The United States women’s soccer team crumbled in a stunning upset to open the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday, falling 3-0 to longtime foe Sweden.
After arriving in Tokyo with the weight of the top ranking in the world on their shoulders, the Americans came out flat against a hungry Sweden team.
Sweden’s Stina Blackstenius starred in match, netting the opener in the 25th minute and completing a brace in the 54th minute. Lina Hurtig leapt for a header to clinch the third goal of the game, delivering the first multiple-goal loss for the United States in a major tournament since 2008.
The match marked the first loss for coach Vlatko Andonovski, who posted a 22-0-1 record in his first two years with the team.
“Obviously it’s not good,” star Megan Rapinoe said. “We got our ass kicked a little bit.”
Sweden was dominant from the opening half, using an aggressive approach through the midfield and crafty traps along the flanks to shut down the Americans’ mobility.
The Swedes put six shots on frame in the first half while the Americans managed only three shots in total. The United States were beat in duels on the ground and in the air, barely connecting 71% of their passes. The Swedes forced seven corner kicks while the Americans earned only one.
Orlando Pride star Alex Morgan started the match, but her outing was limited to a fruitless 45 minutes. The forward saw a single scoring opportunity — a muffed header off a cross from Christen Press — before she was pulled at the half.
Andonovski also pulled midfielder Sam Mewis at the half as he made adjustments to bring in Julie Ertz and Lloyd. But those replacements did little to breathe life into the United States.
The team struggled to maintain meaningful possession through the midfield, settling for over-the-top balls that were easily picked off by the physical Swedish backline.
The United States finished the match with only five shots on target, forcing keeper Alyssa Naeher to make six saves to keep the team remotely within reach of the Swedes.
The loss left the top-ranked team in the world reeling, a reminder of the shock from when Sweden bumped the team out of the knockout round of the 2016 Olympics.
The Americans are striving to become the first team to win back-to-back World Cup and Olympic titles, but the team will now face an uphill battle in the remainder of the group stage. The team will next face New Zealand on July 24, then round out the group stage against Australia on July 27.
“It’s really, really important for us to not dwell too much on this game,” forward Carli Lloyd said. “Quick turnaround, we’ve gotta get our focus on the next one. At the end of the day, a 3-nil loss is not good for us. We all can be better. I know every single one of us will learn from it and get better. Now it’s about digging in.”
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Julia Poe at jpoe@orlandosentinel.com.