American football women are shocked but still not panicked after the defeat against Sweden

With Seppert, the impressive run of 44 unbeaten matches, of which only four draws ended. Appointed national coach Vladko Andonowski in 2019 after winning the World Cup final against the Netherlands, he never lost to the national team until last Tuesday.

‘We kicked our asses, ‘Said the American billboard Megan Robino as an alternative to Sweden. The attacker, who spoke openly in the fight against discrimination, was the target of conservative America, where happiness was high. Before it could be played by the Swedes, the American team knelt before the kick-off. It would have brought the misery of women into themselves.

Rarely did the strong USWNT (US Woman National Team) emerge against strong Sweden, with whom the American women still had a bone. At the Games in Rio de Janeiro, Sweden just knocked out the team in the quarterfinals. Back then, the Americans banged on the Scandinavian wall for ninety minutes – a ‘crowd of cowards’, then-goalkeeper Hope Solo thought – but this time they were crushed by too much pressure and collective play. Its own recipe.

Recovery

On Saturday, the team bounced back against a weak New Zealand (6-1), but there were doubts about a fifth Olympic title. Is the team too old? Every attacker in the selection is now over thirty, 39-year-old Carly Lloyd, working on his fourth Olympics. Eleven players who started against Sweden had an average of 121 international matches to their name.

The country, which has won four Olympic and four world titles in the last two decades, still has no panic. If this is the swan song of the current set, the next one will be ready. Whether it will be as dominant as everything else is a different matter.

American dominance began in 1991 at the first World Women’s World Championships in China. Mia Ham Teen became the idol of the active attacker with the signature ponytail. The United States won the match.

With the Atlanta Games and especially winning the 1999 World Cup in their home country, football became popular among young women. 90,000 spectators attended the 1999 Rose Bowl final in Pasadena, California. The women’s team became one of the most popular sports teams in the country. The USWNT Grand Finals still attracts male TV viewers.

Americans derive their strength from the numerical majority. According to the 2019 FIFA poll, 9.5 million American women or girls sometimes kick a ball.

Sports from a young age

Conveyor belt delivered by soldiers is accelerated at universities. Called by the 1972 Act Title IX, Against discrimination in education, women can also get scholarships with their sports qualities. Many students chose the game of football from a young age. This was only the first time in the 1980s Scholarships Handed over.

When Brazilian football icon Marta was once asked about the secret of the Americans, she nodded her head. Why was it so hard for them to win? ‘Mood.’

Sectarianism. Diligence. Never give up. These are key values ​​based on the national team as well. Enthusiasm is taught in universities, where teams have up to thirty players and can exchange seamlessly. “This is the cut,” Lloyd said earlier about the competition in the national election. The killer.

The rest of the world is not sitting still, the Americans have noticed, who in 2017 founded football academies for the most talented players across the country. In universities the season is interrupted for a long time, while in Europe, elsewhere, one can train year-round. This is now possible in academies as well.

Shrinking margin

The margins of competition are shrinking as women’s football has gained status and has been taken more seriously on other continents over the years. Countries like the UK, Germany, France, Sweden and the Netherlands are getting closer.

Despite the slide against Sweden, American women are still favorites for the Olympic title. Yes, the team is on the old side, but it also has too much experience. In 2008, at the Beijing Games, the team lost the first game, then against Norway (0-2), after which the team lifted itself and won the gold.

The United States clung to the belief that Sweden had raised the champion team. “I don’t think this team has always been in this position,” national coach Antonovsky said after the defeat. “It’s a little shocking.”