For the first time in eight years, the United States didn\u2019t win a match at the Women\u2019s World Cup this year held in Australia and New Zealand. At the very least, however, you can\u2019t blame their loss on too much patriotic fervor before the game began.<\/p>\n
In fact, it\u2019s questionable whether some of the women even want to be there at all, judging from the reception to the national anthem before the 1-1 draw against the Netherlands on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The game was a rematch of the 2019 final, in which the women\u2019s team blanked the Dutch squad 2-0 on a penalty shot from Megan Rapinoe and another goal from Rose Lavelle.<\/p>\n
However, this time the Dutch drew first blood, with Jill Roord scoring 17 minutes into the match at Wellington Regional Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand, according to an Associated Press report.<\/p>\n
Lindsey Horan would tie things up with a header in the 62nd minute, but neither squad could break the tie.<\/p>\n
The match was a disappointment for the U.S. Women\u2019s National Team, which has won four of eight World Cup finals, has never finished worse than third, and won its first contest by a 3-0 score over Vietnam.<\/p>\n
Out of 51 matches they\u2019ve played in the World Cup, they\u2019ve won 41 vs. four losses and six draws. Their last draw was during the 2015 Women\u2019s World Cup, when they finished 0-0 against Sweden during the group stage. (The team\u2019s last loss was in penalty kicks against the Japanese team during the 2011 World Cup final after tying 2-2 after regulation and extra time.)<\/p>\n
Moreover, the tie could put the team in a position where they\u2019re overtaken by Portugal in the final match of the group stage. While the United States still leads the group by a dint of its better goal differential than the Dutch \u2014 both teams have one win and one draw with no losses \u2014 a loss to the Portuguese combined with a Netherlands win against the Vietnamese would eliminate the American women at the group stage for the first time.<\/p>\n
Which would be fitting, considering they appear to be tired of representing their country, anyway. Check out the national anthem before the game against the Netherlands:<\/p>\n
Well, at least one can\u2019t accuse them of being rabid nationalists. In fact, quite the opposite: social media users noted how few seemed to put their hand over their heart or sing along with the lyrics.<\/p>\n
I love cheering on Women\u2019s Sport, especially American National team. Are these girls being forced to represent the nation almost every other player would love to live in? What are they trying to prove but ruin the experience and most likely great financial gain the could have .<\/p>\n
At least there was no anthem-kneeling a la Megan Rapinoe. The 38-year-old wokeista is coming off the bench this year after being a pivotal part of the last few American World Cup teams. Former teammate Hope Solo criticized Rapinoe\u2019s approach to the anthem, telling an interviewer in 2021 that she saw the star \u201calmost bully players into kneeling because she really wants to stand up for something in her particular way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rapinoe may not be a starter anymore, but its not like the women out on the field seemed any more into it than the pink-haired anime-character wannabe was; I counted five singers and six who weren\u2019t singing, although those who were singing didn\u2019t exactly seem enthused about it.<\/p>\n