For the first time ever, the USA are out of the World Cup at the last 16 stage, after a dramatic penalty shootout defeat to Sweden on Sunday. The shootout ended with an utterly bizarre penalty which sealed the fate of the USWNT.
The world #1 and #3 teams faced off in Melbourne, far earlier than most would have expected these two tournament contenders to come together.
Defending back-to-back World Cup champions, the USA did not enjoy an easy run of things in the group stages, making unexpectedly hard work of the first round.
An indifferent 2-0 win over Vietnam was followed by a draw with 2019 runners-up the Netherlands, before they came within inches of being eliminated by Portugal in their final group game.
The runners-up spot gave them a trickier than expected assignment in the last 16, and Sweden proved why they are seen as one of the favourites for this tournament after a dramatic shootout win was sealed by one of the strangest penalties in recent memory.
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USA v Sweden: USWNT exit World Cup at last 16 stage after dramatic penalty shootout
The most highly-anticipated game of the World Cup thus far brought together the USA and Sweden, with the USWNT seeking to continue their push for a "threepeat," after World Cup triumphs in 2015 and 2019.
Though the US were drastically improved from their underwhelming group phase play, they could not find the breakthrough even after extra time, and the game was sent to a penalty shootout.
After 12 penalties, the score was set at 4-4, before the USA's Kelley O'Hara missed to give Lina Hurtig the chance to put Sweden through and send the world champions home.
Hurtig's penalty was saved by American goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, but the backspin on the ball led to it creeping back towards the goalline. Naeher did brilliantly to palm the ball out, before the referee paused to check whether the ball had crossed the line.
By a matter of millimetres, it had.
Lina Hurtig wins it for Sweden, her penalty kick in the shootout just made it over the line, the holders USA are out 5-4 on penalties
📱Recap https://t.co/D7iRaDsbV6 #wwc2023 #rtesoccer #SWEUSA pic.twitter.com/iPCSrYROQu— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) August 6, 2023
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The dramatic conclusion to the penalty shootout means that the USA will be missing from the business end of the World Cup for the first time ever. They had never failed to reach the semi-finals in any previous edition, and Sunday's result opens the door for an underdog victory.
Sweden will now face Japan in a mouthwatering quarter-final in Auckland on Friday, with kick-off at 8:30am Irish time.
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