The United States has a chance to move on to the second round of the World Cup today, but it has to do so by beating a formidable opponent in Portugal.
As NPR's Russell Lewis previewed earlier today, Portugal is ranked fourth in the world and its star player — Cristiano Ronaldo — is the reigning world player of the year. Still, as far as momentum goes, the United States is coming off sweet victory against its World Cup archenemies Ghana, while Portugal is coming off a stunning 4-0 loss against the No. 2 ranked Germany.
Perhaps knowing that the U.S. faces Germany on Thursday for the last match of the group stage, U.S. Coach Jurgen Klinsmann said now is the time for his team to "prove yourself."
"This is the moment where you can step up and play those guys and put them in place," Klinsmann said.
We'll use this space to keep you up to date throughout the game, which is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET. We'll provide updates on the action on the field and on the stands, so make sure to hit your refresh button.
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