Tokyo (AFP)
The stars of the United States women's football team, who were undefeated in 44 matches, were crushed 3-0 on Wednesday by Sweden on day one of the Olympic tournament in Tokyo (Group G).
The Olympics-2020 thus had their first big surprise since the Americans, double reigning world champions, are the big favorites of the event.
But Megan Rapinoe and her teammates still have to face New Zealand (July 24) and Australia (July 27) and therefore keep all their chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals.
Their heavy defeat at Tokyo Stadium is still a thunderclap because the Americans had not been beaten since January 2019 and a 3-1 loss against the France team.
Since that date, they had recorded 40 wins and four draws.
And the blow is all the harsher as "Team USA" wanted to take revenge against Sweden, who had already beaten them in the quarter-finals of the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Since the introduction of a women's tournament in Atlanta in 1996, the Americans had previously always reached the final (four Olympic titles and a silver medal).
On Wednesday, they were clearly dominated by the Swedes, always enterprising and ultimately effective after several imprecise offensive gestures at the start of the match.
The striker Stina Blackstenius first scored a double (25th and 54th), before the third goal signed Lina Hurtig of the head (72nd).
The Americans for their part hit the post twice, by Lavelle just before the break and then by Press a few seconds before Sweden's third goal.
Coming into play in the 66th minute, the star Megan Rapinoe could not reverse the trend, while Alex Morgan, the other big star of the American selection, was replaced at the break after a very lackluster first period.
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