The U.S. women’s national team ends its quest for a third consecutive World Cup in the Round of 16, falling 5-4 on penalties against Sweden.

While the USWNT outshot Sweden 22-9 overall, and 11-1 in shots on target, the teams remained knotted 0-0 after regulation plus 30 minutes of extra time. The USWNT scored just four goals across four World Cup matches.

Missed penalty kicks from Megan Rapinoe, Sophia Smith and Kelley O’Hara doomed the U.S. to the earliest World Cup exit it its history. In all eight previous tournaments, the USWNT had reached at least the semifinals — and had won four titles.

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FINAL: Sweden 0, USWNT 0 (Sweden advances 5-4 on penalties)

The USWNT took a 3-2 lead in the penalty kick shootout, but back-to-back misses from Megan Rapinoe and Sophia Smith prevented the defending champions from shutting the door on Sweden.

In the final round, Kelley O’Hara’s shot hit the post, and then Lina Hurtig had the winning tally for Sweden. USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher got a hand on Hurtig’s shot, then snatched it out of the net, but not before the ball spun up and across the goal line (as confirmed in a brief video review).

• Round One
  • USWNT: Andi Sullivan — SCORE
  • Sweden: Fridolina Rolfö — SCORE
• Round Two
  • USWNT: Lindsey Horan — SCORE
  • Sweden: Elin Rubensson — SCORE
• Round Three
  • USWNT: Kristie Mewis — SCORE
  • Sweden: Nathalie Björn — MISS
• Round Four
  • USWNT: Megan Rapinoe — MISS
  • Sweden: Rebecka Blomqvist — MISS
• Round Five
  • USWNT: Sophia Smith — MISS
  • Sweden: Hanna Bennison — SCORE
• Round Six
  • USWNT: Alyssa Naeher — SCORE
  • Sweden: Magdalena Eriksson — SCORE
• Round Seven
  • USWNT: Kelley O’Hara — MISS
  • Sweden: Lina Hurtig — SCORE

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END EXTRA TIME: USWNT 0, Sweden 0

To penalty kicks! Just Women’s Sports‘ Claire Watkins provided this analysis: “If the U.S. don’t advance, the conversation won’t change much from the last week, and rightly so. But also like, this game was just a soccer game between two good teams.”

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120′: Kelley O’Hara, Kristie Mewis enter for USWNT

O’Hara and Mewis replace Emily Fox and Emily Sonnett, just in time for the penalty kick shootout.

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107′: Sophia Smith shot stopped by Zecira Musovic

The Swedish goalkeeper is having “the game of her life,” as Just Women’s Sports writer Claire Watkins put it — which makes the prospect of facing her in a penalty shootout that much scarier.

So so close for the @USWNT's Sophia Smith 🫢 pic.twitter.com/hcZa7U3Mpv

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 6, 2023

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99′: Megan Rapinoe replaces Alex Morgan for USWNT

USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski made his second change of the match, swapping the veteran forwards. Just Women’s Sports writer Claire Watkins was “afraid he wouldn’t do this with pens in mind, but its the right way to get Pinoe on the field.”

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97′: Sweden goalkeeper stops another Alex Morgan shot

Morgan moved into the box, then got a shot off at a tough angle, but Sweden’s Zecira Musovic made the save.

The @USWNT's Alex Morgan forcing Musovic into acton in extra time 🙌 pic.twitter.com/eBAzUuNt15

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 6, 2023

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END REGULATION: USWNT 0, Sweden 0

The USWNT outshot Sweden 14-7 overall (6-1 on target) through 90 minutes, but with no goals for either side, the match heads to extra time.

Get ready for 30 more minutes of action. If the score remains tied after extra time, the match will head to penalty kicks.

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89′: Alex Morgan gets her best chance yet

Alex Morgan nearly scored on a header set up by a perfect cross into the box from Lynn Williams up the right side. But Sweden goalkeeper Zecira Musovic managed another highlight-reel save.

Sweden’s Sofia Jakobsson and Lina Hurtig entered for Johanna Kaneryd and Kosovare Asllani in the 82nd minute.

