Tag Archives: USAs

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Rai Benjamin anchors Team USA’s DOMINANT 4×400 relay team to gold yet again | NBC Sports – NBC Sports

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  1. Rai Benjamin anchors Team USA’s DOMINANT 4×400 relay team to gold yet again | NBC Sports NBC Sports
  2. World Athletics Championships 2023: Rai Benjamin anchors Team USA to gold in the men’s 4x400m relay; Dutch win women’s relay Olympics
  3. “I’m happy but it’s bittersweet” | Jakob Ingebrigtsen has mixed feelings about the World Champs Athletics Weekly
  4. Noah Lyles Leads The USA To 100m Relay Glory At The World Athletics Championships | Eurosport Eurosport
  5. MUST SEE COMEBACK: Femke Bol’s HEROIC ANCHOR upends 4×400 relay to cap Worlds | NBC Sports NBC Sports
  6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Women’s World Cup: Vlatko Andonovski says it’s ‘not the right time’ to question USA’s mindset – CNN

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  1. Women’s World Cup: Vlatko Andonovski says it’s ‘not the right time’ to question USA’s mindset CNN
  2. ‘Lucky’ – Vlatko Andonovski gives his verdict on USWNT’s Women’s World Cup campaign ahead of crunch Sweden clash Goal.com
  3. Has the rest of the world finally caught up to the U.S. Women’s soccer team? Deadspin
  4. The USWNT has been poor but the players aren’t panicking – ESPN ESPN
  5. ‘We haven’t seen growth’ – Christen Press shares USWNT concerns ahead of last-16 clash with Sweden at Women’s World Cup Goal.com
  6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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USMNT World Cup 2022: USA’s keys to Netherlands upset include winning midfield battle, slowing down in attack

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The United States received major fitness boosts as the entire team was in training Friday in preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup round of 16 clash against the Netherlands on Saturday. Christian Pulisic has already been cleared to be available following a pelvic contusion and Josh Sargent also seems ready to go after suffering an ankle injury. It’ll be interesting to see if Weston McKennie has more than 60 minutes in him, but having the major players ready is music to Gregg Berhalter’s ears as the USMNT look to upset the Dutch on Saturday. 

Sergino Dest will be critical in a match against his birth nation as his performances helped the United States keep back-to-back shutouts and he also assisted Pulisic’s winner against Iran. While he’ll need to be ready to go for the USMNT to pull out a victory, what else will need to happen for the United States to win the match?

Let’s break it all down, but first, here’s my predicted lineup:

Predicted lineup: Matt Turner; Dest, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson; Yunus Musah, Tyler Adams, McKennie; Timothy Weah, Sargent, Pulisic

1. Pressure often

The Americans must unsettle them and win the midfield battle if they want any chance of pulling off the upset. Take the England game as an example. The “MMA” midfield trio of Adams, Musah and McKennie is one of the best groups in the World Cup. In possession, the Dutch keep the ball on the ground and they’re prone to coughing it up with 30 dispossessions in three games.

Berhalter and the USMNT have used different midfield configurations to unsettle the opposition and they’ll be expected to add a fourth to throw Louis van Gaal’s patient attack into disarray. The Netherlands are prone to making bad decisions with the ball under pressure, especially when the wing backs are in possession. Pressing plays to the advantage of this youthful United States side. The defense has already proven that when the front six drives forward, it can maintain its positioning despite being left on an island a bit vulnerable to a counterattack. 

Moving to the defense …

2. Push the pace

The Dutch like to control the tempo, which is why I think that Cameron Carter-Vickers will start the match again. More comfortable on the ball than Walker Zimmerman, Carter-Vickers can help the USMNT up the tempo in the match. We already know that Dest and Antonee Robinson live in the attacking third, so having center backs that can find them will be important. 

Even Turner has been comfortable with the ball on his feet pushing forward as his training with Aaron Ramsdale at Arsenal is beginning to show in his game. If the United States can dictate the tempo, good things — like scoring early — could come. And if that happens, they can then lock things down again by bringing in Zimmerman on late. 

If things go wrong, you run the risk of being overwhelmed defensively. But at this stage, the USMNT are playing with house money and will need to take risks. They may not have the depth to go toe-to-toe with the Netherlands for 120 minutes, so coming out of the blocks quickly will make a big difference in winning the match. Knowing that the ball will stay on the ground, the U.S. will have the recovery speed to make last ditch tackles if needed.

