U.S. Women’s National Team Opens October Window with 2-1 Loss to Portugal
Rose Lavelle Scores Seventh Fastest Goal in USWNT History; USWNT Legend Alex Morgan Was Honored Prior To Kickoff in Retirement Ceremony
CHESTER, Pa. (Oct. 23, 2025) – A young U.S. Women’s National Team growing under head coach Emma Hayes opened a three-match October slate with a 2-1 loss in a physical, tightly-contested battle against a plucky Portuguese side.
Rose Lavelle scored the opening goal of the night and the lone goal for the U.S. just 33 seconds into the match, which is the seventh fastest recorded goal in USWNT history. The goal was the 18th first-minute goal in USWNT history. The loss was the USA’s third of 2025, meaning the Americans will head into the next meeting with Portugal on Oct. 26 in East Hartford, Conn., with a record of 8W-3L-0D on the year.
Hayes started defenders Avery Patterson, Tara McKeown, Emily Sonnett and Emily Fox together on the backline for the first time in their international careers. Sam Coffey started alongside the two most capped players on the October roster, Lavelle and U.S. captain Lindsey Heaps, in the midfield. Michelle Cooper joined the Chelsea FC duo of Catarina Macario and Alyssa Thompson in the attack. Phallon Tullis-Joyce earned her fourth career cap in goal.
The USA outshot Portugal 16-7, but the USA only put five shots on goal to Portugal’s four, two of which went in, both off corner kicks. It was Portugal’s first-ever win against the U.S. in 12 tries and its first-ever goals scored on the USA. The U.S. had a 1.63 expected goals to Portugal’s 0.85.
The U.S. kicked off the night with an incredible, lightning-fast goal. The firepower combination of Thompson and Macario carried the ball up the pitch quickly. From the edge of the 18-yard box, Macario slipped a pass – that bounced off the leg of a Portuguese defender – through to Lavelle on the run. The midfielder, in excellent form for her club, Gotham FC, collected and pivoted to place her shot into the lower left corner for 26th career goal.
Lavelle nearly found the back of the net again in the ninth minute when she created space for a shot in the run of play from inside the box. Portugal goalkeeper Inês Pereira made a good save and forced the shot off the post to deny Lavelle the chance at a brace in the opening 10 minutes.
The powerfully energetic start for the U.S. settled down after the opening minutes and Portugal began to hold more possession. Tullis-Joyce was called into action in the 25th minute. Catarina Amado slid in behind the U.S. backline following a free kick for Portugal, but Tullis-Joyce was ready and deflected the shot with her leg from close range for her first save of the night.
In the 41st minute, Portugal responded. Moments after that brilliant kick-save from Tullis-Joyce, Portugal scored off the ensuing corner kick with a header from Diana Gomes to level the match.
Tied 1-1, the USWNT came out of the locker room from the halftime break on the front foot. Patterson, from the left flank, combined with Heaps and Lavelle, to send a cross toward Cooper on the back post, but the flag was raised for offside. Moments later, Heaps got her laces on a bouncing ball inside the box, but her ambitious volley sailed over the crossbar.
The USWNT created some exciting moments as they pressed to score the go-ahead goal. Thompson received a diagonal ball from Lavelle with space on the left side in the U.S. attacking third. The forward’s low, pacey cross in front of the net was nearly deflected for an own goal in the 56th minute. Moments later, Patterson played a lovely through ball to Macario making a run. Macario was winding up to take a shot on goal when Portuguese defender Catarina Amado intervened and poked the ball away.
In the 69th and 70th minutes, Hayes sent on several young players with fresh legs. Emma Sears, Claire Hutton, Yazmeen Ryan, and Lily Yohannes entered the match for Coffey, Cooper, Heaps and Macario.
Portugal pulled ahead with their second goal of the night, once again from a corner kick. Following a driven kick into the box from Francisca Nazareth, midfielder Fátima Pinto’s right-footed strike from the penalty spot caught a heavy deflection to spin just beyond the grasp of Tullis-Joyce.
The young United States XI worked fiercely to score the equalizer. Midfielder Jaedyn Shaw, who entered the match as a second-half substitute for Lavelle, let a low cross from Yazmeen Ryan run for Patterson to crack a shot from just outside the box. Patterson’s firm, confident strike was on target and required a save from Pereira. After a strong effort in the final 25 minutes of action, the United States came up just short.
The match at Subaru Park marked a special occasion for USWNT legend Alex Morgan. The soccer superstar retired from the sport last fall and was honored for her prestigious career, which includes two FIFA Women’s World Cup titles and 224 caps. Morgan finished her career with 123 international goals, the first of which she scored just over 15 years ago in the same stadium as tonight’s match.
Trinity Rodman was also in attendance. One-third of the USWNT’s attacking trio nicknamed "Triple Espresso," Rodman sprained her MCL during a Concacaf W Champions Cup match with the Washington Spirit on the same day she was initially named to the roster for October camp. Had she remained healthy, this would’ve been Rodman's first National Team camp in six months.
Thursday’s game was the first in a three-match set for the USWNT in the October FIFA window. Next, the group heads to Hartford, Conn. for the second straight meeting with Portugal. The match on Sunday, Oct. 26 at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field will honor another legend in the game, former USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. To close out the three-match camp, the U.S. will take the pitch on Oct. 29 in Kansas City, Mo. at CPKC Stadium.
USA – ROSE LAVELLE (CATARINA MACARIO), 1st minute: The U.S. held possession from the opening kick. Working the ball out of the back, Thompson flicked a long ball forward to Macario, who raced down the pitch and drew a triple team with her dribble near the edge of the 18-yard box. Macario slid a short pass to Lavelle, but not before it bounced off the leg of a Portugal defender, and Lavelle took a brilliant touch to set up a low right-footed shot into the lower right-hand corner of the net from about 12 yards out. USA 1, POR 0
POR – DIANA GOMES (FRANCISCA NAZARETH), 41st minute: A great save from Tullis-Joyce went out-of-bounds for a Portugal corner kick. Off Nazareth’s arching kick, Gomes slipped into between several U.S. defenders to drive her header inside the left post to equalize the match. USA 1, POR 1
POR – FÁTIMA PINTO, 72nd minute: For the second time in the night, Portugal scored off a set piece. Nazareth played the corner kick toward the penalty spot. In traffic, Pinto hit the ball hard with her right foot, and her strike caught a deflection to roll into the lower right-hand corner. USA 1, POR 2 FINAL
- U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT -
Match: United States Women’s National Team vs. Portugal Date: Oct. 23, 2025 Competition: International Friendly Venue: Subaru Park, Chester, Pa. Attendance: 17,297 Kickoff: 7:07 p.m. ET Weather: Clear, 55 degrees
Head coach: Francisco Neto
Stats Summary: USA / POR Shots: 13 / 7 Shots on Goal: 5 / 4
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