While the United States held plenty of possession and chances, they were by no means dominant, having to come back late to equalize from a 1-0 deficit and then barely holding on in extra time, which included a Lotta Schelin goal that was incorrectly called back as offside. USA forward Christen Press’ attempt then went over Hedvig Lindahl’s net. Sweden merely took the opportunities on offer and made the majority: score on one of two shots on goal and win the penalty-kick shootout.
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(AP Photo/Eraldo Peres). United States’ Alex Morgan, center left, celebrates with teammates Mallory Pugh, left, Crystal Dunn after scoring during a quarter-final match of the women’s Olympic football tournament between the United States and Sweden in B.
“I think we showed a lot of heart”.
“We played a bunch of cowards”, Solo told Sports Illustrated.
Solo then said she didn’t think “they’re going to make it far in the tournament. It’s unfortunate to lose, but you best believe, in 2019 [World Cup in France] and 2020 [Olympics in Tokyo], we’re going to be back for the golds”. I’m very proud of this team.
Prior to today, her success in building a team for the future post-WWC had largely been deemed successful.
The Sweden coach, Pia Sundhage, led the USA to gold and the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and was dismissive of Solo’s outburst.
The gold medal match between Ku and France’s Jean-Charles Valladont went five sets, with Ku winning by the final tally of 7-3.
Morgan looked to have saved America’s blushes when she swooped 13 minutes from the end of normal time to cancel out Stina Blackstenius’s opener just after the hour mark.
A tense extra-time period saw each side have a goal disallowed late, with Lloyd being denied late before Lotta Schelin’s effort was also ruled out moments later.
Despite the USWNT being eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Olympics, however, fans remain hopeful that Ellis and the members of the team will get it all sorted out over the next three years as they focus on becoming World Cup champions again. Sweden, who will take on either Brazil or Australia in the semis. It was just her second worldwide goal, and Sundhage reacted by high-fiving her assistants on the bench.
It took a lucky bounce and a quick Alex Morgan reaction to even get the United States on the scoreboard and into extra time.
Lloyd almost put the United States ahead in the 85th but her kick to the far corner went just wide.
Before the match, Sundhage said that “anything can happen in the quarterfinals”, and that “all the pressure is on the Americans”. We had that style of play when Pia [Sundhage] was our coach.
Solo said she was upset because the Swedes “didn’t want to open play”.
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In the 99th minute, Megan Rapinoe was subbed off for Christen Press. A United States assistant sprinted around to the side of the goal with a new pair. And it’s three long years to the next World Cup. The last time the two teams met in the Olympics was at the 1996 Atlanta Games. The textbook counter-attack fell firmly within Sweden’s game plan, and the previously dominant Americans needed two substitutions and around 15 minutes to recover their poise.
