Fifa Women’s World Cup: Megan Rapinoe laments ‘sick joke’ as holders US exit after loss to Sweden in shoot-out
- ‘We just lost by a millimetre,’ keeper Alyssa Naeher says after winning penalty just crosses the line – ‘It feels like a bad dream,’ captain Alex Morgan adds
- A 2-0 victory over South Africa sends Netherlands into a quarter-final against Spain
Holders the United States are out of the Fifa Women’s World Cup after losing a penalty shoot-out to Sweden in Melbourne.
It ended 5-4 when Kelley O’Hara missed for the US and Lina Hurtig scored for Sweden, with goalline technology required to confirm Hurtig’s spot-kick had entered the net after US goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher parried it.
In a back-and-forth shoot-out, Fridolina Rolfo, Elin Rubenssen, Hanna Bennison and Magdalena Erikson scored for Sweden, while Andi Sullivan, Lindsey Horan, Kristie Mewis and Naeher kept the US in the game.
But there was agony for the great Megan Rapinoe, the 202-cap veteran and two-time World Cup winner who had said this tournament would be her last. She had the chance to put her side 4-2 ahead and plant one foot in the last eight, only to send her effort over the crossbar.
“I mean, this is like a sick joke,” Rapinoe said, blinking back tears. “For me personally, this is like dark comedy that I missed a penalty.