USA vs. Denmark Women's Soccer: Score, Grades and Reaction for 2014 Algarve Cup

The U.S. women's national soccer team suffered a second straight defeat Monday, losing 5-3 to Denmark in their final group match at the 2014 Algarve Cup in Portugal.

NBC Sports' Jeff Kassouf breaks down what it means moving forward: 

Despite the return of Sydney Leroux, who missed the U.S.'s loss to Sweden on Friday with food poisoning, the Americans were unable to capitalize and suffered breakdown after breakdown defensively throughout the first half. 

Tom Sermanni's squad dominated possession early with Denmark content to sit back and pick their spots on the counter attack. The plan paid off for the Danes when Katrine Veje scored from 20 yards out in the 23rd minute. 

The theme continued throughout the first half with the U.S. squandering chances and Denmark making the most of every opportunity. A giveaway by the U.S. defense in the 35th minute led to a goal by Nadia Nadim. Just three minutes later, a breakdown on a corner kick made it 3-0 Denmark.

With the match seemingly out of reach at halftime, the collective reaction to the 3-0 deficit was one of utter shock. 

Surprisingly, Denmark were the side that made substitutions at halftime, replacing their goalkeeper in addition to two other players. 

The second half began with another scoring chance for Denmark, but Nadim's quest for a hat-trick was denied when she blasted a shot over the goal. The U.S. would take advantage of the miss, cutting the deficit to two on a Christen Press goal from 15 yards out in the 51st minute. 

The Americans would spoil another shot to score just minutes later, drawing the offsides flag to erase a Leroux header that found its way into the back of the net. 

With the U.S. upping the pressure, the final 30 minutes featured plenty of drama, as Denmark's fourth goal was quickly answered by Leroux, who kept the Americans in the game by making it 4-2 moments later. Just like that, roles had reversed, with Denmark scrambling to recover on defense and the U.S. playing inspired on each possession.  

In the 68th minute, Megan Rapinoe got on the board, pulling the U.S. within one goal of the draw. 

Trailing 4-3 with 20-plus minutes to play, momentum was on the Americans' side.

With four minutes of injury time added on, the U.S. did their best to find a late equalizer, earning a pair of corner kicks. But a blocked shot late led to a numbers advantage and yet another Denmark counter attack that ended in the decisive goal to secure the result for the Danes. 

The result, which marks the second straight loss for the U.S., is sure to humble Sermanni and his players. But neither the team or their fans should be stunned by the Americans' poor performance in Portugal. After all, Sermanni warned us last month that these matches would be much different, per USSoccer.com:

"

The group we’re in at the Algarve Cup will probably be the most significant test since I’ve come aboard and a different kind of challenge as we will be playing teams that have the belief and aim to come out to attack us and beat us. The dynamics of these games will be different than some of the more recent matches, and that’s something that we want, that we need and that the players are looking forward to.

"

Now, the U.S. have nowhere to go but up as they look to rebound and finish strong on Wednesday and begin a brand new winning streak.

Key Player Grades

Christen Press, United States: B

Frederick Breedon/Getty Images

U.S. women's national team newcomer Christen Press had several moments of brilliance Monday, scoring the Americans' very first goal and nearly adding to her count in the second half. 

The 25-year-old forward has only made a handful of appearances with the senior squad but showed why she's likely to take on a larger role in the years to come. 

Nadia Nadim, Denmark: A

Armando Franca/Associated Press

Denmark forward Nadia Nadim was superb from the outset, stunning the Americans with a goal in the first half and pressuring on the counter attack throughout.  

The 26-year-old may not be a household name, but her performance was absolutely key to the Danes' upset win.  

Megan Rapinoe, United States: B

Stephen Lam/Getty Images

Megan Rapinoe delivered a timely goal for the U.S. in the match's most critical moment, providing the Americans with a second life down the stretch. 

She nearly leveled the match on a free kick late, but was unlucky. 

Like the rest of the U.S. squad, Rapinoe's relentless fight in the second half gives the Americans something positive to build on moving forward. 

What's Next?

The Americans' loss means that they finish fourth in Group B and are guaranteed to finish outside of the top four at the 2014 Algarve Cup for the first time since 2002. A win would have given the U.S. a shot at the third-place game on Wednesday, but now they will have to wait and see who they'll face in their placement game later this week. 

Depending on how Norway fares against Germany, the U.S. could wind up in the 11th-place match. 

Meanwhile, Denmark's win means they finish third in Group B and will have a shot at fifth place depending on how the remaining group matches unfold.

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