Megan Rapinoe of the United States reacts during the women's football semifinal match between the United States and Canada at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Xinhua

Megan Rapinoe: USWNT has not had fun at Tokyo Olympics

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated 8/2/21

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: "I feel like we haven't' had our joy. It hasn't flowed for us or been easy. It's not for lack of effort."

— Al Butler (@ALaboutSports) August 2, 2021

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.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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