USA vs. PORTUGAL
Date:
Nov. 8, 2018
Venue:
Estadio António Coimbra da Mota; Estoril, Portugal
Broadcast:
ESPN2
Kickoff:
1 p.m. ET
Starting XI vs. Portugal: 1-Alyssa Naeher; 25-Emily Fox, 7-Abby Dahlkemper, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 19-Crystal Dunn; 6-Andi Sullivan, 16-Rose Lavelle, 9-Lindsey Horan; 11-Mallory Pugh, 21-Jessica McDonald, 15-Megan Rapinoe (capt.)
Substitutes Available: 2-Emily Sonnett, 2-Samantha Mewis, 8-Julie Ertz, 10-Carli Lloyd, 13-Alex Morgan 22-Danielle Colaprico, 24-Ashlyn Harris
U.S. Team
- The USA is 16-0-2 in 2018, with wins vs. Denmark, Germany, England, Mexico (thrice), China PR (twice), Japan, Brazil, Chile (twice), Panama, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica and Canada; and ties against Australia and France.
- The USA is unbeaten in its last 26 matches (23-0-3), and has outscored its opponents 91-17 through that stretch, scoring in all 26 games. Since the 2017 SheBelieves Cup, the USA has failed to score in just one game (vs. Australia at the 2017 ToN). That's a 31-game span.
- The WNT hasn’t conceded a goal in 704 minutes in 2018, with the last one coming against Brazil during the Tournament of Nations on Aug. 2.
Starting Lineup
- Alyssa Naeher has 20 career shutouts and will earn cap No. 38 today and her 15th in 2018.
- Emily Fox will earn her first cap for the U.S. WNT today. She is the 26th player to earn a first cap under head coach Jill Ellis. Fox is a veteran of the USA's last two FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Teams and one of the top outside backs in the college game. She is a sophomore at the University of North Carolina.
- Abby Dahlkemper will earn her 29th cap tonight. It will be her 16th appearance and 15th start of 2018.
- Becky Sauerbrunn will earn her 148th cap tonight. Sauerbrunn is in 20th place on the all-time caps list.
- Crystal Dunn came off the bench to play outside back against France on March 4 and has been playing in that position ever since. Dunn will earn cap No. 74 and make her 14th start of 2018 today.
- Andi Sullivan makes her first appearance for the USA since April 5 against Mexico. It will be her fourth start and appearance of the year, and her 11th WNT cap.
- Lindsey Horan, the 2018 NWSL MVP, has played in every game for the USA this year. She will make her 16th start tonight and has scored three goals with eight assists in 2018. Her eight assists are second most on the team behind Megan Rapinoe.
- Rose Lavelle will earn her 19th career cap tonight and makes her eighth start this year. She has scored six international goals, most recently the game-winner against Canada on Oct. 17 in the title game of the 2018 Concacaf Women’s Championship.
- Mallory Pugh will earn her 42nd career cap today. She has scored six goals in 2018 and has two assists. In her career she has scored 12 goals – most recently vs. Chile on Sept. 4 – and has earned 13 assists. Today marks her 13 appearance of 2018.
- Jessica McDonald earns her second WNT cap tonight, almost two years to the date of her first. She made her WNT debut vs. Romania on Nov. 10, 2016 in San Jose, Calif. She had a stellar 10-goal season with NWSL champions North Carolina Courage and then scored once in the semifinal and twice in the championship game to help her club claim the title. The Courage are the sixth NWSL club for McDonald who has 41 career goals in the league, good for second all-time behind only Sam Kerr.
- Captaining the USA today is Megan Rapinoe, who has scored 41 international goals and is 15th on the all-time goals list. Rapinoe leads the USA with 12 assists on the year and now has 56 for her career, good for sixth place in the U.S. all-time assists list. Seven of Rapinoe's 12 assists this year have come on Alex Morgan goals. She will earn cap No. 145 today and make her 16th start of 2018. She has scored seven goals in 2018.