Craving more World Cup coverage? Listen below and follow House of Champions, a daily CBS Sports soccer podcast, bringing you top-notch analysis, commentary, picks and more during the big games in Qatar.

3. Slow the game down in attack

Seven shots on target and two goals. That’s all the USMNT attack has done this tournament. Only seven teams have fewer shots on frame than the Americans. But the issue for the USMNT is that they are either pushing too quickly and not realizing that they have time for the extra pass or dribbling too much instead of passing. The wingers Weah and Pulisic in particular have been especially guilty of this. They’ve been the only ones to find the back of the net, which is a positive sign, but the potential is there for them to produce more by looking for the extra pass instead of driving directly at goal.

Facing Virgil van Dijk in defense, the team will have to pull him into bad spots because the rest of the back line is error prone for the Netherlands. As the lights get brighter, this can be hard to do for a young team but trusting your teammates to finish chances is key.

How to watch and odds

  • Date: Saturday, Dec. 3 | Time: 10 a.m. ET
  • Location: Khalifa International Stadium — Al Rayyan, Qatar
  • TV: Fox and Telemundo | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
  • LIVE: Updates from the game
  • Odds: Netherlands -104; Draw +230; United States +310 (via Caesars Sportsbook) 

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USA’s win over Iran caps off tense week

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DOHA, Qatar — On Monday, United States men’s national team manager Gregg Berhalter was asked to be, among other things, an economist, a customs agent, an expert on military policy and a United Nations ambassador.

On Tuesday, he finally got to be what he most wanted: a coach who has taken his team to the knockout rounds of the World Cup.

After the USA held off Iran 1-0 at Al Thumama Stadium, Berhalter embraced his coaching staff in a group bear hug in the technical area, their arms wrapped tightly around one another’s shoulders as they bounced up and down. He then jogged out onto the field to bask in the celebration with his players and the raucous contingent of American fans behind the goal.

Four years after taking over a program in disarray, Berhalter had brought the US through what is, by some distance, the biggest win of his career.

“It’s the first time in 92 years that we’ve had two shutouts at a World Cup,” Berhalter said later, his face flushed. “So, the boys are doing something right.”

It was a remarkable 24 hours for Berhalter, the type of incredible juxtaposition that can exist only in international soccer — and only with a matchup like the one the US had against Iran, a country whose history, both on its own and with the United States, is deep and complicated and messy.

That history is what fueled the build-up. The U.S. Soccer Federation played no small part in the uncomfortableness ahead of the game, as it — without the knowledge of Berhalter or his players — posted images to social media that showed Iran’s flag without the Islamic Republic logo in an attempt to show support for women in Iran who are fighting for the most basic human rights.

Well intentioned as it might have been, it nonetheless created a firestorm, and Berhalter was left to navigate it. At his news conference Monday, Iranian journalists volleyed harsh questions at him, asking him to explain why inflation might contribute to a lack of popularity for his team back home or to justify the various visa requirements that the United States has for Iranians who might want to travel there. There was a question about US warships in the region.

It was, by any measure, bizarre, but Berhalter — to his credit — handled it deftly. He apologized for any offense the social media posts might have caused while expressing support for those who are fighting for a better life. He also did his best to push the focus back to soccer. In many ways, this match was judgment day for Berhalter and his players at the end of a four-year resurrection, and Berhalter needed to do whatever he could to make sure his players were up for it.

In short, they were. Castigating Berhalter is a bit of a cottage industry in the circles of those who follow the US team closely — such is life as an international manager, really — but this much is sure: Berhalter has won a Gold Cup and a Nations League. He has beaten Mexico three times (including in World Cup qualifying). He has overseen a complete roster overhaul of young and talented international players, made tough — and in some cases stunning — choices about who to bring to Qatar and has now led that squad to the Round of 16 in the World Cup.

Is he perfect? He’s not. There are still reasonable criticisms to be made of his tactics or substitution patterns, but forward Joshua Sargent was called back in and delivered a strong performance against Iran, as did defender Cameron Carter-Vickers (who came in for Walker Zimmerman). Tim Ream, a surprising late add to the roster just before the World Cup, was stout in defense as well. However stressful it might have been, the USA was able to see out its lead late.

Even more, Berhalter motivated his players, pushing them to meet the moment. Berhalter recalled earlier in the week how he’d watched the US lose to Iran in the infamous 1998 World Cup meeting, and he highlighted how what stood out to him was the mismatch in emotional levels on the field. The Iranians wanted the game so badly, Berhalter said, and it was clear the Americans were nowhere near the same type of feeling.

