Our U-20 USWNT is out, gone from the World Cup in Poland after a brutal Round of 16 loss to Brazil. Man, it was a penalty shootout, the absolute worst way to go out, and it all went down on Wednesday. This one stings, big time.
The Game’s Cruel Twist
The first half was a real grind, both teams battling it out but neither finding the back of the net. Goalless, the tension was building. Then, in the 59th minute, Brazil found their breakthrough. A corner kick, taken short, led to a cross from Clarinha, and defender Sofia Couto somehow got her head on it from close range. Just like that, we were down one, and it felt like a punch to the gut. The stadium erupted, and you just knew the pressure was on.
But our squad didn’t fold, not entirely. Just four minutes later, Ainsley McCammon stepped up with a massive equalizer. It was chaos in front of Brazil’s goal, a true game of pinball between their defenders and our attackers. The ball just wouldn’t clear, and then it bounced right to McCammon. She didn’t hesitate, unleashing a powerful shot from outside the box that found the back of the net. Talk about a gut check! That goal sent the game to extra time, and when neither side could break the deadlock, we were headed for the most agonizing part of soccer: penalties.
Shootout Agony & A Troubling Trend
The penalty shootout. It’s pure drama, and it broke our hearts this time. Brazil was clinical, converting every single one of their spot kicks. Every. Single. One. For our side, we were good on all but the very first attempt. Emeri Adames stepped up, a huge moment, and Brazil’s goalkeeper, Thais Lima, made the save. Just like that, the dream was over, an early exit from the tournament for the U.S. squad. You hate to see it happen like that.
This team leaves Poland with a pretty tough record, just one win in four games. Our lone victory was a massive 9-0 thrashing of New Zealand in the Group D finale, but that firepower wasn’t there when it counted most. We started the tournament with a 2-1 loss to Italy and followed it up with a 2-2 draw against Japan, which meant we finished third in our group. It’s a tough pill to swallow, especially when you consider this extends a 14-year drought for our U-20 Women’s National Team without winning this World Cup. The last time we lifted that trophy was back in 2012, with legends like Crystal Dunn, Julie Ertz, and Sam Mewis leading the way. And get this: this is the third time in the last four editions of this biennial tournament that we failed to make the quarterfinals. The only exception was two years ago in Colombia, when we managed a third-place finish.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for the team, for us fans. Time to regroup and figure out how to get back to the top.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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