MADRID, 6 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The United States team, current world champion, has been eliminated from the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand after losing this Sunday in the penalty shootout of their round of 16 match against Sweden (0-0, 5- 4 on penalties), who meet with Japan after a masterful match by their goalkeeper Zecira Musovic.
The North American team, which had been a semifinalist in all the World Cup events held so far and which has accumulated four titles (1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019), was surprised by the Scandinavians, third in France 2019, and says goodbye to the tournament in the first round.
After the goalless tie in regulation time and after the score did not move in extra time, the clash was decided from eleven meters. The first two Swedish and the first three American players did not miss their shots, until Nathalie Bjorn’s miss.
2019 Ballon d’Or winner Megan Rapinoe also sent the ball wide, and neither Rebecka Blomqvist nor Sophia Smith seized their opportunity to put their team ahead. Hanna Bennison did put Sweden ahead, and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher responded with confidence.
The drama for the US team began to take shape when Kelley O’Hara, on the seventh pitch, hit the stick. Lina Hurtig had before her the opportunity to eliminate the champion, and despite Naeher guessing the shot, the ball crossed the goal line and the goal went up on the scoreboard, after several moments of uncertainty and with the help of VAR.
Earlier, Vlatko Andonovski’s team launched in the first qualifying match in search of their third consecutive crown. A couple of shots from Trinity Rodman in the opening minutes alerted the Scandinavians, who had their best player in Musovic; the goalkeeper of Serbian origin was used to the full to make more than a dozen saves.
Thanks to her, who showed a providential hand against a shot from Alex Morgan in the final stretch, the game headed towards extra time, where the score did not change. Thus, Sweden will face Japan, another of the fittest teams in the World Cup, in the quarterfinals.