USWNT looked out of sorts at the WWC group stage

The GIST: ICYMI (lucky you), the two-time defending champion USWNT barely advanced to the knockout stage yesterday, after looking out of sorts in their uninspiring 0–0 draw with No. 21 Portugal.

• Here are our takeaways from the red, white, and blue’s shockingly poor group stage performance as Sunday’s 5 a.m. ET win-or-go-home tilt with their sworn enemies Sweden looms.

Defender Naomi Girma dominates: A bright spot in the USWNT’s abysmal recent outings, the 23-year-old is holding down the American back line with the poise and confidence of a veteran, playing every minute of the group stage. Anchored by Girma, the defense has only allowed one goal in three games, which brings us to…

The messy midfield: When Julie Ertz made her surprise national team return a few months ago, many thought the USWNT’s lingering midfield issues were solved — but Ertz, one of the world’s best defensive midfielders, has only seen the pitch as a center back in this tourney.

• The current midfield, helmed by co-captain Lindsey Horan, looks completely out of sync and position, defined instead by sloppy passes and…

Unnecessary yellow cards: Adding to the team’s misfortune, ultra-creative attacking midfielder Rose Lavelle will miss the first knockout stage game after picking up her second yellow card of the tournament against Portugal. A major loss for the offensively-lacking squad who’s also grappling with…

A coaching conundrum: Head coach Vlatko Andonovski has made very few changes to what’s clearly an exhausted lineup, leading many to question his roster management. Time will tell if he has any tricks (like proper subbing) up his sleeve with the team’s WWC hopes on the line.