USWNT vs. Portugal: Megan Rapinoe says USA 'exactly where we want to be' ahead of critical World Cup clash

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U.S. women's national team star Megan Rapinoe said her team is anxious but up for the challenge in Tuesday's decisive Women's World Cup match against Portugal, a game in which a spot in the round of 16 is on the line.

"I think, of course, there's a little bit of anxiousness any time there's a result that needs to be had," Rapinoe said ahead of the encounter. "But I think that's exciting. I think everybody knows that, too. Everybody's like, 'Okay, we have to perform and we have to perform better to get this result.' I think that is something that always gets passed down through the generations of this team. We go into these moments like, 'Hell yeah. This is exactly where we want to be.'"

Though the USWNT picked up a 3-0 win over Vietnam to kick off their World Cup campaign, their performances so far have been imperfect. The attack has struggled to create meaningful chances, which was particularly costly during the team's 1-1 draw against the Netherlands last week. The dropped points mean the reigning champions have yet to qualify for the round of 16 but can do so with a win or a draw against Portugal.

Head coach Vlatko Andonovski will have a well-rested group of players to choose from against Portugal, both because the team had four days of rest in between matches and because he surprisingly opted to make just one substitution against the Dutch. Rose Lavelle came on for Savannah DeMelo at halftime, and no other attackers were switched in as the USWNT looked for an equalizer and a go-ahead goal.

"Every player that starts the game thinks they should play 90 minutes, every player who doesn't, who's a sub, thinks they should be on at some point," Rapinoe said. "I think I could've helped but I think Lynn [Williams] could've helped and I think Trinity [Rodman] was helping and I think [Sophia Smith] was helping and we had chances and it was right there for us … They were giving everything and still creating chances up till the very end."

Rapinoe signaled that Andonovski's conservative approach to substitutes may not be a habit and that the team's deep bench will likely be crucial to the team's success at the World Cup.

"We know at some point during this tournament the bench will be huge," she said. "It's a huge asset of ours, a huge reason why we've been so successful with this group but obviously historically, winning championships in our past."

If given the chance, the embarrassment of riches that is the USWNT's squad may help the team in their high-stakes matchup against Portugal. A make-or-break situation this early in a tournament may seem like unfamiliar terrain for the USWNT from the outside, but Rapinoe said high-level scrutiny comes with the territory for the four-time world champions.

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"I think being on the U.S. women's national team, it kind of always feels like that," she said. "This is the pressure of being the number one team in a World Cup, but this is just the pressure in general of being at the World Cup. This moment is going to come no matter what, so it's not a bad thing."

Rapinoe's new role

Four years after winning the Golden Ball in France, Rapinoe returns for her fourth and final World Cup in a different role. The 38-year-old will primarily serve as an option off the bench while providing plenty of experience for the team's younger players and has already learned a lot from her new task.

"You can still play at an extremely high level," she said. "You can still keep a really high standard. You still have a lot to offer, both on the field and off the field, and maybe you're not going to be a starter, playing the bulk of the games but sometimes [for] the bench players, that's not what you need. You need the 20 minutes in two games."

The veteran is trying to both take everything in and live in the moment, two tasks that converge perfectly as the USWNT eye a fifth World Cup title.

"I think it's been really rewarding," she noted. "Sometimes this gets lost but I get to play in another World Cup. I get to be in another situation to compete for a championship and I think as an elite athlete and as an elite soccer player, that's the point."

It comes as no surprise, then, that Rapinoe's competitive spirit has not wavered one bit.

"Every day in training, I'm still like, 'I'mma try to bust your ass,'" she said. "That makes them better. That makes me better. That makes the whole team better."