USA 1-2 Portugal (Oct 23, 2025) Game Analysis
Portugal pulled off a shocking comeback by beating the Americans 2-1 in a friendly in Chester, Pennsylvania, on Thursday night, beating the Americans for the first time in 12 matches.
Although missing some key stars, such as injured forward Trinity Rodman, Emma Hayes and the Americans were a complete team, which lost its first match since a friendly defeat to Brazil in April.
It was Hayes’ first match with the United States in 113 days since a victory over Canada in early July.
US Soccer honored the career of retired star Alex Morgan before the match in the same stadium where Morgan scored the first of his 123 international goals, which ranks fifth in program history. She scored her first goal at the same stadium in 2010.
Hayes’ side got off to a good start as Rose Lavelle scored in the first minute and almost doubled the lead shortly after. But despite that early goal, Portugal, which had not won a game in its last eight outings, settled in and gave the United States a good run for the rest of the first half.
Portugal earned a deserved equalizer just before halftime on a corner kick when Diana Gomes went unmarked at the far post and headed past American goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce for the first goal the Portuguese had ever scored against the USWNT.
The USWNT were more aggressive in the second half in search of the go-ahead, but it was Portugal’s Fátima Pinto who scored instead, with her deflected shot beating Tullis-Joyce to give the visitors a surprise lead.
Portugal held on for the win and handed Hayes just the third defeat of his tenure as United States coach.
The United States faces Portugal again on Sunday and ends its international window with a friendly against New Zealand on October 29.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this recap.
