The US women’s national soccer team suffered a shocking loss to the Swedish women’s team in a shootout Sunday, ending their run at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The loss was especially devastating to Megan Rapinoe, who announced a few weeks ago that she would be retiring from the sport.
Rapinoe was one of three U.S. players who missed a penalty kick.
When asked what was going through her mind, Rapinoe told media she thought it was just a sick joke.
“A sick joke,” Rapinoe said. “That’s why I had that smile on my face. Like, ‘You got to be (expletive)kidding me. I’m going to miss the penalty?’ I honestly can’t remember the last [time] I missed a penalty. Not in a game for a very long time.
“But that’s the way it goes. I’ve definitely thought about that before — it’s always a possibility when you step up there. But I thought I was going to make it. I thought everyone was going to make it,” she added.
But many fans weren’t so forgiving. Not only were they angry at Rapinoe, but they were also mad at the team and coaches for losing. And they let the USWNT know how disappointed they were.
Some fans, however, still have faith in the women’s team bouncing back.
About Stacey Mickles
Stacey is a 1995 graduate of the University of Alabama who has previously worked for other publications such as Sportskeeda and Saturday Down South.