FOX
Alexi Lalas.
- The United States defeated Thailand, 13-0, in the 2019 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday.
- The team has been met with criticism for running up the score and celebrating late goals.
- Soccer analyst Alexi Lalas defended the team's behavior but noted that this makes them the 'villains' of the tournament going forward.
- Follow all of our Women's World Cup coverage here.
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The United States Women's National Team has been held to both praise and criticism after defeating Thailand, 13-0, on Tuesday in the team's opening match of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France.
The 13-0 score was the most lopsided match in men's and women's tournament history.
Some have criticized the team for running up the score and not playing keep away, while others have pointed out the importance of goal differential in the tournament.
Discussions over the team's celebrations and aggressive play against a mismatched Thailand team also made its way to FOX's analyst desk. While sports commentator Rob Stone said the team should have eased up, the rest of the panel, made up of Kelly Smith, Heather O'Reilly, Ariane Hingst, and Alexi Lalas, soundly disagreed with him.
Lalas said he "has no problem with any of it." He particularly disputed conversations of kids watching, saying that he hopes they were so they can learn to "not apologize for being good."
Lalas did not that the Americans now have more pressure because of how they played.
"That target that they already had on their back as defending champions, that just got a whole lot bigger," Lalas said. "They have now painted themselves as villains and as bullies. The only thing the world likes more than watching a bully get punched in the nose is watching an American bully get punched in the nose."
"The US right now, with what they did last night and the behavior last night, they have to win this World Cup."
While Lalas did not disagree with the team's celebration or goal-scoring, he did recognize the threat this brings to the US team going forward.
Team USA's next match comes against Chile on Sunday.
After beating Thailand 13-0 & celebrating each goal #USWNT may have lost fans, domestically & internationally...and sealed themselves as villains of the @FIFAWWC. I love it. But the soccer gods can be cruel and vindictive. If US goes on to fail, their behavior will be on a loop.
- Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) June 12, 2019