The United States Women’s National Soccer Team has been getting dragged through the mud by anyone and everyone after they were eliminated from this year’s World Cup in the Round of 16.
The US Women lost to Sweden in penalty kicks, and one of the key moments came when Megan Rapinoe stepped up and missed her attempt, pulling Sweden back to even with the USWNT after four kickers apiece.
Since the loss, no player has been hearing it from the critics more than Rapinoe, with most people going after her for smiling and laughing following her missed PK.
Some thought it was offensive on her behalf to be laughing after costing her team at such a critical moment. But the truth is, no one really knew what Rapinoe was actually thinking at the moment…until now.
Speaking with Fox Sports about the incident, Rapinoe explained that she was simply laughing at how brutal the moment was, especially with it being her last on the World Cup stage and all.
“That’s like a sick joke,” she told Fox Sports. “That’s why I had that smile on my face. I’m like, ‘You’ve got be F ing kidding me.’ I’m going to miss a penalty? I mean, honestly, I can’t remember the last time I missed.”
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For those who were wondering, the last time Rapinoe missed a penalty kick was almost five years ago, during an NWSL match. In fact, that was Rapinoe’s only miss of her career — before her most recent miss against Sweden. The women’s soccer legend scored on all three of her penalty kick attempts at the last World Cup, including the kick that sealed the championship for the U.S. women in the finals against the Netherlands.
Sadly, her last big penalty kick attempt might just go down as the one that people remember the most… at least for the next few months. We’ll see how her fans and critics alike chose to remember her after that.
