While Portugal has nothing to lose, the United States women’s soccer team faces danger at every turn

Getting to Oceania rivaled what Ferdinand Magellan did — and the 16th-century explorer didn’t have to convert penalty kicks to arrive there.

Portugal’s women’s soccer team had to play 13 qualifying matches to earn its first World Cup appearance, winning five in a row to make it to the quadrennial tournament for the first time.

Not only did the Portuguese have to beat both Serbia (on the road) and Turkey in group matches to advance to the European playoffs, they also had to dispatch both Belgium (in the 89th minute) and Iceland (in extra time) and survive giving up the equalizer […]

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