A goal post saved the United States from elimination at the Women's World Cup. Ana Capeta nearly scored for Portugal in stoppage time but her shot hit the left post and the United States escaped with a uninspiring 0-0 draw Tuesday night that got them through — just barely — to the knockout round.
The U.S. won only one game in group play for the first time in tournament history, scoring just four goals over three games.
With the scoreless draw, the United States fell to second in the group behind the Netherlands and will head to Melbourne, Australia, for a round of 16 match on Sunday. "We should have put some in the back of the net and we didn't.
We own that," Alex Morgan said. "We're not happy with the performance we put out there. But at the same time, we're moving on." The Americans, the most successful team ever at the World Cup with four titles, have never been eliminated in the tournament's group stage.