On Tuesday, that wasn’t an issue. Not even close. There was fire, sure. But also a confidence that the moment wasn’t too big.

“There was a calmness about the team,” Ream said. “No one was breathing heavy or had panic in their eyes.”

It helped that the tactics were in place, too. Christian Pulisic’s goal was a result of a sequence that Ream said Berhalter and the coaches had specifically emphasized in their scouting, a pulling of the play far to one side in order to expose the back post for Pulisic to attack. The goal was, as Ream said, “perfect, perfect, perfect,” save for Pulisic’s collision with the Iranian goalkeeper that sent Pulisic to the hospital in the middle of the game for an abdominal scan.

play

1:43

Steve Nicol and Craig Burley preview the United States’ round of 16 tie against the Netherlands in the World Cup.

If Pulisic can’t play against the Netherlands on Saturday (or is limited), it will be another bump for Berhalter to navigate. He has options — Giovanni Reyna still hasn’t featured much, and Brenden Aaronson is a lively substitute — but, either way, motivation for the group will be crucial again.

That is what Berhalter wants. He has never shied away from the stakes of his mission. He has said, over and over, that this team’s goal is to change the perception of American soccer around the world. The game against England helped that. So, too, did Tuesday.

Now comes another opportunity. Another chance. Berhalter will endure the arrows; all coaches do. He will shoulder the critiques. All he cares about is getting his players to see what he sees, to know what he knows: That this team can do anything. On Tuesday, after the hugging and the shouting and the video call to the hospital so Pulisic could join in the fun, Berhalter came to another, more traditional news conference, and reflected on what pleased him the most about the night.

“We believed in ourselves,” he said. “We believed in what we were doing.”

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Feng’s opening throw wins discus gold, USA’s Allman wins bronze at Worlds | NBC Sports – NBC Sports

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  1. Feng’s opening throw wins discus gold, USA’s Allman wins bronze at Worlds | NBC Sports NBC Sports
  2. Three things for day 6: Allman in the discus, a wide open steeplechase and 800m opening round action | PREVIEW | WCH 22 World Athletics
  3. Valarie Allman Wins Discus Bronze To Claim First World Championships Medal TeamUSA.org
  4. Valarie Allman takes bronze in women’s discus at World Athletics Championships OregonLive
  5. After a sleep-in morning, a big night to follow – three things to watch for on day 5 | PREVIEW | WCH 22 World Athletics
  6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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For Team USA’s Nathan Chen, ‘blood, sweat, tears’ led to Olympic gold

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“A lot of years of work. A lot of people supporting me, a lot of — I know it’s cliche — but blood, sweat and tears, (over) just many, many years,” said the 22-year-old, whose energetic routine in the long program set him well above the competition.

Chen was quick to give credit for his success to his mother, thanking her in an Instagram post showing a photo of Chen as a small boy in his mother’s arms, clutching a golden medal with a red, white and blue ribbon.

In his interview with CNN, Chen called his mom, Hetty Wang, the “hardest working person I’ve ever met.” He said her support — including working through the family’s financial challenges — was what made his career possible.

He recalled how, when he was around 10 years old, she found a way for Chen to work with a coach in California, while the family was living hundreds of miles away in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“We weren’t really in a great financial place to be able to move to California…(and) ice time is significantly cheaper in Salt Lake than it is in California. But she still strapped together as many dollars as she could and would drive me from Utah to California, back to Utah from California, over and over and over,” Chen said.

“Any hour of the day, whether it’s 3 a.m., she was just chugging along in the car, getting me to my training sessions, and it was just, like, unreal,” he said.

Chen also credits his own work ethic and true love for his sport to his mother’s parenting style — which he said did not fall into the mold of the “tiger mom” stereotype.

“It was a mix of business and fun. She holds a very high standard for all of us. But within that standard, she wants us to enjoy what it is that we’re doing,” Chen said, referring to himself and his four siblings.

“I think having that balance allowed me to love the sport figure skating as much as I do now, but still be able to accomplish the goals that I set out for myself,” he said.

Chen told reporters Thursday that his win held special meaning because it took place in Beijing — the city where his mother grew up and where his parents met.

Chen’s victory was also a redemption after a disappointing finish in PyeongChang in the 2018 Winter Games, when he landed fifth in the individual competition and earned bronze in the team event.

Moving past that performance was a driver in these Olympic Games, Chen said.

“I definitely wanted to be able to get past that. I wanted to be able to have two short programs that I felt very proud of and fulfilled by, and I’m really glad that I was able to have that experience here. It’s been a dream of mine to make it to this stage and I never really thought that it would truly be possible,” he said.

