The United States’ goals and victories in this World Cup have been few and far between, but their confidence isn’t low.
The top players in the team maintain that they are unfazed by “noise” from the “outside,” even after three dull group matches that saw them advance to the knockout stage. They firmly believe that the best soccer in the United States is still to come.
Experienced forward Lynn Williams informed reporters in Auckland on Thursday, “We are not panicking.” “I think the most exciting thing for us is that we haven’t played our best soccer yet.”
Failure to advance from Group E will cost them a round-of-16 matchup on Sunday against a longstanding adversary. Sweden, ranked third in the world, easily topped Group G, outscoring opponents 9-1 and winning all three games.
The Americans, the two-time defending champions, only managed one victory, two ties, and came dangerously close to being eliminated on a late Portuguese shot that struck the goal post.
Two pre-tournament favorites and established powerhouses in women’s soccer, Brazil and Germany, were both eliminated early as new forces emerged.
Some openly question if the United States’ days of dominance are coming to an end due to the country’s narrow survival.
Midfielder Lindsey Horan responded, “Yeah, the only thing I could say on that is again, it is noise.” “You know, sometimes it’s difficult to escape from it and you hear it, sometimes you see it.”
After the challenging game against Portugal, the team was widely criticized for their interactions with the fans, smiling and not displaying obvious displeasure.
However, throughout their news conference on Thursday, Williams and Horan both used the word “joy” multiple times, expressing that they can’t get over the thrill they get from playing their favorite sports on the biggest platform in the world.
When Sweden plays on Sunday, supporters will be hoping for more of that happiness.