After the debacle against Belgium, the United States is preparing to face one of the favorites to win the World Cup, Portugal, which despite being without Cristiano Ronaldo still boasts enough firepower to trouble Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
The last time the two teams met was 12 years ago at the Brazil 2014 World Cup. Ronaldo was present then, in a group that also included Germany, Ghana, and the Americans.
Within five minutes, it looked like it would be a routine afternoon for Portugal, a team coming off a heavy defeat to Germany in its tournament opener. Nani gave the Portuguese an early lead. But Jürgen Klinsmann’s side refused to back down.
In the second half, Jermaine Jones unleashed a long-range strike that beat goalkeeper Eduardo, and with nine minutes remaining, Clint Dempsey put the Stars and Stripes ahead.
I still remember this Jermaine Jones 🇺🇸screamer against Portugal 🇵🇹 like it was yesterday….
I was running around my house screaming at the top of my lungs. pic.twitter.com/1Q7dIuqAk1
— MLS Moves (@MLSMoves) June 17, 2024
Cristiano Ronaldo then found Varela in stoppage time, who scored the equalizer. The point kept Portugal alive, but it ultimately proved to be the downfall of Paulo Bento’s team.
“Obviously we’re disappointed, but at the end of the day we have to look at the positives: we’ve got a point,” said United States captain Clint Dempsey.
Despite beating Ghana, Portugal was eliminated on goal difference by the United States, which would then go on to face Belgium, where its run eventually came to an end.
“We needed three goals and were depending on Germany’s result. It wasn’t possible, we knew it was complicated (…) That’s soccer. We leave with our heads held high. We gave everything and it wasn’t enough,” Cristiano Ronaldo said at the time.
Two completely different teams
Twelve years later, both sides meet again with entirely different squads. From that encounter, only Ronaldo remains – though he will miss Tuesday’s game through injury.
Portugal now features players such as Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes, João Neves, and Nuno Mendes, among others – talent that was absent in that World Cup campaign, which ultimately ended in disappointment for the European side.
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