World Cup: US and Rapinoe out at hands of Sweden's Musovic

The United States weren’t supposed to be in Melbourne. The World Cup holders had arranged before the tournament for their last 16 tie to be Sunday’s earlier match in Sydney, allowing it to slot into prime-time for TV audiences back home. But they didn’t win their group, the first of many things that have failed to go to plan. And they won’t be in a hurry to come back.

Those that did stay up back home would have witnessed a moment of drama fit for any prime-time slot. But there was to be no happy ending for Megan Rapinoe and the US. The veteran forward’s last action in a World Cup was to miss a penalty in a dramatic shootout that was settled by Sweden’s Lina Hurtig, whose penalty ballooned up off US goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and looped over the line by the finest of margins.

"To lose that way, that close, it hurts," Naeher told DW after the game. "Penalties are a tough way to go out and you’re a millimeter away from staying alive."

'We know how good we are' — Musovic

That the world champions were forced into spot kicks was largely down to the Swedish goalkeeper, Zecira Musovic, who made a number of critical saves throughout the 120 minutes. The 27-year-old has had to wait patiently to replace Swedish great Hedwig Lindahl but proved herself in the most emphatic fashion.

"I felt that before the game [it was going to be their night], I had a good feeling," Musovic told DW. “We faced a really good USA, the number one in the world. But we also saw our opportunities and we know how good we are."

As key as Musovic was, it was Hurtig who ultimately decided the game. The stadium froze under the tension as referee Stephanie Frappart checked the goalline technology on her watch and waited for confirmation from the VAR in her earpiece. Her initial signal was unclear to everyone, including the Sweden forward, who was the first person to react.

"That was crazy, honestly," Hurtig told DW. "I was so nervous and the wait after to see if it was a goal, it was horrible. I was super unclear. I looked at the referee and she was doing some sign first and I was thinking 'it’s not a goal' and then she finally said it was. I went crazy. I just ran and screamed. It was amazing."

Underwhelming end to American era

While Sweden were joyful at passing a sterner test than the US had provided Portugal in their previous game, the champions were crestfallen. A goal drought stretching to four hours since an equalizer against the Netherlands put an end to an underwhelming campaign and, most probably, an era.

Of the 23 players in the American squad, this was a first World Cup for 14 of them — the group is inexperienced and must now contend with failing to make the final of this tournament for the first time and the inevitable inquisition that will follow. 

The player who has perhaps most defined a period that provided multiple World Cups and Olympic medals was able to see past her personal disappointment to a wider picture of progress.

"Where the game is in general is amazing, I think this World Cup is a testament to that," Rapinoe said. "Incredible results, such parity across the games, you never know what's going to happen.

"It tough to go out like this. You obviously saw my smile after I missed that PK [penalty], it’s just like 'that’s a sick joke' there’s some dark, dark Becky Sauerbruun [injured US captain] humor. But that’s the way that the game goes and that’s the way that life goes. But I feel grateful for this moment still. To have been able to have played in another one and had this experience, but this is life."

So far, this has been a tournament defined not just by that narrowing of the gap between teams but of difficult endings to great World Cup careers. Rapinoe follows Brazil’s Marta and Canada’s Christine Sinclair in exiting the stage earlier than planned.

As Rapinoe alluded to, that is the way of top level sport. Plans are broken as soon as they're made. The millimeters matter. Never more so than in Melbourne on Sunday night.

Edited by Michael Da Silva