USWNT 0, Sweden 3: USA loses in fantastic Olympic opener (VIDEO)
The American women’s national team’s quest for a fifth Olympic gold medal starts shockingly – and not in a positive way.
Stina Blackstenius ‘two goals and Lina Hurtig’s insurance head in the second half lifted Sweden to a comprehensive 3-0 victory over the USA in Tokyo, where the reigning ladies’ World Cup champions were consistently on the back foot and saw their unbeaten streak in 44 matches come to an end.
Sweden, which eliminated the USA from the 2016 Olympics in Brazil in the quarterfinals, came out aggressively and pressed incessantly to worry the USA After a series of corners and Alyssa Naeher saved, Sweden broke through via Blackstenius, who glanced at her head in a post from Sofia Jakobsson in the 25th minute. It was Blackstenius who scored against the USA during the 2016 games as part of a 1-1 draw that was decided with penalties.
Rose Lavelle managed to hit the post with a header just before half-time after an accurate delivery from the hill from Kelley O’Hara, but it was so close the USA came to score in the first half. In total, Sweden surpassed the USA 10–3 (6–1 shots on goal) and had seven corners to the USA during the first 45 minutes.
Sweden doubled the lead in the 54th minute, with Blackstenius making his second. A header from a corner kick came from the post, but the striker was left unmarked by the same post and calmly hit Naeher from close range, with a VAR review that kept the goal and showed that she was not offside.
The United States had a couple of chances to pull one back. Carli Lloyd, as a half-time substitute along with Julie Ertz (who replaces Alex Morgan and Sam Mewis), came free down the right and was picked out by Lavelle. Her low, curling attempt in the 61st minute, however, was rejected and knocked out to the corner.
After another substitute, Megan Rapinoe, came in, Christen Press hit the post with her 70th minute chance outside Rapinoe’s cross.
Things turned dramatically back in Sweden’s favor a few minutes later. Hurtig, who scored against the USA in April, led the Swedes’ third home after a post from Hanna Glas, 3-0 and ended the match effectively.
Press was denied a consolation goal by Hedvig Lindahl during the stoppage time in the second half, with the Swedish goalkeeper who made a fantastic save on an empty head.
The loss is the United States’ first under manager Vlatko Andonovski, and it is the first in total since a 3-1 friendly defeat against France on January 19, 2019.
Sweden had come as close as anyone to snap this line in April and tie the United States 1-1 after a late penalty gave Megan Rapinoe the chance to secure a draw.
The United States meets New Zealand on July 24 and Australia on July 27 to end group games in Japan. The top two painters in each of the three groups advance to the knockout stage, while the top two third places also go through, so the defeat is not entirely debilitating, especially if the United States bounces back to win its next two matches, but it is clearly not the start Andonovski had in mind for his squad full of veteran, championship-grade talent.
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