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The United States Women’s National Team lost 3-0 to Sweden in their first game of the group stage. It was a dominating performance from Sweden that beat the USWNT on the field. As Megan Rapinoe said, “We got fucked hard.” Stina Blackstenius scored twice and Lina Hurtig added a third for Sweden. The USWNT offered little response, with Christen Press’s 71st minute miss being their best chance. The rash was the team’s first 3-0 defeat since their 2017 loss to France in the SheBelieves Cup.
Sweden started their dominant game early in the first half, building up the pressure, disrupting the USWNT, knocking out passing lanes, controlling possession, and it was only in the first twenty minutes of the game. They got their breakthrough in the 24th minute of the game as Eva Jakobsson punched a cross into the box which Blackstenius repelled on a plunging header from a near-post run.
The USWNT managed to come out of the first half with just one goal, despite shooting eleven to three and conceding seven corners. Head coach Vlatko Andonovski made adjustments in the second half and replaced Carli Lloyd and Julie Ertz with Alex Morgan and Sam Mewis. Ertz’s impact was immediate (be sure to check all USWNT player ratings), as the midfielder immediately started playing in the midfield, reclaiming the ball and closing the passing lanes. in her first appearance since having sprained the MCL. May.
As the team finally seemed to make a small adjustment and string together a few assists while disrupting the Swedish midfielder, the momentum was cut short when Blackstenius scored the go-ahead goal in the 54th minute.
The USWNT missed a golden opportunity to come back into the game when Christen Press hit the post and then minutes later Sweden scored their third to put the game aside.
Throughout the match, the USWNT struggled to really navigate their way into the match, looking stunned at times, reintroducing old feelings about their elimination at Rio 2016 and raising new questions about the team and its ability to fight your way through the rest of the game. group. The loss ends a 44-game unbeaten streak for the United States, and the team will look to bounce back from the loss to New Zealand on July 24.
Dashboard USWNT 0, Sweden 3
Sweden 25 ‘: ⚽ Stina Blackstenius
Sweden 54 ‘: Stina Blackstenius
Sweden ’72: Lina Hurtig
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