Portugal’s women’s national football team secured a morale-boosting 2-1 friendly victory over the United States on Thursday, overcoming a series of logistical hurdles and recent poor form.
The surprising win came despite significant challenges for the Portuguese squad, including a cancelled flight, extensive jet lag, and only a single training session before the match. Kika Nazareth, who assisted Portugal’s first goal, described the triumph as “a reason for pride.”
Nazareth told Canal 11 that the team must “celebrate, celebrate, and smile, leave here with a big smile.”
The victory marks a turning point after a period of less favorable results for the team, which Nazareth acknowledged.
“We were on a less good streak, but football is a bit like that; there are less good moments,” she said. “We didn’t stop being Portugal; we are still the same.”
Nazareth cautioned against overstating the win’s impact. “It’s not because we did what we did today that we are the best in the world.” She added that previous results did not mean they arrived with the game already lost.
She concluded that the team “enjoyed the game” during the friendly encounter.