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Please don’t send me Al Pacino’s “Any Given Sunday” speech. I’m Emily Olsen, here with Meg Linehan and Steph Yang welcome to Full Time!
Look, it’s been a long night (morning?), so I won’t bury the lede. Here’s how the U.S. bowed out of the World Cup in its earliest exit ever, losing to Sweden 5-4 on penalty kicks in the World Cup round of 16 at AAMI Park in Melbourne. Let’s recap:
120 minutes scoreless, despite 22 shots, 583 passes and a 77% passing.
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I’m currently typing this from the Melbourne Fan Zone and watching what I can only describe as the hip-hop Wiggles. I’m Emily Olsen, here with Meg Linehan and Steph Yang welcome to Full Time!
“It wouldn’t be a major tournament if we weren’t facing Sweden,” U.S. captain Lindsey Horan said at a media availability on Thursday.
It’s true. This will be the seventh time the U.S. and Sweden will meet at a women’s World Cup, the most-played matchup in the.
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After a quick “rest day,” I think I finally know what an F1 pit stop feels like. I’m Emily Olsen, here with Meg Linehan and Steph Yang welcome to Full Time!
Obviously, this newsletter has a strong American influence, but I think we all need a break, and this rest day has come at the perfect time. There are so many other great stories I want to highlight before that U.S. game against Sweden (there is still plenty of time to talk about that one).
Parity has become a key.
The U.S. women’s national team will not change the way it’s been playing. Coach Vlatko Andonovski was defiant following the 0-0 draw with Portugal, saying, “We have to stick to our principles, we have to stick to our game model, and we have to stick to our philosophy.” He has his preferred lineup and tactical style, and he will not change.
The following exercise is about engaging in pure fantasy. Andonovski will swap out Rose Lavelle for another midfielder due to suspension, and he might put Trinity Rodman back in for Lynn Williams, but that is likely the extent of the changes. Any.