The United States Women’s National Team will not be leaving the Tokyo Olympics with a gold medal, and Megan Rapinoe indicated after Monday’s loss that a lack of enjoyment has been one of the biggest issues for the team.
The U.S. lost 1-0 to Canada on Monday in the women’s soccer semifinal. The loss marked the first time in history that the USWNT has lost two matches in a single Olympics, as they also fell 3-0 to Sweden in the group stage. After the match, Rapinoe called losing to Canada “terrible” and had some interesting remarks about team chemistry.
Rapinoe: "I feel like we haven't' had our joy. It hasn't flowed for us or been easy. It's not for lack of effort."
— Al Butler (@ALaboutSports) August 2, 2021
Rapinoe and her teammates seemed to be enjoying themselves when Rapinoe buried a winning penalty kick against the Netherlands (video here). However, it is clear that something has been missing for a team that went a perfect 7-0 and won the World Cup just two years ago.
The USWNT will now play for a bronze medal, and Rapinoe said winning that would be a “huge thing.” It will not, however, erase the disappointment.
