Lineth Beerensteyn danced on the grave of the U.S. women’s national team before her Netherlands side took on Spain in a World Cup quarterfinal.
And now, thanks in part to Beerensteyn, the Netherlands is dead too.
In a pre-match press conference, the USWNT caught a stray from Beerensteyn, who accused the four-time World Cup winners of entering the 2023 edition too overconfident.
“From the first moment I heard they were out, I was just like, ‘Yes! Bye!” Beerensteyn told the media on Thursday. “From the start of the tournament, they had really big mouths and were already talking about the final.
“I was thinking you first have to show it on the pitch before you talk. I’m not being rude in that way, I still have a lot of respect for them, but now they’re out of the tournament, and for me, it’s a relief, and for them, it’s something they will have to take with them in the future.
“Don’t start to talk about something that is far away. I hope they will learn from that.”
Beerensteyn probably should have followed her own advice to “show it on the pitch before you talk,” because she proceeded to contribute to her own team’s demise against Spain.
The Dutch forward missed a host of presentable chances against La Roja, with one of those directly proceeding a counterattack that ended with Salma Paralluelo’s extra-time winner for Spain.
Former USWNT forward Sydney Leroux couldn’t help pointing out the irony of the situation, saying on Twitter: “One thing we’ve learned is wait to talk s— until after you’re on the podium with a gold medal because now… you’re bye too.”
There were plenty of other reactions online to Beerensteyn’s performance against Spain.