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The United States Women's National Team (USWNT) was denied entry to the next round in the World Cup early this morning. In penalty kicks, they fell by a single shot to Sweden, who will advance. The United States was looking for a historic three-peat but crashed out after a terribly underwhelming showing.
They barely inched into the Round of 16 after the post saved what would have been the eliminating goal in the Group Stage finale. ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback was left stunned by the result.
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He tweeted out his dismay:
"I cannot believe it ended like that."
Orlovsky is referencing the brutal fashion in which the USWNT lost. In penalty kicks, each team alternates taking a penalty until there's a leader after five shots or the other team cannot catch back up (like a best-of-five series).
The United States had nailed four kicks and needed to save the last one from Sweden to stay alive and keep kicking. The save was nearly made twice on the same kick, but the ball was determined to have crossed the line by quite the small margin.
The goal was awarded to Sweden, which ended USA's hopes of winning a third consecutive title. It dashed the hopes and dreams of an entire nation, and Orlovsky's tweet likely sums up how most of his fellow Americans are feeling.
USWNT not the same this year
The USWNT has been a powerhouse, and they entered this World Cup with the same prestige. However, it became clear early on that this was not the same squad.
It had much of the same players, such as Alex Morgan, Julie Ertz (the wife of NFL tight end Zach Ertz), Megan Rapinoe and others. Coaching was under a lot of scrutiny, but the team did not perform well.
After barely scraping by with a 0-0 tie in the final Group Stage game, many expected that the United States would need a miracle. They almost got that miracle with the save, but even that would have only extended the game- not won it.
In the end, Orlovsky and the rest of the USWNT Soccer fan base is left stunned by what transpired early Sunday morning.
