Win, Lose or Draw, U.S. Can Still Advance In World Cup

Published June 23, 2014 at 1:45 PM EDT

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U.S. forward Clint Dempsey scores during a Group G football match between USA and Portugal at the Amazonia Arena in Manaus during the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 22, 2014. (Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images)

There were 30 seconds left to play and the United States team was beating Portugal 2 to 1. The majority pro-American crowd of more than 40,000 at last night’s World Cup game in Brazil were ready to party, but it wasn’t to be.

Portugal scored with less than half a minute to go, and now the U.S. looks ahead to Thursday evening’s game against Germany to determine its World Cup future.

Doug Tribou of NPR’s Only a Game joins Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson to explain how the U.S. can remain in the World Cup after Thursday’s game, regardless of the outcome.

Guest

Doug Tribou, reporter and producer for NPR’s Only a Game. He tweets @DougTribou.