U.S. ousted from 2023 Women's World Cup by Sweden on penalty kicks

Lina Hurtig's converted her punishment and Sweden knocked the United States retired of the World Cup 5-4 connected penalties aft a scoreless gully astatine the Women's World Cup.

U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher fruitlessly argued she had saved Hurtig's attempt, but it was ruled implicit the line. The stadium played Abba's "Dancing Queen successful the stadium arsenic the Swedes celebrated.

The United States, which has a grounds 4 World Cup titles wide and was trying to triumph an unprecedented 3rd consecutive tile, was eliminated successful the Round of 16 for the archetypal clip successful squad history.

The Americans' worst decorativeness had been 3rd place, 3 times.

It was the archetypal lucifer astatine this World Cup to spell to other time.

It was the was the 4th clip a U.S. lucifer astatine the World Cup went to other time. All of the 3 erstwhile matches went to penalties, including the 2011 last won by Japan. The U.S. won connected penalties successful a 2011 quarterfinal lucifer against Brazil, and successful the 1999 last astatine the last astatine the Rose Bowl against China.

Sweden knocked the United States retired of the 2016 Olympics successful the quarterfinals connected penalties.

Sweden goes connected to the quarterfinals to play Japan, the 2011 World Cup winner, which defeated Norway 3-1 connected Saturday night.

Sweden has ne'er won a large planetary tournament, either the World Cup oregon the Olympics. The closest the squad has travel is World Cup runner-up successful 2003. They finished successful 3rd successful the 1999, 2011 and 2019 editions, and won metallic medals successful the past 2 Olympics.

The Americans struggled done radical play with conscionable 4 goals successful 3 matches. They were astir eliminated past Tuesday by first-timers Portugal, but eked retired a 0-0 gully to autumn to 2nd successful their radical for conscionable the 2nd clip astatine a World Cup.

The Americans looked acold amended against Sweden, dominating possession and outshooting the Swedes 5-1 successful the archetypal fractional alone. Lindsey Horan's first-half header deed the crossbar and a second-half blast was saved by goalkeeper Zecira Musovic, who had six saves successful regulation.

Sweden won each 3 of their radical games, including a 5-0 rout of Italy successful its last radical match. Coach Peter Gerhardsson made 9 lineup changes for the match, resting his starters successful anticipation of the United States.

It was tense from the opening whistle.

Naeher punched the shot distant from a crowded extremity connected an aboriginal Sweden country kick. Three of the Swedes' goals against Italy came connected acceptable pieces.

Trinity Rodman's changeable from region successful the 18th infinitesimal was easy caught by Musovic, who stopped different accidental by Rodman successful the 27th.

Horan's header disconnected Andi Sullivan's country successful the 34th deed the crossbar and skipped implicit the goal. Horan was connected people successful the 53rd infinitesimal but Musovic dove to propulsion it wide. Horan crouched to the tract successful vexation portion Musovic was swarmed by her teammates.

The United States was without Rose Lavelle, who picked up her 2nd yellowish paper of the tourney successful the radical signifier finale against Portugal and has to beryllium retired against Sweden.

In Lavelle's absence, U.S. manager Vlatko Andonovski started Emily Sonnett, who was making her archetypal commencement for the squad since 2022. The summation of Sonnett allowed Horan to determination up higher successful the midfield.

Sweden pressed successful the last 10 minutes of regulation. Sofia Jakobsson, who came successful arsenic a substitute successful the 81st minute, astir scored successful the 85th but Naeher managed to drawback it for her archetypal prevention of the tournament.

Neither Caroline Seger of Megan Rapinoe started the match, but Rapinoe came successful arsenic a sub for Alex Morgan successful the archetypal overtime period.

Seger, whose 235 appearances for Sweden are the astir for immoderate pistillate successful Europe, was connected the seat to commencement the match. The 38-year-old has been struggling with a calf occupation each twelvemonth and trained unsocial successful the 2 days of signifier starring into the showdown with the U.S.

Rapinoe, besides 38, antecedently announced that this would beryllium her past World Cup. She has taken connected a smaller relation for the Americans successful her last tournament. She was a substitute successful the United States' archetypal and 3rd games of radical play and didn't get disconnected the seat successful the mediate match. She made her 200th quality for the nationalist squad astatine the World Cup.