Following the U.S. Women’s National team’s loss to Sweden in penalty kicks during their knockout round match at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Alex Morgan had to speak from her heart to address the fans.
The longtime star forward took to Instagram and reflected back on this year’s World Cup and what the future has in store.
Morgan wrote there is “no greater honor than representing my country.”
It hurts and it will for a while but this wound will eventually turn into a scar. Another reminder that we compete because we want to be the best, and measure ourselves against the top in the world. This time, we came up short. We know that and I own that.
I’m so proud of the effort, the fight, and the belief of this group. I stand by each and every one of these players and reaffirm that we poured everything into this World Cup. This game shows you the highest of highs and lowest of lows. It can be brutal but this wound will not only heal but will serve as a defining moment in the history of @uswnt – one we will grow and be stronger for.
Despite coming up short in their quest for their third consecutive World Cup win, the 34-year-old is proud of the way her teammates played as she told ESPN.
“I felt like in the run of play we did really well,” she continued. “We broke them down extremely well. We limited them in front of our own goal. It’s hard to lose on penalties.”
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The loss to Sweden ended an overall terrible performance by the defending champions, who after a win over Vietnam and ties against the Netherlands and Portugal made it out of the group stages in second place.
Megan Rapinoe is headed off into retirement so the team will look quite different when they hit the field again. Rapinoe – one of the most decorated U.S. soccer players of all time – had the chance to play the hero once again and put the U.S. at a seemingly insurmountable advantage. She missed.
The loss marked the earliest the U.S. team has ever been eliminated from the Women’s World Cup.
