And the VAR check allows the goal! USWNT players and fans are in dismay. Those were the scenes last night at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium after Sweden ousted the US from the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 on penalties. It was a question of millimeters that helped the Swedish team to qualify for the quarter-final.

It ended the dream of a three-peat. There were mixed reactions from supporters. However, the loss didn’t go unnoticed by American celebs. The entrepreneur and husband of Serena Williams, Alexis Ohanian, resonated with the disappointment of the USWNT and took to Instagram to show respect for the team.

Alexis Ohanian joins NWSL to stand by USWNT

A majority of American celebs and fans showed respect towards USWNT after losing to Sweden in the round of 16. NWSL shared an Instagram post to cheer up the team. They captioned the post, “All the love, respect, and pride in the world for this USWNT squad.” Ohanian, known for his proactive support of women’s sports, wasn’t left behind. He soon added NWSL’s post to his Instagram story out of respect for the team’s achievement.

Earlier, Ohanian had tweeted, “Crushed. Still, I’m resolute this will motivate the USWNT to come back with a vengeance in 4 years.” The Redditt co-founder has supported the USWNT for years. And it was their triumph in 2019 that propelled Ohanian and Serena Williams to invest in women’s sports. The couple are now the co-owners of the NWSL team, Angel City FC, with their daughter Olympia.

READ MORE: “We Dominated” – After Megan Rapinoe Missed Penalty, Alex Morgan Expresses Disappointment at USWNT’s Shock Loss to Sweden in the World Cup

The disappointing loss to Sweden ended the hopes of the USWNT of achieving a three-peat. It would have been the first-ever World Cup achievement in soccer had USWNT won it. As announced earlier, Megan Rapinoe retired after the upset. US Soccer received another setback as Julie Ertz announced retirement moments after the loss. 

Some interesting facts about the US team’s campaign

The USWNT became the only team to advance beyond the group stage of all nine Women’s World Cups. Their five points in this year’s group stage was their least in the competition. It was the seventh encounter between USWNT and Sweden, the first in the knockouts, and the most between any two teams. The last time USWNT lost to any team in the elimination stage was interestingly against Sweden at the 2016 Olympics.

It was the first edition after the 1999 World Cup that the USWNT and Sweden were in different groups. The last group-stage defeat for the US came in 2011 against the same opponent. After winning 13 straight games, the Netherlands ended their winning streak by holding them to a draw in the group stage. Overall, it was a disappointing campaign for the team that never achieved its potential this term.

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Let us know your thoughts on the USWNT’s World Cup campaign.