The search for the US women’s national team for the fifth Olympic gold medal began shockingly, and not in a positive way.
Stina Blackstenius’s two goals and Lina Hurtig’s second-half insurance header led Sweden to a complete 3-0 win over the United States in Tokyo, where reigning Women’s World Cup champions were consistently on the back foot and saw their streak of 44 unbeaten games come to an end.
Sweden, who knocked the US out of the 2016 Olympics in Brazil in the quarter-finals, came out aggressively and relentlessly pressed to upset the US After a series of corners and saves by Alyssa Naeher, Sweden broke through through Blackstenius, who headed in a Sofia Jakobsson cross in the 25th minute. It was Blackstenius who scored against the United States in those 2016 Games in a 1-1 draw that was resolved on penalties.
Rose Lavelle managed to hit the post with a header just before half-time after a precise delivery from the back by Kelley O’Hara, but was as close as possible to the United States to score in the first half. In all, Sweden beat the United States 10-3 (6-1 shots on goal) and had seven corners to the United States in the first 45 minutes.
Sweden doubled their lead in the 54th minute, with Blackstenius scoring his second. A header from a corner kick went off the post, but the striker was left unmarked by that same post and calmly beat Naeher from close range, with a VAR review confirming the goal and showing that he didn’t was offside.
The United States has had a couple of chances to pull one back. Carli Lloyd, on the bench with Julie Ertz (replacing Alex Morgan and Sam Mewis), breaks free on the right and is chosen by Lavelle. His low curling attempt was deflected and cornered, however.
After another entry, Megan Rapinoe, entered the field, Christen Press hit the post with her chance in the 70th minute.
Things turned dramatically in Sweden’s favor a couple of minutes later. Hurtig, who scored against the United States in April, took home the Swedes’ third goal from a Hanna Glas cross, making it 3-0 and effectively closing the game.
The press was denied a consolation goal by Hedvig Lindahl in the second period of injury time, with the Swedish goalkeeper making a fantastic save on a header at point blank range.
The defeat is the United States’ first under the leadership of Vlatko Andonovski, and is the first since the 3-1 friendly loss to France on 19 January 2019.
Sweden had come as close as anyone to breaking that streak in April, drawing the United States 1-1 after a late penalty gave Megan Rapinoe a chance to secure a draw.
The United States will face New Zealand on July 24 and Australia on July 27 to conclude the group game in Japan. The top two finishers from each of the three groups advance to the knockout stage, while the top two third-placed players also advance, so the defeat is not entirely debilitating, especially if the United States recovers to win the next two games but it is clearly not the start that Andonovski had in mind for his team full of veteran talent of the caliber of the league.
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