The U.S. women’s national soccer team played its best game of the World Cup tournament against third-ranked Sweden on Sunday. Unfortunately, it wasn’t good enough.
After 90 minutes of regular time and 30 minutes of overtime, the score was still tied 0-0, so the game went to penalty kicks. Three straight American women — including the political right’s bête noire Megan Rapinoe — choked up and missed the easy shot, giving Sweden the victory.
The writing was on the wall for this team when it failed to secure a much easier path through the knockout round. By tying both the Netherlands and lowly Portugal, the women sealed their fate when being forced to play Sweden rather than first-time World Cup qualifier South Africa.
The result was predictable. The team’s improved play was blunted by the special performance of Sweden’s keeper Zećira Mušović. She made 11 incredible saves — several of them diving, sprawling stops — during regular time, keeping the game scoreless.
“This year’s Women’s World Cup is a testament to the growth of Women’s soccer on a global scale and we are excited to see increased investment in these incredible players,” the USWNT statement issued after the game said. “Our goal remains the same, to win. We are committed to surpassing the standard we helped create and we will rise to meet the challenge.”
The loss was somewhat expected based on the Americans’ listless play through three group-stage matches. But they played their best game of this World Cup against Sweden, only to have it decided by penalties.
“I am proud of the women on the field,” U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski said. “I know we were criticized for the way we played, and for different moments in the group stage. I think we came out today and showed the grit, the resilience, the fight. The bravery showed we did everything we could to win the game. And, unfortunately, soccer can be cruel sometimes.”
As for Rapinoe, the blue-haired, sneering, radical lesbian whose political antics in the last two World Cup tournaments brought shame to the national team, she should be reminded that speaking about things you are ignorant of or don’t understand is reserved for winners.
Rapinoe could have won the game for the U.S. if she had connected on her penalty kick. Instead, in one of the most visible chokes in sports history, her try sailed over the net.
Megan Rapinoe has lost her platform to embarrass The United States.
USWNT deserved this LOSS – & Rapinoe couldn't have ended her career more fittingly, than with this humiliating missed Penalty Kick.
Good Riddance.. pic.twitter.com/dpgmp8igH1
— Michael Hustus 🇺🇸 (@HustusMichael) August 6, 2023
It is an appropriate send-off for Rapinoe, who turned the last several years of the USWNT’s success into a partisan parade for liberals. She made her contempt for America clear by taking part in performative anti-American protests during the national anthem. She is a hypocrite who demands that others “listen more and talk less” while she whines and complains about “equal pay” while getting all of her facts wrong.
Rapinoe has also helped to destroy women’s and girls’ sports heading into the future, as she has become a big booster of allowing men and boys to play with and against female athletes. Girls getting injured against male athletes, losing scholarship opportunities and roster spots, and being forced to change in the same locker room as male athletes who claim they are female? Rapinoe thinks each of those is a problem that “doesn’t even exist,” even though you can cite examples for all of them.
Rapinoe says she’ll retire after this year. The U.S. team can only be so lucky. She laughed during the post-game interview — except the joke was on her.
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