The United States Women’s National Team will not be leaving the Tokyo Olympics with a gold medal, and Megan Rapinoe indicated after Monday’s loss that a lack of enjoyment has been one of the biggest issues for the team.
The U.S. lost 1-0 to Canada on Monday in the women’s soccer semifinal. The loss marked the first time in history that the USWNT has lost two matches in a single Olympics, as they also fell 3-0 to Sweden in the group stage. After the match, Rapinoe called losing to Canada “terrible” and had some interesting remarks about team chemistry.
Rapinoe and her teammates seemed to be enjoying themselves when Rapinoe buried a winning penalty kick against the Netherlands (video here). However, it is clear that something has been missing for a team that went a perfect 7-0 and won the World Cup just two years ago.
The USWNT will now play for a bronze medal, and Rapinoe said winning that would be a “huge thing.” It will not, however, erase the disappointment.
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