USA were stagnant and wasteful against Portugal. It was far from an anomaly

The defending champions spoke about hope' and belief' after scraping through their group. They will need a lot more than that in the next round

Two days before their decisive match against Portugal, Megan Rapinoe was asked how the USA should be judged if they fail to win this World Cup. Rapinoe paused for four full seconds, a lifetime for a charismatic player who can warm the tensest of press rooms.

I never thought about that," she said. It was one of the shortest answers she will ever provide.