ZECIRA MUSOVIC COMES UP HUGE FOR SWEDEN 🧤 pic.twitter.com/ECGLg5pRdm

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 6, 2023

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66′: Lynn Williams replaces Trinity Rodman for USWNT

While Rodman had been one of the strongest players to this point, she also was playing through an illness, so the USWNT had her on a minutes limit. Williams came off the bench to replace her on the right side.

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54′: Lindsey Horan forces impressive save from Sweden keeper

A stinging shot from the USWNT captain is blocked by Sweden goalkeeper Zecira Musovic. Horan’s chance came between two opportunities for fellow midfielder Andi Sullivan as the USWNT continues to threaten.

🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

🎥 » @FOXSoccer

pic.twitter.com/x6qZlZDRu8

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) August 6, 2023

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HALF: USWNT 0, Sweden 0

Despite several late chances, Rodman’s two shots on goal stood as the only ones of the half for either team. The USWNT outshot Sweden 6-2 (2-0 on target), and maintained possession for 62% of the first half.

“U.S. fans should feel much better about the shape, consistency, and stability of the USWNT,” Just Women’s Sports soccer writer Claire Watkins said. “They should not feel great that the sport being played is knockout soccer and it is tied.”

The inability to finish chances plagued the USWNT throughout the group stage, as Watkins noted. The new midfield formation showed the biggest problem to this point was the system, not the players, but the change will come to nought if the U.S. cannot get on the scoreboard.

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34′: Lindsey Horan header almost finds the net

The USWNT captain got her head on the corner kick from Andi Sullivan, but the ball bounced up off the crossbar and out of play, resulting in a Sweden goal kick.

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27′: Trinity Rodman gets another shot on goal

Rodman has looked strong on the right wing for the USWNT. She beat Andersson from the outside, but her shot zipped directly toward Sweden goalkeeper Zecira Musovic.

She managed another shot soon afterward, but she sailed it over the crossbar. And then the USWNT almost found Lindsey Horan in the box for another chance in a strong stretch of play for the defending champions.

Trinity Rodman is knocking 👀@USWNT pic.twitter.com/ha0U3WIbCm

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 6, 2023

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22′: Alyssa Naeher gets hand on Sweden corner kick

Sweden received another opportunity for one of its dangerous set pieces. Jonna Andersson’s corner kick sailed into the box, but Naeher slapped it away.

A free kick for Sweden followed minutes later. Andersson sent it into the box, but the USWNT managed to clear.

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18′: Trinity Rodman challenges Sweden goalkeeper

The 21-year-old got the first shot on goal of the match, but Sweden goalkeeper Zecira Musovic made the save.

Up to this point, both teams had traded opportunities, with neither dominating the run of play. With the new midfield formation, the USWNT looked more comfortable — defensive midfielder Andi Sullivan in particular.

Trinity Rodman is itching to score the United States' first 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/xtuMDzLafh

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 6, 2023

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Starting XI: USWNT deploys two defensive midfielders

• United States
  • Goalkeeper: Alyssa Naeher
  • Defenders: Emily Fox, Julie Ertz, Naomi Girma, Crystal Dunn
  • Midfielders: Emily Sonnett, Lindsey Horan, Andi Sullivan, Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman
  • Forwards: Alex Morgan
• Sweden
  • Goalkeeper: Zecira Musovic
  • Defenders: Nathalie Björn, Amanda Ilestedt, Magdalena Eriksson, Jonna Andersson
  • Midfielders: Filippa Angeldal, Elin Rubensson, Johanna Kaneryd, Kosovare Asllani, Fridolina Rolfö
  • Forwards: Stina Blackstenius

Both teams are using a midfield-heavy 4-2-3-1. The surprise for the USWNT: Sonnett is the replacement for suspended Rose Lavelle in the midfield, while Ertz remains at center-back, putting each outside her typical position — though Ertz has started on the backline in every game so far.

Just Women’s Sports soccer writer Claire Watkins predicted the use of two defensive midfielders for this match, though she expected to see Ertz in the role.

