The U.S. women’s national team closed out the 2023 World Cup group stage with a disappointing 0-0 draw against Portugal on Tuesday in New Zealand. With the Netherlands defeating Vietnam 7-0 in the other Group E match, the USWNT falls to second place in Group E on goal differential and will face the winner of Group G in the Round of 16.

As a result, the USWNT’s next opponent is Sweden, which won Group G with a perfect 3-0 record. The Netherlands will face Group G runner-up South Africa.

Beyond the Round of 16, who could the USWNT face in the knockout stage? We break down down the two-time defending champion’s potential path to the 2023 World Cup title.

Round of 16: Sweden

While the USWNT offense has sputtered since its opening 3-0 win over Vietnam, Sweden exploded in their second match, defeating Italy 5-0. That result followed a shaky start against South Africa, in which the Swedes went down early before winning 2-1.

By finishing as runner-up in the group, the U.S. now faces a much sterner test in Sweden than it would have against South Africa. The USWNT has a long history against Sweden, having lost to the No. 3 team in the world most recently in the group stage of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and the quarterfinal of the 2016 Olympics.

The USWNT’s Round of 16 game takes place Sunday at 5 a.m. ET (FOX).

Quarterfinal: Japan-Norway winner

Japan, the winner of Group C, and Norway, the runner-up in Group A, will meet in the Round of 16 on Saturday. If the U.S. gets through its own Round of 16 matchup, the winner of this game will be waiting, and neither will be easy.

Japan has scorched their competition in the group stage, scoring 11 goals and conceding none. That included a surprising 4-0 win over Spain, the No. 6 team in the FIFA rankings, in their group-stage finale. Meanwhile, Norway rebounded from a tense start to the World Cup to dismantle the Philippines 6-0 and advance to the knockout stage.

Semifinal: South Africa-Netherlands winner or Spain-Switzerland winner

The other Round of 16 matchups on the USWNT’s side of the bracket are set. If the U.S. advance to the quarterfinal and then the semifinal, they’ll face one of these four teams.

The USWNT drew the Netherlands 1-1 in their second group-stage game last week, after defeating the Dutch to win the World Cup title in 2019. The Americans recently fell to Spain 2-0 in an October friendly, during a stretch that saw them lose three straight games for the first time since 1993.

So far at this World Cup, South Africa has defeated Italy 3-2 and lost to Sweden 2-1, while Switzerland has beaten the Philippines 2-0 and managed scoreless draws against Norway and New Zealand.

Final: TBD

On the other side of the bracket, only Australia and Nigeria have advanced out of the group stage. Top-ranked FIFA squads England, Germany, France and Brazil are also poised to advance to the knockout rounds and could all pose problems for the USWNT in a championship match.

The WNBA is back in action on Tuesday night, as the Indiana Fever and Seattle Storm headline a series of games that could make or break the current trajectories of several 2025 title contenders.

Seeking an especially strong Tuesday performance is the Fever, as Indiana tries to snap a two-game losing streak against the increasingly confident Storm.

"There are going to be stretches that are really good and there's going to be stretches that aren't as good," Fever guard Caitlin Clark said on Sunday, addressing her recent shooting slump.

While the Indiana and Seattle clash will lead the Tuesday charge, the night will also see young squads sizing up WNBA juggernauts as bottom-table teams look for a leg up:

• No. 8 Indiana Fever vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm, 10 PM ET (NBA TV): The Fever need a win against a Storm side that can't seem to lose, as both teams eye the postseason.

• No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 9 Washington Mystics, 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The up-and-coming Mystics will attempt to hand the Lynx a second season loss, as Minnesota star Napheesa Collier remains day-to-day with lower back stiffness.

• No. 4 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 12 Dallas Wings, 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The Dream are on a tear, surging up the standings as the struggling Wings attempt to take flight.

• No. 10 LA Sparks vs. No. 11 Chicago Sky, 8 PM ET (NBA TV): The Sparks have cooled after a hot start while the Sky has yet to rev up, with both teams aiming to end a three-game losing streak on Tuesday night.

