FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023: The defending champions, the United States women’s national soccer team, were shockingly knocked out of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in the quarterfinals by the Netherlands. The 2-1 defeat was a major upset, and it left many wondering what went wrong for the USWNT.
There were a number of factors that contributed to the USWNT’s early exit from the tournament. One was the team’s lack of scoring. The USWNT only managed to score three goals in their four games in France, which is well below their usual standard. This was due in part to the team’s aging attack, which is missing some of its stars from previous World Cups, such as Abby Wambach and Carli Lloyd.
Another factor that hurt the USWNT was their defense. The team conceded four goals in the tournament, which is a lot for a team that is used to being one of the stingiest in the world. This was due in part to some uncharacteristic mistakes from the team’s defenders, such as a costly own goal by Becky Sauerbrunn against the Netherlands.
Finally, the USWNT also seemed to be lacking in motivation in France. The team was heavily favored to win the tournament, and there was a sense that they took their opponents for granted. This was evident in their sloppy play against the Netherlands, when they failed to capitalize on their chances and eventually paid the price.
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The USWNT’s early exit from the 2023 World Cup was a major disappointment, but it is important to remember that they are still one of the best teams in the world. They will need to make some changes if they want to win back the title in 2027, but there is no reason to believe that they cannot do it.
Here are some of the specific things that went wrong for the USWNT at the World Cup:
- Lack of scoring: The USWNT only managed to score three goals in their four games, which is well below their usual standard. This was due in part to the team’s aging attack, which is missing some of its stars from previous World Cups, such as Abby Wambach and Carli Lloyd.
- Poor defense: The USWNT conceded four goals in the tournament, which is a lot for a team that is used to being one of the stingiest in the world. This was due in part to some uncharacteristic mistakes from the team’s defenders, such as a costly own goal by Becky Sauerbrunn against the Netherlands.
- Lack of motivation: The USWNT seemed to be lacking in motivation in France. The team was heavily favored to win the tournament, and there was a sense that they took their opponents for granted. This was evident in their sloppy play against the Netherlands, when they failed to capitalize on their chances and eventually paid the price.
The USWNT will need to address these issues if they want to win back the World Cup in 2027. They need to find a way to score more goals, improve their defense, and get their players more motivated. If they can do that, they will be in good shape to challenge for the title again.