USWNT says no panic ahead of World Cup match vs. Sweden
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AUCKLAND, New Zealand — With their World Cup campaign on unstable ground entering the knockout stage, U.S. women’s national soccer team players said Thursday that they recognize their shortfalls but remain confident about making a deep run in the tournament. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Skip to end of carousel World Cup 2023 See full coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 End of carousel “We are not panicking,” forward Lynn Williams said in a news conference. “We haven’t played our best soccer yet, which is the most exciting part for us.”
The two-time reigning champions did not lose any of their three Group E matches and conceded just one goal. But they did not perform at their usual high levels, finishing second in the group behind the Netherlands — the second time in history they failed to win their group — and will face Group G winner Sweden in the round of 16 on Sunday in Melbourne.
The top-ranked Americans (1-0-2) have advanced to the semifinals in each of the previous eight World Cups but, based on performances in the group stage, Sweden (3-0-0) will enter the game as the favorite.
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“We don’t want to be disappointed in ourselves,” captain Lindsey Horan said. “We still made it to the round of 16 and obviously we want to play better. We want to entertain our fans more and for ourselves, as well. The expectations are always going to be there for this national team, and they’re always going to be great, and we’re always going to be in the pressure cooker. We love that. So we just need to raise our standards, which we always do.”
Horan said the team needs to rediscover its joy of the game.
“We’re so passionate about this game,” she said. “We want to win as much as possible and we want to play better ... and to find those little pieces of the joy in the game as well. Once we get that, things are going to move a little bit better on the field. We’re going to have more rhythm, we’re going to have more confidence, and more chances will come.”
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USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski said the team is moving on from a draw with Portugal on Aug. 1 as they advance out of the group stage of the World Cup. (Video: Courtesy of FIFA)
Williams echoed Horan’s comments, saying, “We just need to get back to what makes us great.”
Midfielder Rose Lavelle, the team’s most creative player, will miss the match because of a yellow-card suspension. It remains unclear how Coach Vlatko Andonovski will fill Lavelle’s slot and whether, amid the team’s sputtering attack, he will make other lineup changes. Andonovski’s next media session is Saturday.
The players said they are aware of the disappointment expressed by fans and commentators, including former U.S. star Carli Lloyd.
“It is noise,” said Horan, Lloyd’s teammate on the 2019 championship squad. “Sometimes you hear it, you see it, and sometimes it’s hard to get away from it. It’s [media’s] job to have the opinion of our team. You guys are all watching us. Everyone in the world gets to have their opinion. And it’s the World Cup.”
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Source: The Washington Post
