • Hosts: Leslie Osborne, Melissa Ortiz, Jimmy Conrad
  • Guest: Heather O’Reilly, Kate Gill, Ari Hingst

Full replays of each match are available on the FOX Sports app. For announcements, coverage, notes, photography and more, visit the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ page on FOX Sports Press Pass.