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What to know about Sweden

• Sweden has played in every World Cup since 1999, reaching the semifinals three times (in 2011 and 2019) and the championship match once (in 2003).
• Head coach Peter Gerhardsson has helmed Sweden since 2017. Under his leadership, Sweden placed third at the 2019 World Cup and won silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
• Nathalie Björn came close to guaranteeing a win for her team. “We will do everything we can as a team, as individuals, and then we’ll make sure that we will knock out the U.S.,” the 26-year-old defender said.

What to know about the USWNT

• Rose Lavelle will miss the match after picking up her second yellow card of the tournament against Portugal, earning her a one-game suspension.
• Head coach Vlatko Andonovski offered his harshest evaluation yet of his squad’s performance. “The performance was crap,” he said Thursday. “We all know that. We have to own it. We have to take accountability.”
• Two-time World Cup winner turned Fox Sports analyst Carli Lloyd made waves with her criticism of the 2023 squad, but captain Lindsey Horan pushed back. “It’s noise and, again, it’s an opinion and everyone is entitled to their own opinion — we know that’s how it goes,” Horan said. “But for me, I always want to defend my team and say: You have no idea what’s going on behind the scenes.”

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When and how to watch

• Sunday, Aug. 6 @ 5 a.m. ET (Fox, Peacock, Telemundo, Universo)
  • United States vs. Sweden (Melbourne Rectangular Stadium)

The USWNT’s Round of 16 match is available to watch on Fox, Telemundo and Universo. It also can be streamed on the Fox Sports app and on Peacock. The winner of this match will face the winner of Japan-Norway (4 a.m. ET Saturday) in the quarterfinals.

Adding to their already historic season, 2024/25 WSL champions and 2025 League Cup winners Chelsea FC handed Manchester United a 3-0 defeat in Sunday's 2025 FA Cup final, completing the club's second-ever domestic treble.

Though the Blues first claimed an elusive treble in the 2020/21 season, this year's roster did so without dropping a single match in any of the three domestic competitions.

"I could not have expected this," said first-year Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor about her debut success leading the Blues. "It is almost ideal in terms of domestic dominance."

To clinch that dominance, Chelsea upended the defending FA Cup champs Manchester United at London's iconic Wembley Stadium behind a brace from French fullback Sandy Baltimore and a header from USWNT attacker Catarina Macario.

Baltimore gave Chelsea the lead by slipping a late first-half penalty past 2024/25 WSL Golden Glove winner and USWNT goalkeeper prospect Phallon Tullis-Joyce, and the Blues never relented, with second-half sub Macario doubling their scoreline in the 84th minute before Baltimore tacked on a final goal in stoppage time.

"It's a very emotional day," an emotional Macario told the broadcast after finishing her first season following a long ACL recovery. "It's a trophy we always wanted to win."

"All the credit to my players," said Bompastor. "We showed our mentality and our values in this game so we ended the season in an almost perfect scenario – we won, we were playing at Wembley, the stadium was nearly sold out, and we had a strong performance and result against a strong opponent."

"It is an almost ideal way to finish the season."

FA Cup crowds prove sustained demand for women's soccer

Chelsea FC's undefeated treble-winning season wasn't the only notable victory on Sunday, as the FA Cup final drew a crowd of over 74,000 fans for the third straight year.

Sunday's 74,412 attendance mark was just shy of both last year's crowd of 76,082 and the 77,390 fans who watched Chelsea defeat the Red Devils in 2023 — all well beyond the tournament final's previous record of 49,094 attendees achieved in 2022.

Fueled by the football fervor following England's 2022 Euro victory — the country's first international trophy, men's or women's, since the 1966 men's World Cup — the 2023 FA Cup final still stands as the largest crowd at a domestic women's soccer match across all nations.

With Sunday's match joining the over-74,000 attendance club, it's clear the post-Euros enthusiasm wasn't a blip, but a boost to the continued growth and sustained success of the women's game.

While most WNBA stars hit the court running this weekend, a few saw their 2025 campaigns already shortened as teams released season-opening injury reports.

Phoenix forward Kahleah Copper will miss four to six weeks of play, the Mercury reported on Saturday, after the 2024 Olympic gold medalist underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on her left knee last week.

Another knee injury has LA's Rae Burrell sidelined for the next six to eight weeks, after the fourth-year guard took a knock to the right leg just 41 seconds into the Sparks' 2025 debut win over Golden State.

