Threepeat bid OVER: Sweden ousts bright but finish-less USWNT

“We played really well. Really well. I’m so happy for us that we went out like that, playing the way we did with a ton of joy on the ball. This is like a sick joke, dark comedy that I missed a penalty. Alyssa [Naeher] came up huge, kept us in it [by] scoring as well. This is the balance to the beautiful side of the game. Just not our day. I still feel really grateful, joyful. This is the end but to know this is the only time I’ve been in one of these [losing interviews] this early, says so much about how much success I’ve been able to have and how much I’ve loved playing for this team and playing for this country.”

Alyssa Naeher had already converted her penalty and saved another when she appeared to keep the USWNT alive for an eighth-round of penalties.

The 35-year-old got a hand to Lina Hurtig’s seventh-round penalty with the score tied at 4. The ball drifted toward the line and Naeher looked to have pawed it back for another round but the Goal Decision System showed something the naked eye couldn’t catch.

Initially ruled a save, it became a goal and the end of the USWNT’s threepeat bid at the World Cup.

“We just lost the World Cup by a millimeter. That’s tough. Proud of the fight of our team tonight. We knew we hadn’t given our best in the group stage. We wanted a complete team performance and I thought we played great tonight. Hats off to the Swedish goalkeeper, a number of great saves to keep it 0-0. I’m proud of the battle, proud of the group. We showed that American mentality that’s been standard for the group.”

On scoring her penalty: “We practice it just like the field players. We know if you’re on the field, there’s always a chance you’ll have to step up and take on. I put the same preparation for that as I do any other part of the game.”

The USWNT played its best game of the tournament in the World Cup’s Round of 16, with several fantastic performances, a lot of solid showings, and a disappointing spell from a living legend.

Here are our player ratings from the 120 minutes plus penalties. We loved Naomi Girma and Trinity Rodman, and grimace in being critical of Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan.

“Just devastated. Feels like a bad dream. The team put everything out there tonight. We dominated but it doesn’t matter. We’re going home, and it’s the highs and lows of the sport of soccer.”

“I was so focused on the World Cup that I don’t know [about my future]. I’m ready to get back to San Diego, and get back to work, go from there.”

“Everyone just wanted to lean in on each other. This team was a really special team. Everyone got along really well, so it’s a tough one to swallow.”

“First and foremost I’m so proud of the team. A lot went into this performance, changing gears and playing like us, playing our style and being confident and patience. We went out and did it. We played beautiful football today. We entertained, created chances but didn’t score. Penalties suck, they’re cruel. I’m proud of every player who stepped up to take a penalty today. Score or miss, it’s courageous to take a penalty.”

“You just saw it on the field. Being able to come out of the group stage where we didn’t perform our best, this is what this team’s gonna be made of. Look at Naomi’s performance this whole tournament. Sophia looks like she’s 30. So many great players.”

“It’s tough. We’re proud of the way we played but we didn’t put anything in the back of the net. Penalties were tough as well.”

“For as me it’s emotional because it’s probably the last game ever for me to have the honor to wear this crest. It absolutely sucks. Penalties are the worst but it’s an honor to represent this team and I’m excited for the future of the girls.”

“Kelley always says that we just rent these jerseys and it’s our job to pass it down to the others. It’s been an absolute ride. I’m very grateful.”

“So proud of the team. I know we were criticized for the way we played in the group stage. I thought we came out today and showed what we were all about: the grit, resilience, fight, and bravery. Unfortunately, soccer can be cruel sometime.

“The message is something we worked on and something we were ready for. We were working on penalties for the last nine, 10 months. Sometimes you’re not going to hit the right button.

“First we look at this team. Five players who started the game were young players. These are players that will be here for years to come. This tournament is a great experience for them. I think they’ll dominate with players who couldn’t make it like Mallory Swanson and Catarino Macario.”

Sweden wins 5-4 in heartbreaking, VAR-reviewed fashion. What an ending.

Andi Sullivan — GOAL. Perfect low kick to Musovic’s right. 1-0.

Fridolina Rolfo — GOAL. Sweet strike to the left of Naeher. 1-1.

Lindsey Horan — GOAL. Musovic reads it right again, but perfect. 2-1.

Elin Rubensson — GOAL. Just a terrific batch of pens thusfar. 2-2.

Kristie Mewis — GOAL. Lashed off the inside of the post. 3-2.

Nathalie Bjorn — MISS. Right back sails kick over the cross bar. 3-2.

Megan Rapinoe — MISS. A poor day for the legend as sub. 3-2.

Rebecka Blomqvist — SAVE. Naeher bails her out! 3-2.

Sophia Smith — MISS. Oh goodness. Wide right. 3-2.

Hanna Bennison — GOAL. Down main street. 3-3.

Alyssa Naeher — GOAL. Keeper on keeper crime. 4-3.

Magdalena Eriksson — GOAL. Upper 90. 4-4.

Kelley O’Hara — POST. 4-4.