In the four years since, Chen’s record has given him reason for confidence. He racked up three straight world championships and sealed a 6th consecutive US title to arrive in Beijing as a favorite.

But Chen still stressed that managing emotions — keeping himself “calm and collected” — was a key part of doing his best on the ice.

“I try not to get let emotions get the better of me, because I feel that I can control what I do on the ice the best when I’m in a cool, calm, collected state of mind,” he said.

“Of course I get emotional and I think that’s also part of sport too, sometimes you can let emotion get the better of you (and it) does actually help you, as long as you can figure out a way to get back into where you need to be.”

But Chen did not show any nerves as he glided over the ice on Thursday, as the US favorite to win gold after setting a new short program world record two days earlier. He ran a total of five quad jumps — a natural for a skater nicknamed the quad king — to a mix that included Elton’s John’s Rocket Man.

Chen later received a nod from the legendary British singer-songwriter, with John posting on Twitter his congratulations to the skater “for winning Gold skating to Rocket Man.”

Chen also opened up about missing the opportunity to stand on the Olympic podium after his team won silver in Monday’s figure skating event.

Team USA won silver in the event after being defeated by the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), however the medal ceremony was delayed on Tuesday over a failed drugs test scandal involving Russian skater Kamila Valieva.

“The medal ceremony is definitely a very special part of the Olympics, and for those that should get a medal, I truly hope that they can. Whatever happens happens, but I do hope that we will have this opportunity to share that as a team,” Chen told CNN.

“There’s certainly a lot of variables that are coming to play, but at the end of the day, all I can really control is how much I can do. And certainly, as athletes, you want to be able to have as fair playing field as possible,” Chen said when asked about the case.

As for what’s next after reaching his Olympic dream, Chen said he is looking forward to returning to his undergraduate studies at Yale University, where he is pursuing a statistics and data science degree — a program he took a break from in order to prepare for the Games.

“Having had spent so much time of my life pursuing this passion of skating hasn’t really allowed me the opportunity to explore outside of the sport as much as I would like. I’m excited to go back to college and see what else the world has for me and try to find passions outside of skating,” he said.

And while he said his passion for skating remains, what he decides to do with his skating career “will be determined in the near future.”

“Right now I’m just happy in this moment,” he said.



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Team USA’s Brianna Decker provides injury update

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After suffering a serious leg injury in U.S. women’s hockey’s first game at the Beijing Olympics earlier this week, Team USA star Brianna Decker updated fans on her status with a series of tweets.

Decker posted a photo of herself with a large cast on her left leg and thanked those who reached out to her after the injury, which will keep her off the ice for the rest of the Winter Games.

However, in the series of tweets, Decker revealed that she plans to remain with the team for the remainder of the Olympics.

“I am excited to remain here with the team and help any imaginable way to help to accomplish the original goal (that) we have set out to achieve!” Decker said.

“Thank you to my family here and back home in the USA, and thank you to the fans across the globe cheering us on. We can hear your cheers echoing throughout Beijing. Hand me a clipboard, it’s time to get back to work with my girls. Let’s go USA!”

Team USA won its first game without Decker 5–0 against the Russian Olympic Committee on Saturday. The United States is now 2–0 in preliminary play, and faces Switzerland next on Sunday at 8:10 a.m ET. 

More Winter Olympics Coverage:



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Olympic women’s gymnastics all-around live updates — Team USA’s Suni Lee wins gold

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With the news that Simone Biles was out of the women’s all-around competition, all eyes were on Sunisa Lee as the American gymnast who was most likely to become Olympic champion by the end of the day.

Lee was up for the challenge. The 18-year-old put together a string of masterful performances to edge Brazilian Rebeca Andrade (57.298) for the gold medal with a total score of 57.433. Lee becomes the sixth American gymnast to accomplish the feat. Andrade’s silver is the first ever Olympic medal for Brazil in women’s gymnastics history.

We’ve got you covered with all the action you might have missed during a dramatic all-around final:

Suni Lee is golden

With her teammates in the stands and her family gathered at a watch party back home in St. Paul, Minnesota, Suni Lee became the fifth straight American woman to win Olympic all-around gold.

