The loss of the United States Women’s Soccer Team (USWNT) to Sweden in the Round of 16 on Sunday sent shockwaves throughout the country but, unfortunately, much of it had little to do with soccer.
The USWNT’s loss was shocking and disappointing precisely because the USWNT has been so remarkably successful.
Embed from Getty Images- The USWNT has qualified for every World Cup, reaching the semifinals in each prior to 2023 and winning four World Cups in 28 years (see photos from 2019, 2015, 1999, and 1991 above). Only the Brazilian men’s team has won more World Cups (5) over a 96-year period.
- The USWNT was attempting to be the first soccer team to win three consecutive World Cups. Only twice has a champion repeated in men’s soccer – Italy in 1938 and Brazil in 1962.
- The USWNT has been ranked #1 by FIFA since June 2017 and has never ranked lower than second. In contrast, the USMNT’s average ranking is 20th, and the team currently is ranked 11th.
What Happened in Oceania?
While the USWNT arrived in New Zealand as the #1 FIFA ranking, the top-ranked team did not make it to the pitch. Of the top 20 players in the world according to ESPN, only two are American and neither played against Sweden. Midfielder Rose Lavelle (#19) was suspended after getting two yellow cards in group play, while injuries kept midfield Catarina Macario (#6), defender Becky Sauerbrunn (the team captain), striker Mallory Swanson and others from the roster. The team on the field was a collection of rising stars as fourteen of the 23 players were making their World Cup debut and aging stars, some of whom (such as Lavelle, Julie Ertz, and Megan Rapinoe) were coming back from injuries.
There is no debate that the US underperformed and played down to their opponents in group play. A team that outscored opponents 18-0 in group play in 2019 scored only four goals in 2023, barely reaching the elimination round through a draw against Portugal. There is a lot of criticism about the performance of coach Vlatko Andonovski and that he should have been replaced after the USWNT’s bronze medal performance at the Tokyo Olympics1, but that is above my pay grade.
What all the criticism of the USWNT misses, however, is that they outplayed a #3 ranked Sweden team that included most of the players that beat them 3-0 at the Olympics in 2021. The USWNT not only controlled possession of the ball (50%-34%), but they also dominated in both shots (21-8) and shots on goal (12-1). As one commentator noted, “[i]t would be deeply unfair and even ignorant to say solely that the USWNT lost the match against Sweden, as if they misplaced a victory, instead of the truth: [Sweden’s goalkeeper Zećira] Mušović took it from them.2
Despite Mušović’s performance and retiring star and 2019 Silver Boot winner Megan Rapinoe missing the first penalty kick in her career, the USWNT was only eliminated by a mere millimeter. While against Portugal, the soccer gods spared them when Ana Capeta‘s breakaway shot hit the post, on Sunday it was just not their night. In an era of increased competition, where three top ten teams (Germany, Canada, and Brazil) were eliminated in group play, upsets will happen.
Enter The Boo Birds: Stupid White Men and Culture Warriors
The loss to Sweden triggered a barrage of criticism, with some critics openly applauding their defeat. Much of the fury, however, had little to do with the performance of the USWNT but reflected the prejudices of the speakers. From the sports world came Alexi Lalas, who played on the 1994 Men’s World Cup team and is a Fox Sports commentator covering the World Cup, who said, in part, “This #USWNT is polarizing. Politics, causes, stances, & behavior have made this team unlikeable to a portion of America.” Oh really, Mr. Lalas.
The USWNT is very popular with soccer fans, especially women, as the team he calls unlikeable had record viewership for group stage telecasts.3 In addition, as many as 4 million viewers tuned in to watch some of the Sweden game despite its 5AM Eastern kickoff time.4
It turns out, however, that Lalas has endorsed far-right and anti-LGBTQ Florida governor Ron DeSantis for President. The “portion of America” that he refers to that dislikes the USWNT principally are anti-woman and anti-LGBTQ who resent the fact that this team fights as hard off the field in defending their rights. It is unfortunate that Fox Sports would have someone who embraces DeSantis’ agenda commenting on women’s soccer when thirteen percent of the players in this World Cup are openly LGBTQ. As Candace Buckner noted in the Washington Post, Lalas’ comments “seem strange coming from a person who is being paid to elevate soccer knowledge for Americans, not to Hannity-ize the game.”5
Embed from Getty ImagesNot to be outdone, sportscaster Bill Simmons attacked forward Alex Morgan as “not a superstar. She’s really, honestly never been a superstar.” Of course, Simmons ignores the fact that Morgan is the definition of a superstar. With 121 goals in international play, she is 8th all-time among women and just two goals behind Ronaldo who is the leading men’s scorer.
