AUCKLAND, New Zealand — The width of the post. That is how close the U.S. women’s national team came to being eliminated from the 2023 World Cup.
Fortunately, for the U.S., the shot from Portugal substitute Ana Capeta in the first minute of second-half stoppage time bounced away from danger, allowing the U.S. to escape with a 0-0 draw that punched its ticket to the round of 16.
“It was a beautiful sound to hear it hit the post, that’s for sure,” said U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.
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The sequence was perhaps the only one all night that could be described as “beautiful” by the U.S. in what was an ugly match. The way it’s playing right now, the U.S. doesn’t look near capable of winning this Women’s World Cup.
The result saw the Americans advance to the knockouts in second place in Group E behind the Netherlands, but that was about the only positive. Now, instead of getting a very manageable game against either Italy or South Africa in the round of 16, the U.S. will likely play Sweden — a team that has given the Americans fits in the past, and…
