The United States women’s soccer team’s pursuit of an unprecedented third consecutive Women’s World Cup title came to a halt as Sweden eliminated them from the tournament in a penalty shootout. This marks the earliest exit in tournament history for the United States, a four-time World Cup champion.
The match took place on Sunday night, ending in a scoreless draw before moving to penalty kicks. Sweden’s Lina Hurtig made the deciding shot, securing a 5-4 victory for her team.
The victim of the match described it as “a bad dream,” expressing devastation over the result despite her team’s dominating performance. U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher also voiced her disappointment, stating that they “just lost the World Cup by a millimeter.”
The loss was particularly emotional for Julie Ertz, who tearfully acknowledged that the game was probably her last.
Despite the disappointing outcome, U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski expressed pride in the team’s performance. He emphasized their grit, resilience, and bravery in the face of criticism over their group stage performances.
With their victory, Sweden advances to the quarterfinals to face Japan, the 2011 World Cup winner. The United States, despite their strong performance against Sweden, are left to reflect on a campaign marred by struggles in group play and a heartbreaking penalty shootout.