Lina Hurtig — GOAL. It looked like a double save but Naeher just couldn’t paw out the rebound of her initial save! 5-4.

Oh, the subplots.

The USWNT has been the better team in the game and played its best game of the tournament.

Unfortunately the best player of the game is Sweden goalkeeper Zecira Musovic. The Chelsea backstop has 11 saves, 13 recoveries, and two high claims.

We’re onto kicks. The threepeat is on the line. Buckle up.

Vlatko Andonovski is pushing it with his final subs, who get in with seconds left in the 120 minutes.

Emily Fox and Emily Sonnett exit for living legend Kelley O’Hara and midfielder Kristie Mewis.

One more chance as Horan can’t get her head to an O’Hara throw.

Lindsey Horan dinks a pretty entry to Lynn Williams, whose cross gets to Rapinoe but she can’t reach it and has to dribble backward.

The USWNT reloads and wins a free kick from the right. Rapinoe goes to take it but it’s way too short.

Now Smith escapes two marks to cross but Sweden is prepared in the heart of the box.

Yellow card to Julie Ertz for a hand to the face that breaks up Sweden’s counter.

Stina Blackstenius will not be a part of penalty kicks, if it gets to that.

The Swedish superstar has been replaced by Rebecka Blomqvist.

About eight minutes left for the Yanks or Blågult to find a winner.

This time it’s Sophia Smith drilling a shot from the right, and Musovic again is there to parry for a corner kick.

A couple funny bounces on the ensuing set piece, and Ertz has to spin and lunge to bound a ball to Musovic.

Horan releases Williams but there’s too much mustard on it.

0-0.

Sweden’s No. 1 goalkeeper will be the reason for their advancement if the USWNT can’t find a winner.

Lynn Williams is released on the right by a classy Sophia Smith and Musovic’s seventh save is perhaps her best of the match as Rapinoe is just beyond reach of the rebound.

Her near-post corner only finds the outside of the netting. 0-0.

Sweden makes a sub as Hanna Bennison enters for Filippa Angeldahl.

The USWNT counters with Megan Rapinoe getting a rapturous ovation from the crowd as she enters for Alex Morgan.

Sophia Smith will slide central, and Vlatko Andonovski is turning to one of the players who backed him to get the gig.

Andi Sullivan conjures pure sorcery with a long ball over the top of the Swedish defense that’s only reachable by Alex Morgan.

The veteran forward bodies a defender before lashing a left-footed effort that Musovic is well-positioned to get behind for a corner kick.

Sweden’s happy to be here but the USWNT will be feeling good at pretty much every part of its performance except the finishing.

It may even be pleased with those efforts in some regard, willing to tip their caps to Musovic and her now six saves.

Still just the one sub used by Andonovski — Gerhardsson’s made two — and the Yanks are out-attempting Sweden 14-7 with 59 percent possession.

It was a closer second-half, but still tilted to the USWNT: 56% of the ball and an 8-5 advantage in shot attempts.

The Chelsea goalkeeper has been well-positioned for much of this match, but she has to get to her right to save Alex Morgan’s header.

Now she’ll have to collect a looping header back from her defender, but it’s not a problem and it’s going to stay 0-0 into two minutes stoppage.

Zecira Musovic will be the player of this game unless someone scores and it looks like we’ll have to wait to see that until, maybe, extra time.

Off are captain Kosovare Asllani, who was on a yellow, and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd as Sweden boss Peter Gerhardsson makes his first two moves.

Sofia Jakobsson of the San Diego Wave and Arsenal’s Lina Hurtig enter the fray. Forwards for forwards, as Sweden is ready to go for it with fresh legs.

And now Morgan will be happy she was offside to meet Horan’s terrific ball because the veteran takes too many touches and slices into the outside of the netting from a too-acute angle.

Now Jakobsson is saved by Naeher! Heady times for two world powers, including the two-time defending World Cup champion USWNT.

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd roasts her mark and gets into the box but her pass isn’t quite what was required and the USWNT is fortunate that the ball hits the ref for the second time in the match.

At the other end, Emily Sonnett blazes over the bar after Alex Morgan made a terrific lunging pass of a loose ball to the top of the arc.

Still scoreless, and Lynn Williams for Rodman remains the lone sub for either side.

One of the stars of the game is coming off the pitch, and Lynn Williams will come onto it.

FOX broadcaster JP Dellacamera says that Trinity Rodman has been dealing with illness, which makes you wonder how many goals she might have healthy.

Rodman has been fantastic, one of the players of the match, but Williams is someone of whom fans have been clamoring to see more. They’ll get it!

Sweden has a good spell with the ball, a rare show of both teeth and intent.

Naomi Girma has one crucial intervention and Julie Ertz appears to have another but replays show that her crunching tackle on Arsenal star Stina Blackstenius misses the ball. It was just outside the box.

Now to the other end where Sophia Smith can’t beat Musovic, but the flag was up.

Musovic is now the story of this match.

Emily Fox’s terrific cross from the right is absolutely hammered on goal by Lindsey Horan at the back post.

