Netherlands forward Lineth Beerensteyn celebrated the U.S. women’s national team’s exit from the 2023 World Cup. After the Dutch squad’s elimination, former USWNT forward Sydney Leroux returned the favor.

Ahead of her team’s quarterfinal match against Spain, Beerensteyn chided the USWNT for its overconfidence entering the World Cup. When she heard about the two-time defending champions’ shootout loss to Sweden in the Round of 16, she had one thought: “Yes! Bye!”

“From the start of this tournament, they had really big mouths, they were talking already about the final,” Beerensteyn said. “I was just thinking, you first have to show it on the pitch before you’re talking.”

After the Netherlands’ 2-1 loss to Spain in the quarterfinal round, Leroux directed a similar message to the Dutch team.

“One thing we’ve learned is wait to talk shit until after you’re on the podium with a gold medal because now… you’re bye too,” said Leroux, who won the 2015 World Cup as a member of the USWNT.

The USWNT played the Netherlands to a 1-1 draw in the group stage at this World Cup, and Netherlands went on to win Group E. The teams also had faced off at the previous two major tournaments, with the U.S. beating the Dutch in the 2021 Olympic quarterfinals and in the 2019 World Cup final.

Beerensteyn insisted that she maintains “a lot of respect” for the USWNT players.

“But now they’re out of the tournament, and for me, it’s a relief,” she said. “For them, and it’s something they will have to take with them in the future: Don’t start to talk about something that is far away. I hope they will learn from that.”

Spain advances to the semifinals with its win over the Netherlands. La Roja will face Sweden at 4 a.m. ET Tuesday with a spot in the World Cup championship match on the line.

As the U.S. women’s national team mourned its defeat to Sweden in the Round of 16, its earliest ever World Cup exit, an old foe rejoiced.

“Yes! Bye!” Netherlands forward Lineth Beerensteyn thought when she learned the news, as she shared Thursday.

The USWNT played the Netherlands to a 1-1 draw in the group stage after beating the Dutch in the 2021 Olympic quarterfinals and in the 2019 World Cup final. Beerensteyn was hardly displeased by the USWNT’s stunning World Cup exit.

“From the start of this tournament, they had really big mouths, they were talking already about the final,” Beerensteyn said. “I was just thinking, you first have to show it on the pitch before you’re talking.”

The Netherlands won Group E over the USWNT, then won its Round of 16 game, defeating South Africa, 2-0. Beerensteyn scored in the 68th minute to seal the victory and push the Netherlands to a quarterfinal matchup against Spain at 9 p.m. ET Thursday.

Beerensteyn insisted that she maintains “a lot of respect” for the USWNT players, who have become global stars amid the program’s domination of the sport. The USWNT won the previous two World Cups.

“But now they’re out of the tournament, and for me, it’s a relief,” Beerensteyn said. “For them, and it’s something they will have to take with them in the future: Don’t start to talk about something that is far away. I hope they will learn from that.”

Beerensteyn’s perspective differs from Sweden’s Kosovare Asllani.

“They have so much quality in their team, and this defeat will not take them down,” Asllani said. “Don’t talk s— about the U.S. women.”