On Friday, the Mystics released updates on both second-year forward Aaliyah Edwards and rookie guard Georgia Amoore. While another assessment of the Unrivaled 1v1 runner-up's back injury will occur in two more weeks, Washington confirmed that the Australian standout will miss the entire 2025 WNBA season after undergoing a successful surgery to repair her right ACL.

Seattle's Katie Lou Samuelson is also out for the full 2025 campaign, with the 27-year-old Storm forward recovering from last week's successful surgery after tearing her right ACL in practice on May 1st.

Kitley makes long-awaited WNBA debut as Brink eyes return

In more uplifting news, LA's Cameron Brink is on track to return to the Sparks sometime next month, one year after her standout rookie season came to a halt in a left ACL tear.

Already celebrating, however, is 2024 second-round draftee Elizabeth Kitley, who battled back from injury to make her WNBA debut and score her first league points in Las Vegas's Saturday loss to New York.

The Aces took a draft chance on Kitley, despite the center suffering an ACL tear in her final NCAA postseason. In response, the former Virginia Tech star successfully translated her year-long delayed shot at a pro career by surviving Las Vegas's brutal 2025 roster cuts.

Notably, Kitley's close friend and collegiate on-court counterpart with the Hokies is the aforementioned Amoore, who will aim for a rookie-season redo of her own next year.

The No. 1 Kansas City Current strengthened their grip on the 2025 NWSL Shield race on Friday, taking down now-No. 3 Orlando 1-0 on the road to earn a four-point lead atop of the NWSL table.

Reigning league MVP Temwa Chawinga scored the top-table game's lone goal. With five goals in nine matches, Chawinga now sits in a four-way tie for second place in the 2025 Golden Boot race.

"If you don't come with heart, you have no chance," Current head coach Vlatko Andonovski said after the match. "And today I think we showed heart."

Kansas City now stands 7-2-0 on the season, putting the NWSL Shield firmly within their grasp.

Kansas City's rise aside, the weekend's biggest drama hovered near the playoff line.

Gotham FC fell to No. 2 San Diego 1-0 on Friday, sending the Bats skidding to No. 8 on a three-game winless streak while boxing No. 9 North Carolina out of playoff contention — despite the rising Courage securing their third win in four games with Saturday's 2-0 victory over last-place Chicago.

"Obviously, we were hot for a little bit, and teams have slumps all the time, so now it's just finding a way," Gotham midfielder Jaelin Howell said of the team's recent struggles.

While some rebuilds soar, last year's postseason contenders are still finding their way as the league moves into the second third of the 2025 season.

Indiana's 35-point blowout win over Chicago wasn't Saturday's only newsmaker, as a controversial foul on Sky forward Angel Reese by Fever guard Caitlin Clark sparked intense off-court conversations and a WNBA investigation into subsequent fan misconduct.

Clark's third-quarter foul against Reese incited a brief dust-up between the second-year stars, with Clark's offense upgraded to a Flagrant 1 while Reese and Fever center Aliyah Boston picked up a pair of offsetting technicals for their reactions.

"Basketball play. Refs got it right. Move on," Reese said after the game, while Clark told reporters, "It was just a good play on the basketball. I'm not sure what the ref saw to upgrade it, and that's up to their discretion."

Immediately following the flagrant ruling, however, Indiana fans allegedly directed racially charged remarks toward Reese, prompting the league to open an investigation on Sunday.

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Officials acknowledged allegations of racist abuse inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse, saying the WNBA "strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms," and that they're "looking into the matter."

"We stand firm in our commitment to providing a safe environment for all WNBA players," said Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Mel Raines, who oversees the Fever, in a statement.

"We will do everything in our power to protect Chicago Sky players, and we encourage the league to continue taking meaningful steps to create a safe environment for all WNBA players," echoed Sky CEO and president Adam Fox.

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time Fever-related fan misconduct has taken center stage, as last season's storylines start to spill over into the 2025 WNBA campaign.

In anticipation of the issue, the league launched "No Space for Hate" on Thursday, describing the campaign as "a multi-dimensional platform designed to combat hate and promote respect across all WNBA spaces — from online discourse to in-arena behavior."