Teams across the league are hoping to make the most of every minute while also managing injury concerns and absences as the WNBA All-Star break looms.

The WNBA Class of 2025 is already making its mark on the league, with first-year players stepping up and showing out while the Rookie of the Year race — and betting odds — heat up.

No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers has been just as good as advertised, with the Dallas Wings guard leading her class in both minutes played and points per game while also charting league-wide in assists per game, steals per game, and mid-range shots made.

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DraftKings currently has Bueckers as the clear WNBA Rookie of the Year race frontrunner at -1,000, though the dynamic DC duo of guard Sonia Citron (+1,500) and forward Kiki Iriafen (+1,000) are quickly gaining traction.

Iriafen won May's WNBA Rookie of the Month award after a series of career-opening double-doubles, while her Washington Mystics teammate Citron has continued to execute in the clutch — most recently posting a career-high double-double performance of 27 points and 11 rebounds in last Sunday's 91-88 overtime win over Dallas.

"Not only is [Iriafen] holding her own, she's excelling," Citron told JWS earlier this month. "And seeing that is just incredible."

"Soni just does all the little things," Iriafen added. "She doesn't shortcut anything, she's doing the fundamentals, she doesn't cheat the game at all."

Though the NWSL hit the pause button this week, players worldwide are still on the move, as both European and US soccer teams use the midseason break to sharpen their lineups with international signings.

The NWSL has already seen one major departure, with the San Diego Wave announcing Monday that forward María Sánchez will return to her former Liga MX club UANL Tigres after nearly five years in the NWSL, with the Wave set to receive an undisclosed transfer fee in return.

"When the opportunity came to return to Tigres, I had to do a lot of inner searching, and I ultimately decided that returning to Liga MX Femenil and Tigres specifically was the best course of action for my career," the 29-year-old dual citizen and Mexico international player said in the Wave's release.

NWSL clubs are also setting their sights on European free agents, with the Washington Spirit bringing in Juventus forward Sofia Cantore last week — the first Italian signing in league history.

Also hopping aboard the player transaction carousel is new WSL side London City, with the top-flight debutantes inking OL Lyonnes midfielder and Dutch international Daniëlle van de Donk on Friday.

Meanwhile, van de Donk's wife and club teammate Ellie Carpenter is also potentially WSL-bound, with the defender reportedly nearing a deal that would see the Australian join Chelsea FC in return for the Blues sending Canadian international Ashley Lawrence to OL Lyonnes.

For their part, OL Lyonnes picked up defender Ingrid Engen from Barcelona as a free agent last week, adding the Norwegian international after snagging French forward and PSG's all-time leading scorer Marie-Antoinette Katoto earlier this month.

With the most recent NWSL CBA abolishing traditional trade windows, expect even more international signings and roster reshufflings before the league resumes play on August 1st.

San Diego is paying tribute to one of their own, with the Wave announcing plans to retire the No. 13 jersey of NWSL and USWNT legend Alex Morgan on September 7th.

Still topping the team's all-time scoring leaderboard with 23 goals in just over two seasons with San Diego, the retired club captain will be the first-ever Wave player to receive the prestigious honor.

Morgan also led San Diego to the 2023 NWSL Shield as well as postseason appearances in the 2022 expansion club's first two seasons.

"Alex's legacy goes far beyond goals and accolades. She helped lay the foundation for this club and elevated the standard for what women's soccer is today," said Wave FC governor Lauren Leichtman in the team's Tuesday announcement.

"She made this city her home, inspired our fans and community, and helped define who we are," Leichtman continued. "Her impact will be felt for generations, and it's only fitting that her number becomes a permanent part of Wave FC history." 

Morgan joined the Southern California squad's ownership group just last month, saying "San Diego is where I've built my home, where I am raising my children, and found a purpose beyond my playing career."

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How to attend the San Diego jersey retirement of Alex Morgan

San Diego will officially retire Morgan's No. 13 jersey during their home match against the Houston Dash at 8 PM ET on September 7th.

Tickets to the game will go on sale to the general public online at 6 PM ET on Tuesday.