Lee led Brazilian Rebeca Andrade by one tenth of a point heading into the final rotation on floor — one of Andrade’s strongest events, and a weaker one for Lee. Angelina Melnikova of ROC jumped ahead early in the rotation after a strong, clean performance, but Lee answered and returned to the top of the leaderboard with only Andrade and Jade Carey left to perform. Andrade rebounded out of bounds on her first pass and stepped out a second time, securing gold for Lee. Andrade took silver and Melnikova took bronze. — Alyssa Roenigk

The final standings:

1. Sunisa Lee, USA – 57.433

2. Rebeca Andrade, Brazil – 57.298

3. Angelina Melnikova, Russian Olympic Committee – 57.199

4. Vladislava Urazova, Russian Olympic Committee – 56.966

5. Mai Murakami, Japan – 56.032

6. Nina Derwael, Belgium – 55.965

7. Xijing Tang, China – 54.498

8. Jade Carey, USA – 54.199

Suni takes the lead with one rotation to go

With just one event remaining, things have gotten very interesting here in Tokyo. While Sunisa Lee holds the top spot after three events, it’s shaping up to be a four-way race atop the leaderboard between Lee, Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade and the Russian Olympic Committee’s Angelina Melnikova and Vladislava Urazova. All are within a half-point of one another.

Lee scored a 13.833 on beam in her third event after saving her wolf turn — significantly less than the 14.200 she earned in qualifying but still the second-best score of her rotation. Urazova had the best score of the group with a 14.200.

Jade Carey opened the rotation and fell off the beam during her acrobatic series, netting her a 11.533 and all but eliminating her chances of a medal.

No matter what happens, you won’t want to blink during this final rotation.

Standings after the third rotation:

1. Sunisa Lee, USA — 43.733

2. Rebeca Andrade, Brazil — 43.632

3. Vladislava Urazova, Russian Olympic Committee — 43.566

4. Angelina Melnikova, Russian Olympic Committee — 43.233

5. Nina Derwael, Belgium — 42.532

12. Jade Carey, USA — 40.233

Suni Lee comes to play; Rebeca Andrade leads the way

The bar rotation in the top group was an epic battle, with Suni Lee hanging on to her very difficult routine — and earning a huge 15.300. All didn’t go perfectly for Lee, but she made adjustments throughout and received the highest score of the day so far on that event.

Belgium’s Nina Derwael, a two-time world champion on bars, hit all of her releases for a 15.266, and ROC team gymnasts Angelina Melnikova and Vladislava Urazova nailed their matching skills for almost-matching scores of 14.900 and 14.866, respectively.

Rebeca Andrade put up a strong 14.666 with her lofty, effortless release moves — and leads the all-around, less than a tenth ahead of Lee. Jade Carey missed a combination early in her routine and earned a 13.500 — more than a half-point lower than her qualifications score. — Amy Van Deusen

Standings after the second rotation:

1. Rebeca Andrade, Brazil — 29.966

2. Sunisa Lee, USA — 29.900

3. Angelina Melnikova, Russian Olympic Committee — 29.533

4. Vladislava Urazova, Russian Olympic Committee — 29.366

5. Nina Derwael, Belgium — 29.166

6. Jade Carey, USA — 28.700

U.S. gymnasts start strong

If the first rotation has been any indication, it’s going to be a very interesting night in Tokyo. Americans Sunisa Lee and Jade Carey both opened on vault and made their cases as legitimate medal contenders.

Lee, who was the first to compete on the event, had a nearly flawless Yurchenko double twist and earned a 14.6. Carey, who had the second-highest vault score in qualifying on Sunday, notched a 15.2 for her Cheng. She had a slight hop back on the landing but otherwise made a very strong opening statement.

Lee and Carey embraced after they completed the event, clearly both pleased with their results.

Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, who had the third-highest qualifying score on vault, earned a 15.3 — the best score of the night on any event thus far. The 22-year-old is coming off her third ACL surgery and had an 11th-place finish in the all-around competition in Rio. — D’Arcy Maine

Standings after the first rotation:

1. Andrade, Brazil

2. Carey, USA

3. Angelina Melnikova, Russian Olympic Committee

4. Lee, USA

5. Vladislava Urazova, Russian Olympic Committee

Biles is in the stands

Simone Biles isn’t participating in Thursday’s event, but she is in the building. She’s sitting with teammates Jordan Chiles, Grace McCallum (not pictured) and MyKayla Skinner in the front row, and they’ve already been heard cheering loudly for Suni Lee and Jade Carey during warm-ups and introductions. — D’Arcy Maine

It’s almost time …

It’s the final countdown, and the anticipation is, well, high.

