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Megan Rapinoe has admitted that the USA Girls’s Nationwide staff had been proven up by Sweden in its Olympic ladies’s soccer opener on Wednesday.
The pre-tournament favourites and reigning world champions made the worst attainable begin to their Group G marketing campaign on Wednesday, shedding 3-0 to Sweden courtesy of two objectives from Stina Blackstenius and a header from Lina Hurtig.
America misplaced their 44-game unbeaten report consequently, however Rapinoe felt that they had been the masters of their very own downfall on the Tokyo Stadium.
“We acquired our asses kicked, didn’t we?” Rapinoe mentioned after the sport. “I believe we had been a little bit tight, just a bit nervous. Simply doing dumb stuff like not passing the ball, not tapping the ball.”
In her post-match press convention, the 36-year-old added: “I do not suppose we performed an excellent sport and that is to take nothing away from Sweden, I believe they performed a terrific sport.
“They discovered plenty of area in our form and had been in a position to be very scientific once they acquired in for the purpose and did very properly taking their probabilities. Generally I really feel like, if ever we lose or tie or anybody offers us a sport, it is unbelievable and that is actually form of offensive to each different staff.
“That is the very best stage and these are the most effective groups on this planet, Sweden being probably the greatest groups ever, definitely in Europe, so if we do not play properly, sport in, sport out, we’re not going to win these video games.
“So, there’s plenty of stuff [to improve on]. We wish to be so much higher. I believe we performed a little bit bit tight, and simply damage ourselves so much. I do not suppose we will actually say one factor particularly, they took their probabilities, acquired into higher area and inevitably scored extra objectives.”
How did Sweden pull it off?
U.S. head coach Vlatko Andonovski hadn’t skilled defeat in his earlier 23 matches in cost, however his aspect had been second greatest proper from the primary whistle in opposition to a decided Sweden outfit.
Blackstenius headed Sweden in entrance after simply 26 minutes, and the USWNT had been fortunate to go in at halftime just one purpose down, with No.1 goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher compelled to make a lot of essential saves.
The stress continued at the beginning of the second interval, and Peter Gerhardsson’s staff doubled its benefit shortly earlier than the hour mark thanks to a different sensible end from Blackstenius.
Hurtig then ended all hope of a comeback for the U.S. by nodding dwelling within the 72nd minute, with Christen Press subsequently squandering a pair of late probabilities to scale back the arrears.
America has beforehand claimed 4 gold medals on the Olympic Video games, however will seemingly need to win its subsequent fixture in opposition to New Zealand on Saturday to have any hope of progressing to the quarter-finals this time round.
The 2016 silver medallists Sweden, in the meantime, can ebook their spot within the knockout part by beating Australia on the identical day, and can now be among the many favourites to win the event for the primary time within the nation’s historical past.
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