The first goal came easily for the U.S. women’s national team. The rest of the match? Not so much.
Fatima Pinto scored the go-ahead goal in the 72nd minute as Portugal rallied for its first victory against the U.S. women’s national team, 2-1 in Chester, Pa., on Thursday.
Rose Lavelle scored 33 seconds into the match and hit the post in the ninth minute, but a resolute Portugal scored for the first time ever vs. the U.S. in 12 matches on a goal by Diana Gomes in the 41st minute and got the winner off a corner kick.
Pinto was in the middle of the box when a clearance fell to her feet and she ripped a shot from 12 yards past Phallon Tullis-Joyce.
This was the first meeting since a 0-0 draw in the 2023 Women’s World Cup group stage two years ago in New Zealand. After the loss, the U.S. leads the series 10-1-1.
The U.S. team’s next two matches in this window are Sunday in East Hartford, Conn., against Portugal and Wednesday vs. New Zealand in Kansas City, Mo.
The U.S. had not played in 113 days but it didn’t look like it at the onset when Catarina Macario flicked the ball to Lavelle, who was in an offside position but fell back to take the pass. There was no review in the match to determine that she was offside.
Gomes then scored on an unmarked header from a corner by Kika Nazareth to disappoint the fans who came to cheer Alex Morgan. The longtime U.S. forward, who retired in 2024, was honored in a prematch ceremony in the stadium where she scored the first of her 123 U.S. goals in 2010.
Emma Hayes is 21-3-2 through her first 26 matches since being named USWNT coach in May 2024.
Since then, she has rebooted the program after the Americans failed in their bid to win a third consecutive World Cup in 2023. Of the 25 players in the current camp, 13 made their debuts since the USWNT won the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
–Field Level Media