All eyes will be on American athletes Lee and Jade Carey as they compete to be crowned the new individual all-around champion. Today’s start list for the first rotation:

With Biles out, who will win?

Isn’t that the million-dollar question. If you look at qualification scores, the four gymnasts after Biles were all only .300 apart. It’s going to be suspenseful.

Here’s everything you need to know — plus more on Jade Carey, the U.S. athlete who now will be competing in Biles’ spot.

The lowdown on Lee

Sunisa Lee, known as Suni, has one of the best bar routines in the world — and she finished third in the all-around in qualifications. A three-time world medalist, Lee has the credentials to end up on the Olympic podium. Writer Alyssa Roenigk spent time with her close-knit family before the Olympics, and trust us, her story is well worth reading.



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USA’s Caeleb Dressel wins 100-meter freestyle with Olympic record time

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Kim Si Woo of South Korea walks past a fan spraying mist during golf competition in Kawagoe, Japan, on July 29. Toby Melville/Reuters

Tokyo is experiencing a hot and humid first week of the Olympics, but the high temperatures are not unusual for Japan’s capital in mid-summer.

The average high temperature for late July in Tokyo is 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit). Over the past five days, highs have ranged from 29.8 to 34.4 degrees Celsius (86 to 94 F) — an average of roughly 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 F) above usual high temperatures.  

Compounding the heat is the usual high humidity. Humidity values have ranged from 66% to 84%, making it feel much hotter, and limiting the body’s ability to cool down through sweat and evaporation.

Though Tokyo is not officially in a heat wave, the hot weather is having an impact on Olympic athletes, particularly in the tennis. Organizers said Wednesday they are pushing back matches so they will begin later in the day.

It came after Spain’s Paula Badosa was forced to retire from her women’s singles quarterfinal match and left the court in a wheelchair due to heatstroke on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Russian Olympic Committee player Daniil Medvedev told the chair umpire that he could finish his men’s singles third-round match — but wanted to know whether the International Tennis Federation would take responsibility if he died.

What athletes can expect in the next week: The forecast in Tokyo is for more of the same — temperatures will continue to be in the low 30s in degrees Celsius (86 to 92 F) over the next seven days, potentially reaching 33 to 34 degrees Celsius (92 to 93 F) over the weekend. There are not currently any heat advisories in effect for the Greater Tokyo region, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. 

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Sports

USWNT: Sweden break USA’s 44-match unbeaten streak with stunning blowout to open Tokyo Olympics

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The United States women’s national team fell 3-0 to Sweden in their opening group stage match. It was a dominant performance from Sweden who out played the USWNT across the pitch. As Megan Rapinoe put, “We got bopped.” Stina Blackstenius scored twice and Lina Hurtig added a third for Sweden. The USWNT offered little in response, with Christen Press’s 71st minute miss comprising their best chance. The blowout was the first 3-0 loss handed to the team since their 2017 loss to France during the SheBelieves Cup. 

Sweden began their dominant play early in the first half, establishing pressure, disrupting the USWNT, eliminating passing lanes, controlling possession, and that was just in the first twenty minutes of the match. They got their breakthrough in the 24th minute of the match as Eva Jakobsson delivered a cross into the box that Blackstenius put away on a glancing header from a near post run.

The USWNT managed to get out of the first half down only one goal, despite being out shot eleven to three, and conceding seven corners. Head coach Vlatko Andonovski made adjustments in the second half and subbed on Carli Lloyd and Julie Ertz for Alex Morgan and Sam Mewis. The impact from Ertz was immediate (make sure you check out all the USWNT player ratings), as the midfielder immediately began making plays in midfield, winning the ball back and closing down passing lanes in her first appearance since she picked up an MCL sprain in May. 

As the team appeared to finally make a small adjustment and connect a few passes while disrupting Sweden’s midfield, the momentum was short lived as Blackstenius scored the go-ahead goal in the 54th minute.

The USWNT missed a golden chance to get back in the match as Christen Press hit the post and then minutes later Sweden scored their third to put the match away.

Throughout the match, the USWNT struggled to ever truly play their way into the game, looking stunned at times, reintroducing old feelings about their 2016 Rio elimination and brining up new questions about the team and their ability to navigate their way through the rest of the group. The loss ends a 44 game unbeaten streak for USA, and the team will try to bounce back from the loss against New Zealand on July 24.

Scoreboard USWNT 0, Sweden 3

Sweden 25′: ⚽ Stina Blackstenius
Sweden 54′: ⚽ Stina Blackstenius
Sweden ’72: ⚽ Lina Hurtig

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