Team USA – gold medalists at 2012’s London Olympics – lost by a score of 4-3 after a tense penalty shootout after overtime ended with the teams tied 1-1. The American had won gold four times previously and silver once. The Americans still advanced to quarterfinal play on Friday in the capital Brasilia, but they met their match in Sweden.
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Before this year, the USA had won four of the five Olympic gold medals and had never failed to reach the final.
Lloyd almost put the United States ahead in the 85th but her kick to the far corner went just wide. “It’s unfortunate. We had the talent”.
Two foreign players on the Portland Thorns roster continue to play in the 2016 Olympic soccer tournament. It is not unusual for goalkeepers to manage longer careers than field players, but Briana Scurry lost her job to Solo when she was 34.
Solo matched Lindahl’s save to open the shootout with one of her own, Linda Sembrant unable to convert.
After the game, Solo remarked on the contrasting styles in blunt terms.
“(I think) we played a bunch of cowards”, Solo told reporters after the match.
Im very proud of this team. I think you saw American heart.
“The best team did not win today”, Solo added.
The U.S. came out early with intent and in the 4th minute, they fired a warning signal, Carli Lloyd with a handsome pass that doesn’t quite reach the wings but comes out for a corner. They didn’t want to play great soccer. It was a combative game, a physical game.
“They executed her game plan very well”.
But Alex Morgan was able to equalise for the tournament favourites, taking advantage of an unfortunate deflection to fire home and ensure the game went to an additional 30 minutes. “I think in the 1991 Women’s World Cup, since that year, the United States have never been out of the medals in any competition”. But for once they didn’t go the whole way through.
The 35-year-old was booed by sections of the crowd during the quarterfinal for this gesture, and her post-match comments were met with equal disdain by Sweden’s former United States coach Pia Sundhage.
“I thought that we played a courageous game”, Solo said after the loss, according to Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl. “It is a choice to play defensively and it is okay”. Sweden, who will take on either Brazil or Australia in the semis.
Sweden defended in numbers, clogged channels and won aerial challenges.
It was the earliest the United States had ever been eliminated from the Olympics since women’s soccer became a sport in 1996.
The Swedish weapons were counterattacks and corner kicks.
Both sides had goals chalked off for marginal decisions deep into extra-time and the game went to a penalty shoot-out.
Sweden’s tactics tested the Americans’ patience and slowed the pace to a crawl. Ironically, she attacked the Swedes for refusing to attack. They didn’t want to open the game, and they tried to counter with longballs. Portland Thorns midfielder Lindsey Horan scored when it was her turn against Sweden’s goalie. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 77th minute.
The equalizer opened the floodgates for the USA, which began wave after wave of attack on the Swedish goal, but the teams ended regulation tied at one, largely due to the Americans’ inability to put their chances on target. Her shot was saved and immediately US were on the backfoot.
Press replaced Rapinoe in the extra period. It was the first time that an Olympic women’s match had gone to penalties. USA skipper Carli Lloyd saw an effort ruled out for offside in the 115th minute.
With Lisa Dahlkvist standing at the spot, Solo motioned for new gloves and made a show of taking her old ones off and putting the new ones on.
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“It could have gone either way”, Lloyd said.