Then there is the criticism from right-wing pundits and politicians seeking to advance their culture wars for which Megan Rapinoe was their lightning rod. Candace Buckner made it clear, “[t]he so-called patriots who hate Rapinoe and everything she stands for could not care less about women’s soccer.” In fact, Slate’s Luke Winkie does a great job explaining how the far right has always hated soccer and the USWNT.
USA Today’s Mike Freeman wryly notes
All those self-proclaimed great American patriots who say they love America more than you cheered when America lost. It’s been stunning to see. Some of these patriots are so blinded by their hate of first, women, and second, women who have opinions about the country and world that differs from theirs that they can’t see they are rooting against their own country.
Mike Freeman, After 2023 World Cup loss, self-proclaimed patriots show hate for an American team, USA Today (Aug 8, 2023).
The right was gleeful over Rapinoe’s missed penalty kick and the USWNT’s defeat and openly questioned Rapinoe’s love of country. But compare Rapinoe’s reaction after scoring a goal in the 2011 World Cup . . .
to the right-wing cheering over Chicago losing out to Rio in its bid for the 2016 Olympics and tell me who loves their country more. Will they cheer again if U.S. Soccer loses its joint bid with Mexico to host the 2027 women’s tournament?
Sports are supposed to unite and bring people together. But not this crowd. They profit by feeding division and hate.
During the McCarthy era, Maine Republican Senator Margaret Chase Smith warned that “those . . . who shout the loudest about Americanism . . . are all too frequently those who . . . ignore [its] basic principles.” People like Megyn Kelly, a January 6th apologist with a history of racist and anti-LGBTQ comments who was “thrilled” by the USWNT defeat, have absolutely no business lecturing anyone about Patriotism.6 Or soccer.
Alex Morgan responded to this criticism with grace and class (see below). Just as the USWNT’s heartbreaking overtime loss on penalty kicks in the 2011 World Cup final propelled the team to back-to-back championships, Morgan declared this loss will “serve as a defining moment in the history [of the USWNT,]one we will grow and be stronger for.”
Next Sunday, FIFA will crown a first-time champion. While this is a disappointment for U.S. fans, the future is bright for women’s soccer and its dominant team.
1 Caitlin Murray, Why U.S. Soccer firing Andonovski will be two years too late, ESPN (Aug. 8, 2023); Ryan Tolmich, Vlatko Andonovski has been a disastrous USWNT coach! World Cup failure sums up historically bad tenure, Goal (Aug. 7, 2023); Matt Cannon, Vlatko Andonovski blasted by former MLS and Premier League stars for not using subs, Marca (Aug. 7); Kevin Baxter, Major changes likely coming to U.S. women’s soccer, starting with its coach, Los Angeles Times (Aug. 7, 2023).
2 Dave Zirin, The U.S. women’s ‘cruel’ loss must also be a wake-up call, MSNBC (Aug. 7, 2023); see also Candace Buckern, It’s ‘America First’ — unless the U.S. women’s national team is involved, Washington Post (Aug. 7, 2023) (“But, sure, let’s not let silly things like facts get in the way of a good culture war.)
3 See below.
4 See below.
5 CNN deserves credit for throwing some shade on Lalas who was scoreless in four World Cup games in 1994 with the graphic below.
6 Christopher Wiggins, Megyn Kelly Invites Charlize Theron to ‘Come and F**k Me Up’ Over Drag Queen Opposition, Advocate (May 15, 2023); Chris Cilizza, Megyn Kelly is dead wrong about January 6, CNN (July 15, 2021); Christopher Wiggins, Michael Argeneaux, Breaking News: Megyn Kelly Was Always Trash, Them (Dec. 11, 2017)
Trophy Lives 