Sweden eliminated the U.S, recording one of the sport’s biggest shocks by beating the holders 4-3 on penalties after the two sides drew 1-1 after extra time.
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In a stunning quarterfinal match in Brasilia, defending champions US were knocked out by Sweden in a dramatic penalty shootout at the Rio Olympics on Friday, 12 August.
It’s the single most disappointing result in American women’s soccer history, not to mention the earliest exit from an global tournament by a wide margin.
It means that four-time champs US miss out on the final for the first time in history following their quarter-final elimination.
At Rio 2016, Team USA were knocked out of the Women’s Soccer tournament and their goalkeeper, Hope Solo, went a couple of steps further. The Americans still advanced to quarterfinal play on Friday in the capital Brasilia, but they met their match in Sweden.
“It’s OK to be a coward if you win”, she said, according to the Globe.
“I was really optimistic”.
Team USA risked playing with just three defenders to jump start the offense after allowing the goal, and it paid off. Alex Morgan scored an equalizer after a Swedish defender botched a clearance in the penalty box, setting the striker up for an easy goal in the 77th minute. “But it just wasn’t our day”.
Elsewhere in the tournament, Brazil survived a major scare by beating minnows Australia in a penalty shoot-out.
Germany will face Canada in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday, after the North Americans progressed thanks to a 56th minute goal from Sophie Schmidt gave them victory over France. The Swedes won the the shootout, knocking the Americans out of the tournament.
Following the goal, the US brought on both Crystal Dunn and Megan Rapinoe as the team shifted to a more attacking formation as it looked for the equalizer. We had many opportunities on goal. I strongly, firmly believe that.
“I thought that we played a courageous game”, Solo said. “I came here to do one thing, and that’s to help our team win, our country win”.
“Sweden dropped back”, she said. “Sweden dropped off, didn’t want to open play”, Solo said.
Once they did, Alex Morgan made the most of a 77th-minute moment of fortune, sliding a loose ball that had bounced off a defender’s head directly into her path past Lindhal. And then, there’s the high-profile labor dispute between players and the U.S. Soccer Federation. Swedish coach Pia Sundhage, who used to coach the US, responded, “It’s OK to be a coward if you win”.
Perhaps chastened by the reaction to her harsh comments, Solo took to Twitter to acknowledge her mistake: “Losing sucks”. It was the USWNT’s earliest-ever exit from an Olympics or World Cup.
The U.S. had been going for an unprecedented fourth straight gold medal. The loss came in 2000 in the gold medal game to Norway. The Americans won the silver that year.
Tied after three rounds in the shootout, Sweden captain Caroline Seger beat Hope Solo and Christen Press’ attempt against Hedvig Lindhal went over the net. A few shooters later, Solo stopped a chance to even things up, but Press – the fifth US shooter – finished a nightmare tournament for her by firing well over the bar.
USA coach Jill Ellis told reporters, “I’m sad for the players, disappointed for all the hard work we did” but said of Sweden’s play: “I’m not going to criticize the tactics they chose”.
Hope Solo wasn’t in such a great mood after Team USA’s loss to the Swedish women’s soccer team at the Rio Olympics on Friday, August 12.
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“You saw us give everything that we had today. No, that’s their choice”.
