Sweden knocks USA out of World Cup in penalty kicks

The USA was knocked out of the World Cup by Sweden, in a match that pitted the reigning champions in opposition to a hard-charging staff on a profitable streak.

The sport closed out 120 minutes of regulation play with out a purpose, regardless of the U.S. squad having a number of shut calls. The even match-up continued into the nerve-wracking penalty kicks, which themselves went into sudden demise.

The percentages leaned backwards and forwards through the kicks, with each Sweden’s Nathalie Björn and the U.S. star Megan Rapinoe lacking their pictures, which began a string of four-straight missed kicks. After Sweden’s Rebecka Blomqvist shot was saved, U.S.’s Sophia Smith missed her shot.

Ultimately, the ball crossed over the road after U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher blocked Lina Hurtig’s shot. As a result of she could not reserve it once more, the sport was over. The ultimate rating was 5-4.

The U.S. squad had been the favorites getting into the match, having gained the final two World Cups, held in 2019 and 2015. They had been additionally prime of the pile in 1999 and 1991.

However their footwork within the group stage did not equate to many targets, or victories. They handily beat Vietnam in a 3-0 match, however their matches in opposition to the Netherlands and Portugal each led to attracts.

They exited the group spherical with 5 factors, trailing the Netherlands by two. This was the primary time in Girls’s World Cup historical past that the U.S. earned fewer than six factors through the group stage.

Sunday’s match was the US’ fourth-ever World Cup recreation to enter additional time, with all three prior going all the best way to penalties.

Swedish goalkeeper Zecira Musovic made a number of huge saves, together with stopping a powerful cost by Alex Morgan within the closing second of regulation play.

The primary half of play had been managed by the U.S. staff, which monopolized possession and had no less than two pictures on purpose to Sweden’s zero. However the rating was nil-nil on the halfway level.

By halfway by the second half, Sweden started to use extra strain, with possession night out. They put collectively a number of set items that had been nearer to success than they’d had beforehand, however they nonetheless struggled to complete.

The U.S. squad wasn’t on its again foot, nonetheless, as they had been nonetheless getting extra possibilities on purpose than their rivals, with two extra pictures on track.

Sweden’s first shot on purpose got here within the eighty fifth minute.

Rapinoe, the star U.S. midfielder, entered the sport within the eighth minute of additional time, with the scoreboard nonetheless clean. She was a member of earlier World Cup-winning squads and this match is predicted to be her final as a participant.

Sweden, which was ranked third within the match, was the runner up in 2003, their prime placement because the preliminary 1991 match.

They topped their group with 9 factors after handily trouncing Argentina, Italy and South Africa. Solely two different groups, England and Japan, left the group spherical undefeated.

The USA and Sweden have performed one another in each Girls’s World Cup since 2003.

“It would not be a serious match if we weren’t going through Sweden,” mentioned Lindsey Horan, the U.S. captain.

She and Sophia Smith have up to now been the USWNT’s main scorers, every netting two. No different participant scored within the group stage. Rose Lavelle sat out the match out after incomes a yellow card accumulation suspension.

The Spherical of 16 match started at 7 p.m. native time, or 5 a.m. ET, at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.

The winner faces Japan within the quarterfinals.