The US women’s soccer team has faced criticism, particularly from former US President Donald Trump, after being eliminated from the Women’s World Cup. The team, winners of the past two tournaments, was defeated in a penalty shoot-out Sweden in Melbourne on Sunday night.
Despite dominating possession and having 21 shots at goal, the US team was unable to find the back of the net against Swedish goalkeeper Zecira Musovic. The match ended in a 0-0 draw after extra time, and Sweden emerged victorious in the subsequent penalty shoot-out with a score of 5-4.
In response to the loss, Donald Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to express his opinion. He claimed that the defeat was emblematic of the current state of the United States under President Joe Biden and criticized some members of the team for being openly hostile towards America. Trump’s post received widespread attention and sparked further controversy.
This is not the first time that Trump has clashed with the US women’s soccer team. During his presidency, he had a public feud with Megan Rapinoe, the team’s captain who has since retired from international competition. Rapinoe, who is openly gay and progressive, was involved in a gender discrimination lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation before the 2019 World Cup.
Despite the criticism and controversy surrounding the team, Rapinoe has been an influential figure in women’s soccer. She played a crucial role in the team’s victory in the 2019 World Cup, scoring two goals in the quarter-final match against the host country, France, and was named the player of the tournament.
The US women’s soccer team’s loss to Sweden has ignited further discussions about the state of the team and its future direction.
