https://www.foxsports.com.au/footba...6/news-story/5ba3070f1be53806c5e88a1d799fd064
Two-time reigning World Cup champions USA have been dumped out of the tournament in the Round of 16 by Olympic silver medalists Sweden after a dramatic 5-4 penalty shoot-out.
The USA dominated the match but were kept goalless by the crossbar and a stunning performance from Sweden goalkeeper Zećira Mušović, who made a tournament-high 11 saves (before penalties).
Sweden, by contrast, had just one shot on target in the 120 minutes.
Extra time failed to deliver a goal, and the match went to penalties in front of 27,706 fans in Melbourne.
The United states led 3-2 in the shoot-out before legendary veteran Megan Rapinoe - the 38-year-old at her fourth World Cup - missed.
That came in a dramatic run of four-straight misses from the spot, with USA attacker Sophia Smith missing when a goal would have won the match.
The normally faultless penalty taker Megan Rapinoe failed from the spot.Source: Getty Images
Young Swede Hanna Bennison kept her team alive and sent it to stunning death.
With her team’s seventh penalty attempt, American Kelley O’Hara - who had been substituted on one minute before the shootout - hit the post, giving Sweden a chance to win the match.
USA goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher - who herself scored a penalty in the shootout - got a hand to Lina Hurtig’s shot and deflected it upwards, then made a second dive to try and stop the ball going across the line.
The entire stadium held its breath as the referees waited for goal-line technology to rule on whether the ball had crossed the line - and showed that it had, by mere millimetres.
“This is just remarkable, wow. They cannot believe, I’m not sure I can,” Simon Hill said in commentary.
It is the United States’ first defeat at a World Cup since the 2011 final, and the first time they have ever failed to make at least the semi-finals.
World number three Sweden will now face Japan in the quarter finals, while world number one USA join world number two Germany in being eliminated.
USA players were in tears after the final whistle.Source: Getty Images
It is a disastrous result for the United States, who were the pre-tournament favourites to make it three-straight tournament wins.
USA coach Vlatko Andonovski said: “So proud of the team. so proud of the girls, of the women on the field.
“I know they were critiicsed, we were criticised for the way we played... I think we came out tonight and showed what we were all about - showed the grit, the resilience, the fight, the bravery.
“We showed everything to win the game. Unfortunately soccer can be cruel sometimes.”
“This team’s got a very bright future,” Andonovski added.
The dominant nation in women’s football history with four World Cup crowns, the United States has never finished lower than third in the World Cup.
But this tournament has shown time and again that the gap between heavyweight nations and the minnows - like the eight nations debuting at the World Cup - is narrowing. That has seen a string of upsets light up the competition.
Now, the gap between the United States and the chasing pack has also closed.
Two-time reigning World Cup champions USA have been dumped out of the tournament in the Round of 16 by Olympic silver medalists Sweden after a dramatic 5-4 penalty shoot-out.
The USA dominated the match but were kept goalless by the crossbar and a stunning performance from Sweden goalkeeper Zećira Mušović, who made a tournament-high 11 saves (before penalties).
Sweden, by contrast, had just one shot on target in the 120 minutes.
Extra time failed to deliver a goal, and the match went to penalties in front of 27,706 fans in Melbourne.
The United states led 3-2 in the shoot-out before legendary veteran Megan Rapinoe - the 38-year-old at her fourth World Cup - missed.
That came in a dramatic run of four-straight misses from the spot, with USA attacker Sophia Smith missing when a goal would have won the match.
Young Swede Hanna Bennison kept her team alive and sent it to stunning death.
With her team’s seventh penalty attempt, American Kelley O’Hara - who had been substituted on one minute before the shootout - hit the post, giving Sweden a chance to win the match.
USA goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher - who herself scored a penalty in the shootout - got a hand to Lina Hurtig’s shot and deflected it upwards, then made a second dive to try and stop the ball going across the line.
The entire stadium held its breath as the referees waited for goal-line technology to rule on whether the ball had crossed the line - and showed that it had, by mere millimetres.
“This is just remarkable, wow. They cannot believe, I’m not sure I can,” Simon Hill said in commentary.
It is the United States’ first defeat at a World Cup since the 2011 final, and the first time they have ever failed to make at least the semi-finals.
World number three Sweden will now face Japan in the quarter finals, while world number one USA join world number two Germany in being eliminated.
USA players were in tears after the final whistle.Source: Getty Images
It is a disastrous result for the United States, who were the pre-tournament favourites to make it three-straight tournament wins.
USA coach Vlatko Andonovski said: “So proud of the team. so proud of the girls, of the women on the field.
“I know they were critiicsed, we were criticised for the way we played... I think we came out tonight and showed what we were all about - showed the grit, the resilience, the fight, the bravery.
“We showed everything to win the game. Unfortunately soccer can be cruel sometimes.”
“This team’s got a very bright future,” Andonovski added.
The dominant nation in women’s football history with four World Cup crowns, the United States has never finished lower than third in the World Cup.
But this tournament has shown time and again that the gap between heavyweight nations and the minnows - like the eight nations debuting at the World Cup - is narrowing. That has seen a string of upsets light up the competition.
Now, the gap between the United States and the chasing pack has also closed.