Penalties are always a game of chance, turning 120 minutes into a matter of inches. For the U.S. women’s national team, those inches, or even a single millimeter, mattered the most on Sunday as it bowed out of the World Cup to Sweden at the quarter-final stage with a 5-4 loss in penalties.
These penalties were unlike most that we’ve seen from the U.S. Megan Rapinoe missed for the first time in years. Alyssa Naeher stepped up and scored as a surprise sixth selection. Sophia Smith, whose form going into the tournament had been red hot, missed hers as well. Any of those moments could easily have been the biggest takeaway from this shootout were it not for what happened at the very end, as goal-line technology decided the end of the shootout when Naeher couldn’t get a palm on the winning spot kick in time after parrying upward on the initial effort
More from The Athletic…
“That’s, unfortunately, the game of soccer,” said defender Crystal Dunn. “We played really well, we deserved to win, we created a lot of chances and we just couldn’t find the back of the net … penalties are a flip of a coin.”
As games edge closer to penalties, the goalkeeper who’s most in form tends to have the advantage. That meant that, though the U.S. had played well up to that point (except for finishing), Sweden’s Zećira Mušović had been given the upper hand after making a streak of strong saves among her 11 on the night.
However, Naeher proved to be the better of the two saving a penalty in addition to scoring one. But her teammates couldn’t keep enough of their penalties on target, and it all came down to the smallest possible margin.
Phase one
U.S. head coach Vlatko Andonovski brought on Kristie Mewis and Kelley O’Hara off the bench at the end of extra time, as he looked to make sure he had enough proven penalty-takers on the field for his team.
According to previous penalties, Rapinoe, Smith, Alex Morgan and Andi Sullivan seemed to be the best choices to step up to the spot. The next group included O’Hara, Mewis, Lynn Williams, Lindsey Horan and Sofia Huerta. Of those on that list, only Morgan (who was subbed out for Rapinoe), Williams and Huerta did not take penalties.
Sullivan stepped up first – a bit of a surprise given she had only taken four in her career up to that point, missing one. But it seemed like a calculated risk, and it worked, with Sullivan placing her effort into the corner past Mušović. Sweden’s Fridolina Rolfo followed with a conversion of her own.
Horan was next, another calculated risk as Horan had missed the last two penalties she had taken. It worked again for the U.S. as she, too, placed her penalty well. Sweden’s Elin Rubensson made it 2-2 with the next PK. Mewis, despite not taking a single touch during the run of play after her introduction, stepped up and also dispatched her penalty with ease. The shootout stood at 3-2…and then the madness started.
Mewis celebrates with her teammates (WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images)
The handoff
Both goalkeepers looked to hand the ball off to their teammates every time they stepped up to take a penalty – a tactic that both prevented any antics from either side and, in theory, would instill confidence in the next penalty-taker on their team. Naeher constantly kept a calm demeanor whenever she handed the ball over to her teammates and didn’t do more than offer them a few words of encouragement. It showed that Naeher wanted to continue to be a steady presence for her team even in the most high-pressure moment that soccer can provide.
After Nathalie Björn missed for Sweden, The U.S. had a golden chance to take advantage. Rapinoe had scored 21 out of 22 of her penalties leading up to this shootout and was the most reliable penalty taker on the team. Easy money, right?
Not this time. Rapinoe stepped up and fired her effort over the top corner, swinging the advantage back to Sweden.
Rapinoe misses the fourth!
????????:
????????:pic.twitter.com/RVbhQoclla
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 6, 2023
The shock of the moment gave way to immediate joy, as Naeher proceeded to save Rebecka Blomqvist’s penalty to preserve the United States’ 3-2 advantage. Just like that, it was up to Sophia Smith to end the game with one swing of her foot.
Smith, like Rapinoe, missed the target as she sliced through the ball and sent it wide of the goal.
Sophia Smith misses!
????????:
????????:— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 6, 2023
Hanna Bennison buried the next one to tie things up 3-3, as the shootout moved from best-of-five to sudden death.
Confidence and heartbreak
If Sullivan taking the first attempt was a surprise, Naeher taking the sixth was an absolute shocker. In the most high-pressure spot of all, the goalkeeper confidently placed it down the middle of the goal.
“We practice it just like all the field players do,” Naeher told Fox after the game. “We know if you’re on the field, there’s always an opportunity or chance that you’re going to have to step and take one. And so I’ve put the same preparation into that as I do for every other aspect of the game, so, in the moment, to be ready if my number was called.”
Naeher was a surprise choice to take the U.S.’ sixth penalty (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Naeher couldn’t stop Magdalena Eriksson’s subsequent spot kick though, and O’Hara was up next. She didn’t look confident, and it showed in her effort as she smashed her penalty against the post.
As it rolled away from goal, it all came down to forward Lina Hurtig for Sweden to lift her team to victory.
With the anxiety level rising, Hurtig stepped forward and sent her effort to Naeher’s right. Naeher got a hand her shot, but only strong enough to spin the ball up into the air. The U.S. goalkeeper scrambled in an attempt to stop it from crossing the line, eventually getting another palm on the ball and pushing it outward.
After review, the penalty is good and Sweden wins ????????
????????:
????????:pic.twitter.com/PbidlCoiWd
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 6, 2023
No one, not even referee Stéphanie Frappart, seemed to know for sure whether the ball crossed the line or not, though Naeher was seen on the broadcast saying “no chance” repeatedly. Confident in that analysis, the U.S. goalkeeper proceeded to take the ball toward the penalty spot for the next of her teammates to take from her. Hurtig remained next to Frappart, arguing that the ball had crossed the line.
A minute later, Frappart blew her whistle and motioned that the game was over. Hurtig whirled away in celebration while the USWNT players either fell to their knees or stood in shock.
And then, a moment later, FIFA released a goal-line technology still for the ages.
Goal line technology graphic for the final penalty (FIFA)
Penalties are never a certain thing but head coaches and goalkeeping coaches try to prepare their teams as much as possible for them. This time around, Sweden had prepared slightly better than the USWNT and Mušović seemed to unnerve the USWNT players. The Chelsea ‘keeper faced 11 shots on target, keeping every one of them out including standout saves against Horan, Morgan and Williams to keep the game at 0-0.
“The fact that she was the player of the match and had as many saves as she did, I think that she’s (Mušović) probably one of the main reasons, if not the only reason.” said Andonovski. “She was incredible tonight, she made some saves that not many goalkeepers in the world can make and I can’t think of any other reason why we’re out of the tournament.”
The camera work on this???? pic.twitter.com/MBtuYmu4a1
— tai (@ankaraTai) August 6, 2023
Mušović’s confidence spilled over into the postgame interviews.
“I love penalty shootouts. It’s a great opportunity to win.” said Mušović. “As a goalkeeper I don’t see any reason why we should feel any tension.”
It’s not the first time the USWNT have lost a crucial game on penalties, and not the first time they’ve lost to Sweden on penalties either at a big tournament. But this is the first time where the Swedish goalkeeper didn’t need to make a save when it all came down to spot kicks.
The USWNT players couldn’t simply keep their shots on target and that’s what ended their World Cup journey sooner than many predicted.
(Photo: WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images)
