HomeSportsUSWNT’s World Cup-ending loss to Sweden was ‘by a millimeter’

USWNT’s World Cup-ending loss to Sweden was ‘by a millimeter’

August 6, 2023

For the U.S. Women’s National Team, Sunday’s loss to Sweden wasn’t a game of inches, it was a game of millimeters.

Sweden’s game-winning penalty kick that knocked the USWNT out of the World Cup in the Round of 16 crossed the line by the smallest of margins before being swatted out by goalie Alyssa Naeher.

Video Assistant Referee (VAR) confirmed the goal, ending the USWNT’s shot at a three consecutive title.

“We just lost the World Cup by a millimeter,” Naeher told Fox after the loss. “That’s tough.”

The U.S. had chances to eliminate Sweden earlier in penalty kicks, but Sweden survived when Kelley O’Hara hit the right post in the seventh round and Megan Rapinoe missed by a mile.


Alyssa Naeher
Alyssa Naeher almost stopped the game-winning penalty kick Sunday.
AFP via Getty Images

America’s chances rested squarely on Naeher stopping Lina Hurtig’s kick.

Hurtig shot left, and Naeher dove in the right direction, getting her hands on the ball.

Unfortunately for Naeher, the velocity of the kick deflected the ball off her hands and toward the goal instead of going forward.

Naeher recovered to swat the ball back toward Hurtig before the naked eye could clearly tell whether or not it had crossed the line.

Naeher made her case while referee Stephanie Frappart waited for video replay to confirm whether or not the goal counted.

The goal did indeed cross the line and Naeher stood in disbelief as Sweden celebrated.

“Proud of the fight (in) the team tonight,” Naeher said. “We knew we hadn’t given our best in the group stage and we wanted a complete team performance. I thought we played great tonight.

“That’s a tough one for sure.”

Each of the USWNT’s last two games came down to millimeters as the U.S. only advanced to the Round of 16 by tying Portugal after a kick bounced off the post.

Had Portugal scored on that shot, the United States would have been eliminated in group stage play.


Alyssa Naeher
Alyssa Naeher of the U.S. attempts to save a penalty from Sweden’s Lina Hurtig during the penalty shootout as the ball crosses the line.
REUTERS

The goal that sealed the USWNT's fate barely crossed the line against Sweden.
The goal that sealed the USWNT’s fate barely crossed the line against Sweden.
FOXSports/Twitter

This time around, the U.S. didn’t get those millimeters to go it’s way.

“You couldn’t see it with the naked eye; you certainly couldn’t see it in the moment. Alyssa Naeher didn’t think it was over the line, but ultimately we have this technology,” Fox commentator Alexi Lalas said. “There will be a lot of talk about it. Sometimes, it’s a game of inches.

“For this team, both good and bad, it was down to inches in this World Cup.”

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