U.S. Women's National Team Eliminated From 2023 World Cup After "Cruel" Penalty Shootout

This isn't the goal the U.S. Women's National Team had in mind.

After a tie game at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in New Zealand, the two-time defending U.S. team lost to Sweden in penalty kicks August 6. Though goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher thought she saved the final penalty—scored by Sweden's Lina Hurtig—the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) showed the ball had indeed inched over the line, officially bringing the team's three-peat dream to an end.

"I'm just devastated," Alex Morgan—who, alongside her teammates, helped score equal pay for the USWNT last year—said after the loss. "It feels like a bad dream."

Indeed, they all hope to wake up to a different outcome. "We entertained, we created chances, we didn't score and this is part of the game," co-captain Lindsey Horan said, per CNN. "Penalties, to be frank, they suck, they're too cruel. I'm proud of every player that stepped up to take a penalty today, score or miss, it's courageous to go take a penalty."

It's an especially hard kick for the players who are soon saying goodbye to the pitch.

"It's just emotional because it's probably my last game ever being able to have the honor to wear this crest," Julie Ertz shared. "I mean it's tough. Obviously, we're proud of the way we played but we didn't put anything in the back of the net."

And she isn't the only one who will soon be watching from the sidelines. Last month, Megan Rapinoe announced her plans to retire from professional soccer at the end of the season.

"I never could have imagined the ways in which soccer would shape and change my life forever," the 38-year-old wrote on Instagram alongside a snapshot of her as a kid, "but by the look on this little girl's face, I think she knew all along."

In turn, Rapinoe and her teammates have shaped and changed soccer for generations to come.

"This year's women's World Cup is a testament to the growth of women's soccer on a global scale and we are excited to see increased investment in these incredible players," the USWNT shared on Instagram after their loss. "Our goal remains the same, to win. We are committed to surpassing the standard we helped to create and we will rise to meet the challenge."

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