Musovic spots it and pushes it out for a corner. She slightly misplays the set piece but collects ensuing danger to keep things scoreless.

Kosovare Asllani is in the book for a foul on Julie Ertz, and the Yanks are on the front foot on the restart through Sophia Smith.

She zips up the left flank and the ball comes across the pitch only for a wayward pass to leave Horan lunging into a foul.

Still 0-0.

The USWNT has been significantly better than Sweden over 45 minutes, but the final ball has eluded them or been denied by the cross bar.

When the Yanks have found more dangerous moments, Chelsea keeper Zecira Musovic, who has two saves and four recoveries.

The Yanks hold a 6-2 shot advantage and have held 62% possession. They are passing at 80 percent and have more than doubled Sweden’s passes.

Trinity Rodman’s been wonderful and both Andi Sullivan and Emily Sonnett are proving the be the right call at DCM by Vlatko Andonovski.

Now the much-scrutinized boss will have to make the right calls at the break and in the second half. Fingers crossed.

It’s been all USWNT, and Alex Morgan comes this close to getting the outside of her boot to the ball as she races to beat Musovic to the near post.

Jonna Andersson is down and Sweden is hoping to get a mini-regroup before halftime. Blågult has been a top team at this tournament but is second-best by a half-mile (0.8 kilometers) in this first half of the Women’s World Cup Round of 16.

So close! Lindsey Horan rises high to spin a USWNT corner kick toward goal but it snaps off the upper half of the cross bar and over the goal.

The Yanks have a 5-2 advantage in shot attempts and have put two on target while holding 58 percent of the ball and almost doubling Sweden in pass attempts.

All that without a goal can still send them out of the World Cup but this is by far their best performance of the tournament.

Can they get that goal before Sweden gets to halftime and a chance to adjust? And then can Vlatko Andonovski continue to outmaneuver Peter Gerhardsson with a superior plan?

Alyssa Naeher has the USWNT box well-organized for some Swedish set pieces, and she’s already had two big punches on crosses/corners in this match. Alex Morgan’s also intervened with a clearance.

She’s also instrumental in delivering some relief to an injured Trinity Rodman, who is dropped hard and dealing with a hip ailment.

Rodman no worse for the wear as she cooks Jonna Andersson to force a two-handed parry from Chelsea keeper Zecira Musovic. Smith needs a touch to set-up her bid at the rebound and that gives Sweden a chance to close the back door.

Now Rodman floats a left-footed shot over the frame. Dangerous, but still scoreless.

The United States women’s national team sure looks like it has a good plan to possess and work the ball around but there’s a problem.

So far, that key pass that matters has been inaccurate — a foot behind or in front of the danger folks.

That could be a bit of nerves. The possession and plan are both great signs. The passing part is... a bit annoying for the legions of USWNT fans seeing what could be!

And just as I type that, Trinity Rodman picks up a good entry and drives past a defender to force the game’s first save. Nice!

Andi Sullivan starts progression and nearly opens the scoring when a loose ball falls to her atop the 18.

The Washington Spirit star drives a bounding shot wide of the post after Sophia Smith comes close to getting a chance from eight-or-so yards.

This after a third Swedish cross into the box in a half-dozen minutes. A taste of their tactical plan?

The match has begun — Ertz and Girma are partnered at center back — and the Yanks find the front foot with Sophia Smith cueing up Alex Morgan.

Smith’s long dribble and pass finds a good first touch from Morgan, who can’t chop her way into shooting position and is then whistled for a foul.

Sweden, for its part, has put two crosses into the box in the first 150 seconds.

Intense!

Earlier this week, I wrote about the Yanks’ struggles in the group stage as Andonovski’s side finished below the Netherlands in group play.

Read that here.

To sum up: The possession performances haven’t been good enough and the personnel choices/substitutions have been suspect, to be sure, but the xG and xA show a team quite superior to most of the field despite playing one elite team and one decent-enough team.

You have to finish, as Alex Morgan has done so often before this World Cup. Her numbers — and Sophia Smith’s — say that even average finishing would’ve glossed over their struggles, which was likely overblown. All that said, Sweden is a huge ask. The Yanks could play their best game, and I’d expect that, but will it be enough?

The USWNT lineup is out ahead of kickoff in Melbourne and head coach Vlatko Andonovski has made a move or two.

Emily Sonnett enters the fray for her first start and Trinity Rodman is back into the Starting XI.

Sonnett’s inclusion could signal one of few things:

• A move into the midfield for Julie Ertz with Sonnett alongside Naomi Girma.
• A move into the midfield for Crystal Dunn with Sonnett joining Emily Fox as a fullback
• Sonnett in the midfield for Rose Lavelle.
• A 3-5-2.

Either way, expect Lindsey Horan to have a lot more freedom to create — as this particular author advocated on the ProSoccerTalk show — perhaps even as a No. 10.

Rodman joins Sophia Smith and Alex Morgan as the most-used front three of the tournament and a group that’s spurred the tournament’s second-top xG.