Megan Rapinoe’s World Cup career ends with awful penalty kick miss: ‘Dark comedy’
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Megan Rapinoe had an opportunity to ship the U.S. Girls’s Nationwide Workforce to the World Cup quarterfinals, extending her ultimate look within the event by not less than another recreation, however with a missed penalty kick it supplied a bitter ending to her storied profession.
With the USWNT and Sweden scoreless by means of 90 minutes and thru further time, Rapinoe, who changed Alex Morgan within the 99th minute, was chosen for the fourth spherical of penalty kicks.
Sweden goalkeeper Zecira Musovic didn’t even want to maneuver a muscle.
Rapinoe blasted the ball over the correct nook of the online and three rounds later the USWNT was eliminated on penalty kicks — failing to succeed in the semifinals for the primary time.
“I imply, this is sort of a sick joke,” Rapinoe told Fox Sports in an interview. “For me, personally, I’m similar to that is darkish comedy. I missed a penalty … That is the stability to the gorgeous facet of the sport. I feel it may be merciless and simply not our day.”
When the US received the 2019 World Cup ultimate in opposition to the Netherlands, Rapinoe scored the primary aim on a penalty kick by directing the ball towards the correct nook earlier than the goalkeeper might even try a save.
4 years later, with the USWNT now eradicated, Rapinoe’s profession closes with two World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, the Golden Ball and Golden Boot award in 2019, and an Olympic gold medal in 2012.
Rapinoe, who has advocated for political points all through her profession and announced prior to the World Cup that she’d retire following the 2023 NWSL season, missed her penalty kick every week after she was outspoken about her function within the USWNT’s draw in opposition to the Netherlands, telling reporters she “could have helped” regardless of not being within the beginning lineup and never incomes time in its place.
“I feel this group has all the time fought for a lot extra, and that’s been essentially the most rewarding half for me,” Rapinoe stated Sunday, noting that her most memorable second could be listening to “equal pay” chants in the course of the 2019 World Cup ultimate.
“In fact, taking part in in World Cups and successful championships and doing all that. To know that we’ve used our actually particular expertise to do one thing that’s modified the world without end, I feel meaning essentially the most to me.”
Rapinoe entered within the 62nd minute in opposition to Portugal in the course of the ultimate Group E match, and in Sunday morning’s match she subbed in for Morgan shortly after the primary half of additional time started.
Andi Sullivan, Lindsey Horan, Kristie Mewis and Alyssa Naeher all scored on their penalty kicks for the USWNT, whereas Rapinoe, Sophia Smith and Kelley O’Hara all couldn’t convert their penalty kick makes an attempt in opposition to Musovic, who made 11 saves previous to the penalty kicks.
Sweden superior to face Japan within the quarterfinals Friday, whereas the U.S., for all of the hype about its younger gamers and all of the storylines of veterans transitioning out of the highlight, entered right into a stretch the place questions — about Vlatko Andonovski, about looming retirements, about the place this new model of USWNT belongs within the international conversations — will proceed to emerge.
Rapinoe’s ultimate query, about how she’d carry out in her final World Cup, now has an answer.
It simply didn’t have the ending that anybody anticipated.
“I do know it’s the top, and that’s unhappy,” Rapinoe stated, “however to know that that is actually the one time I’ve been in certainly one of these this early says a lot about how a lot success I’ve been capable of have and simply how a lot I’ve liked taking part in for this group and taking part in for this nation. It’s been an honor.”
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