Lauren James stars, Esmee Brugts stuns, and Carli Lloyd speaks out on Day 13

On Day 13 of the women’s World Cup, four more teams — the United States, Netherlands, England, and Denmark — punched their tickets to the knockout stages, while a trio of tournament debutants saw the end of their World Cup runs.

The United States and the Netherlands emerged atop Group E but perhaps not in the order some would have predicted. The Americans’ lackluster 0-0 tie against Portugal, combined with the Dutch’s decisive 7-0 victory over Vietnam, meant that the Netherlands took first place in the group, while the Americans settled for second.

» READ MORE: U.S. women’s soccer team falls flat in 0-0 tie with Portugal, drops to second in its group

The U.S. was fortunate to even finish that high, as Portuguese striker Ana Capeta’s shot in stoppage time beat goalie Alyssa Naeher but clanged off the post. By a matter of inches, the two-time defending World Cup champions avoided being knocked out in the group stage for the first time ever, while the Portuguese were dealt a hard-luck draw.

The Netherlands had no such difficulty against Vietnam, leading by 5-0 at halftime and winning by the most lopsided margin of any game at the 2023 World Cup. The 2019 finalists received a pair of braces from Jill Roord (23rd and 83rd minutes) and Esmee Brugts (18th and 57th). They will face the runner-up in Group G — likely to be Italy — Saturday at 10 p.m. in the round of 16.

Meanwhile, the Americans appear to be poised for a meeting with Sweden (Sunday at 5 a.m. Philadelphia time, Fox29), which is in a commanding position atop Group G. The United States will be without star midfielder Rose Lavelle, who is suspended after drawing her second yellow card of the tournament against Portugal.

Defending European champion England’s convincing 6-1 victory over Asian Cup champion China helped the Lionesses clinch first place in Group D. England swept three games in group play by a combined score of 8-1, conceding only Wang Shuang’s penalty in the 57th minute Monday.

Lauren James continued to emerge as one of the breakout stars of the tournament. The 21-year-old scored two goals, added three assists, and had a third goal overturned on a VAR review. England advanced to the knockout rounds, where it will face Nigeria (3:30 a.m. Monday, FS1).

Denmark finished in second in Group D following its 2-0 victory over Haiti. Goals from Pernille Harder and Sanne Troelsgaard were enough to propel Denmark out of the group stage for the first time since 1995. Up next is a matchup in the round of 16 against tournament cohost Australia (6:30 a.m. Monday, FS1).

Portugal, Haiti, and Vietnam — three teams making their first appearance at a World Cup — were eliminated Monday. Neither Vietnam nor Haiti scored in the tournament, while Portugal earned its first World Cup win on Thursday, defeating Vietnam, 2-0.

United States 0, Portugal 0

Netherlands 7, Vietnam 0

England 6, China 1

Denmark 2, Haiti 0

Amid a flurry of scoring in the Netherlands’ dominant performance against Vietnam, Brugts’ brace was the highlight. The 20-year-old striker scored two nearly identical, bending strikes from the left flank in the 18th and 57th minutes as part of the Dutch side’s 7-0 win.

Meanwhile, James entered the Golden Boot conversation and continues to be a standout in her first World Cup appearance.

This is how close Portugal came to eliminating the United States:

“I think we showed that in football, there’s no impossible things,” Portuguese forward Jéssica Silva said following her team’s 0-0 draw with the United States. “We’ve been working so hard in our clubs, and we deserve much more. And this is why we are so frustrated. But we have to keep on. We have to keep going, keep learning, and we will be in the next one.”

Meanwhile, former U.S. captain and Delran native Carli Lloyd, who is currently an analyst with Fox, held nothing back when assessing the Americans’ performance.

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