+

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.

Close
HomeQuizzoneWhatsappShare Flash Reads
 

Megan Rapinoe gave a tearful interview after the USWNT suffered a shocking Olympics upset to miss out on gold

Aug 3, 2021, 02:10 IST
Insider
Megan Rapinoe. Francois Nel/Getty Images
  • The US Women's National Team lost a 1-0 decision to Canada in the Tokyo Olympics semifinal match.
  • The US will not win gold or silver at these Olympic games - which are likely Megan Rapinoe's last.
  • She cried on TV while discussing the team's failure to send out Carli Lloyd "on the happiest note."
Advertisement

Megan Rapinoe wasn't interested in sugarcoating the US Women's National Team's second loss at the Tokyo Olympics.

And she wasn't interested in hiding her emotions, either.

"This sucks," an emotional Rapinoe said during her post-match TV interview on USA Network. "It sucks."

Rapinoe (left) reacts to the USWNT's loss to Canada at the Tokyo Olympics. Jack Gruber-USA TODAY Sports

With a trip to the gold-medal game on the line, the pink-haired striker and her teammates came up short. They dropped a gutting 1-0 decision to Canada in Monday's semifinal match, and a controversial penalty kick in the 70th minute was the culprit.

"Man, it's terrible," Rapinoe said. "Not our best game, not our best tournament. We didn't have it today. Too many errors from us, again."

Advertisement

"It's a bitter one to swallow," she added.

USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher went down with an apparent knee injury midway through the first half of the Americans' grudge match versus their neighbors to the North. Though she gritted out a few more minutes after her collision, Naeher waved for a substitute minutes later, and backup Adriana Franch took her spot between the pipes.

Alyssa Naeher lays on the turf following a first-half collision during the USWNT game vs Canada. Jack Gruber-USA TODAY Sports

Though Canada didn't pose a major offensive threat for the remainder of the half, the US side certainly felt Naeher's absence later in the game. In the 70th minute, the officials whistled the US for a foul in the 18-yard box, granting Canada a penalty kick. Jessie Fleming bested Franch to convert from the spot - a blow that stings even more given Naeher's stellar showing during PKs in the USWNT's quarterfinal thriller against the Netherlands.

"They got one shot on goal and a PK," Rapinoe said, then acknowledged the controversial nature of the call. "From what it sounds like it was [actually] a PK."

Rapinoe chats with Adrianna Franch (right) after the match. Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Rapinoe - who came on for Tobin Heath in the 60th minute - and her teammates failed to equalize from there, taking the USNWT out of contention for gold and silver medals at this year's games.

Advertisement

"Obviously we never want to lose to Canada," Rapinoe said. "I don't think I've ever lost to Canada, so it's a bitter one."

She's right. Before Monday, the USWNT hadn't lost a game to Canada in 20 years. Rapinoe joined the national team for her first call-up in 2006 - more than five years after that last loss.

Rapinoe attributed the team's inability to "click" throughout the tournament to the fact that the players "haven't had our joy, a little bit" and potentially "roster rotations," but added that she "can't quite put my finger on it" when it comes to what went wrong.

Rapinoe. Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

While she was clearly upset about the team's performance on the day and in the tournament, Rapinoe truly began to choke up while reflecting on her career and discussing the reaction of her longtime teammate, Carli Lloyd.

"We've been in this a long time together," Rapinoe said, her voice cracking. "We're both closer to the end than the beginning. We shared a lot of those happy moments on the field and not that many sad moments, but we've had a few. We don't even really need to say anything."

Advertisement

"It's tough," she continued. "[Lloyd is] one of the greatest players that's pulled this jersey on, and who knows? It might not be her last Olympics, but it probably is. Obviously we want to send everybody out on the happiest note, and we weren't able to do that today."

Rapinoe comforts teammate Carli Lloyd. Jack Gruber-USA TODAY Sports

Now, the USWNT will shift its focus to the bronze-medal match against Australia's Matildas - whom Rapinoe and company played just a week earlier in the group stage. And even though, like Lloyd, Thursday's game will likely be Rapinoe's last at a major international tournament, she managed to look on the bright side for her teammates:

"There's still a lot to compete for," Rapinoe said. "That's what I told the girls and what we talked about in the huddle."

"It's not the color we want, but there's still a medal on the line."

Check out a clip of the interview below:

Advertisement
You are subscribed to notifications!
Looks like you've blocked notifications!
Next Article