USWNT hoping to 'find joy in the game' for crucial Sweden match
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — For all 23 women on the U.S. national team, the journey here began the same way.
They were all once little girls who fell in love with a ball, with the freedom or escape that a soccer field afforded them, with the feeling of becoming a good player, with the way friendships were formed around the game.
Sooner or later, they all also dreamed of reaching the pinnacle of their sport: the World Cup.
All of them have realized that dream. But being a member of the most successful squad in tournament history is also an enormous, daunting responsibility. The expectations inside and outside the USWNT is to win not just every competition, but to win every single game. It's unrealistic, obviously. Yet it's their reality just the same.
For the version of the USWNT that will face Sweden in the round of 16 on Sunday (coverage begins at 4 a.m., ET, with kickoff at 5 a.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app), its fans want even more. No women's or men's national team has ever won three straight World Cup titles. This one has the opportunity.
That's the colossal burden these 23 players all bear.
The Americans have seemed to stumble under the weight of it so far. They weren't good through their first three games Down Under, and they know it. They've been criticized by supporters and former teammates alike. And as much as they've tried to remain inside their own cocoon and keep those harsh rebukes out, some have inevitably seeped through.
This is supposed to be one of the highest points of their careers, but on the field, they don't look to be having fun. Changing that could be the key to any turnaround.
"We love this game so much," U.S. co-captain Lindsey Horan told reporters here a day before the Americans will fly four hours east to Melbourne, Australia, the site of Sunday's match. "We want to play better and to find those little pieces of the joy in the game as well.
"I think once we get that, once we get a little bit more of that joy back and that feeling, things are going to move a little bit better on the field," Horan continued. "We're gonna have more rhythm. We're gonna have more confidence, and things will come. More and more chances will come."
How much of a challenge will Sweden pose to USWNT?
Creating scoring chances was only part of the problem in the group stage. The U.S. didn't get enough high-quality ones. The finishing touch wasn't there when they did.
It's a vexing issue without an obvious solution. The U.S. is FIFA's top-ranked team. The spine of the lineup has been playing together for years. But suddenly, when it matters the most, they can't seem to make what ought to be simple plays — either individually or collectively.
According to forward Lynn Williams, one of 14 members of the roster competing at her first World Cup, they could be too desperate to succeed.
"We all want to put our best foot forward," Williams said. "It's a lot of people's first tournament, mine included, so you just want to go out there and perform so badly that sometimes you forget about all the joy and the reason why you started to play."
This is exactly where every one of these players wants to be. Williams didn't make her first World Cup trip until age 30. This is Horan's second World Cup and at 29, at least one more is probably in her future. There are no guarantees, though. Becky Sauerbrunn was supposed to captain this team, but the 38-year-old couldn't recover from a foot injury in time. There won't be another World Cup for her.
Can the USWNT beat Sweden in the round of 16?
As much as players have to perform when the lights are brightest, trying too hard is almost always counterproductive. Elite athletes must appreciate the special moments by living within them. Because they don't last long.
"It's no secret that we feel like we can play better," Williams said. "But it doesn't matter. Tournaments are about results, and we're getting the results. So it's just reminding ourselves [of] that, coming together as a team, having meetings, having fun with each other.
"It's a lot of pressure it feels like sometimes. But there's a human side to that as well."
Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports and he has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
