'We just have to get better': US regroup after World Cup close call

AUCKLAND : The United States must up their level across the board as they likely face a lethal round-of-16 opponent at the Women's World Cup, having just barely kept their title defence alive after a breathtaking scare in Tuesday's final group-stage hurdle.

The five-inch-wide (12.7 cm) aluminium goalpost was all that separated the Americans from utter disaster on Tuesday, as a stoppage-time shot from Portugal forward Ana Capeta ricocheted off the post.

The attempt was so convincing that even the Portugal coach on the sideline at first believed they had pulled off the impossible, getting past the top-ranked Americans and into the knockout stages in their tournament debut.

Instead they packed their bags after the scoreless draw as the United States stayed behind, left to wonder how their journey for an unprecedented third consecutive title had nearly turned into utter disaster.

"The player of the match was that post," Fox Sports correspondent Carli Lloyd said in a grim appraisal of her former teammates' performance.

Had they exited, it would have been the worst World Cup performance for the top-ranked team and would have marked the first time that defending champions had gone out in the group stage.

"It's not like we don't have the pieces," coach Vlatko Andonovski told reporters. "We have to stick to our principles, we have to stick to our game model and we have to stick to our philosophy."

They will almost certainly meet their rivals Sweden in the round of 16, where they must find a way to manage the 1995 winners' set-piece prowess in order to survive.

Doing so will require that the United States resolve their lack of synchrony, with Andonovski previously blaming the starters' lack of playing minutes together.

His decision to