Sweden's women stun U.S. 3-0 in Tokyo opener

Video Credit: Reuters - Politics
Published on July 21, 2021 - Duration: 01:14s

Sweden's women stun U.S. 3-0 in Tokyo opener

A pair of goals from Swedish forward Stina Blackstenius spelled catastrophe for the United States on Wednesday, as they suffered a shock 3-0 defeat in their Tokyo 2020 debut.

This report produced by Freddie Joyner.


Sweden's women stun U.S. 3-0 in Tokyo opener

The world champion U.S. women's soccer team were trounced by Sweden in a 3-0 upset on Wednesday, ending an epic, 30-month winning streak on the first day of the Tokyo Olympics women's soccer tournament.

Fifth-ranked Sweden put the pressure on almost immediately with three shots in the first eight minutes, while the four-time Olympic gold medalist U.S. team showed little sign of their 44-game unbeaten run, at one point missing a wide open net at close range in the second half.

After the match, star U.S. midfielder Megan Rapinoe admitted, "We got our asses kicked, didn't we?" adding that she thought her team was nervous and "just doing dumb stuff." The match was personal for Team USA: Sweden knocked the four-time World Cup winners out of the tournament on penalties in the quarter-finals in 2016.

But their much hoped-for revenge in front of an empty Tokyo Stadium was not to be.

The defeat at the ’16 Rio Games marked the U.S. team's earliest exit in Olympic history, after previously reaching the final of every edition of the Games since 1996, when women's soccer was introduced.

The U.S. will face New Zealand next in the group stage, while Sweden will play Australia, both on Saturday.

You are here


💡 newsR Knowledge: Other News Mentions

Sweden

Country in northern Europe
Leah Williamson receives call-up for Euro 2025 qualifiers against Sweden and the Republic Ireland and could play for England for the first time since last April.
Credit: BBC Sport - Published 2 days ago


Olympic Games

Major international multi-sport event
The Enhanced Games has been derided as "a clown show" and "borderline criminal". But their founder and his backers believe in a future few have foreseen.
Credit: BBC Sport - Published 18 hours ago

Olympic diving champion Matty Lee will miss this summer's Paris Games after undergoing spinal surgery. 
Credit: Sky News - Published 1 day ago

British Olympic champion Matty Lee will miss this summer's Games in Paris after undergoing spinal surgery.
Credit: BBC Sport - Published 1 day ago

Related videos from verified sources

USWNT annihilated by Sweden in Olympics opener 00:54
Video credit: nypost - Published on July 21, 2021 

You might like