Megan Rapinoe caught loads of warmth following the US Women’s National Team’s World Cup debacle earlier this month, notably the fallout of her missed penalty kick in an elimination loss to Sweden — criticism she believes is “absurd and outrageous”.
The 38-year-old Rapinoe addressed the brutal miss in a brand new interview with The Atlantic, after which she was seen staring down on the pitch, laughing in obvious disbelief after her ball sailed over the online, a second that ignited criticism from her detractors.
“I’ve been lucky not to miss a lot in actual competition, but eventually, that can happen. But I love taking them. I would take them all the time. I would take that one again. I would pick me to take them,” Rapinoe stated.
“For a long time, I have thought about missing one in a really big moment. What are you going to do? The only other thing you could do is to not take one. I’m not going to do that. I would rather step up and be in that moment.
“And I think that’s something that made the criticism after that loss particularly fake and disingenuous and absurd and outrageous to me. It’s like, you’re going to bash on me for getting out there and trying my best?”
Rapinoe likened the missed kick to a “sick joke” because the United States was ousted earlier than the semi-finals for the primary time.
“That’s like a sick, sick joke. I’ve never hit it over, when I miss they are saved. That’s why I had that smile on my face,” Rapinoe stated of the ultimate second of her World Cup profession. “I’m like, ‘You’ve got to be f**king kidding me.’ I’m going to miss a penalty?’ Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I missed.”
Former President Donald Trump mocked Rapinoe within the wake of the USWNT’s early exit, writing partly on the Truth Social platform: “The ‘shocking and totally unexpected’ loss by the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team to Sweden is fully emblematic of what is happening to our once great Nation under Crooked Joe Biden,” and “Nice shot Megan.”
“What he’s saying is fake. It’s a compilation of hit words and hot-button words that don’t actually make any sort of sense or square with reality at all … I think, just in general, the way that our team was spoken about over the course of the tournament, it was fake,” she instructed The Atlantic.
Rapinoe, who retires with two World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, mirrored on this yr’s match in a candid Instagram put up.
“This game is so beautiful, even in its cruellest moments. This group was so very special, and I am immensely proud of every single one of us. This team is in special hands as I walk away, just like it always was, and always will be,” she wrote within the Aug. 9 put up.
“Because that is what this team is all about. We lay it all out on the line every single time. Fighting with everything that we have, for everything we deserve, for every person we possibly can.”
Captain reveals motive behind America’s World Cup flop
Lindsey Horan had a easy rationalization for the U.S. Women’s National Team’s flop within the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
“When a coach comes in, it’s like, hey, how do we get the best out of every single individual player putting the most simplicity into a 10-day camp every few months and getting the best out of your team and without overcomplicating everything?” the USWNT co-captain instructed former teammates Tobin Heath and Christen Press on “The RE-CAP Show.”
“I could talk about the last four-year cycle, and we don’t need to get into every single thing, but that’s not what we did. We did not get the best out of every single individual.
“I don’t think everyone was fully prepared, and that’s on us as well.”
There’s been a seek for solutions as to why the two-time defending champion USWNT had its worst displaying in match historical past at this yr’s Women’s World Cup.
The Americans wanted a ball to hit a goalpost in opposition to Portugal to save lots of them from being eradicated in group stage play, and exited the match within the Round of 16 after a loss in penalty kicks to Sweden.
The USWNT didn’t rating within the closing 238 minutes of its match run.
Horan’s header in a 1-1 tie in opposition to Netherlands within the United States’ second sport could be their closing aim of the match following a 3-0 win to open the match in opposition to Vietnam.
Head coach Vlatko Adonovski has already paid the value, saying his resignation final week after the USWNT scored its fewest objectives ever within the match.
Horan seemingly indicated that teaching might have been a problem for this match together with her feedback, but in addition famous that the workforce didn’t appear to play with pleasure.
“The first game (versus Vietnam) there were bits and pieces of joy but we still weren’t at our best. Looking at those three group stage games, you just felt this tense feeling, and people were just not enjoying their football or they weren’t enjoying individually playing and there was so much going on in their head,” Horan stated.
“I had a press conference and that was the first thing that came to my mind. There’s no joy. I haven’t truly enjoyed moments on the field where I came off the field and was like, ‘Oh, I love that game’.”
This article was initially revealed by the New York Post and reproduced with permission
Originally revealed as America’s Megan Rapinoe hits out after World Cup: ‘Sick joke’
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
