What a way for the USWNT to go home from the 2023 World Cup.
A 0-0 tie in regulation and in extra time led to a penalty kicks shootout to determine who would move on to the next round, and after a back-and-forth that included missed kicks, one that hit the post, a save from Alyssa Naeher … it all came down to Lina Hurtig. One goal from her for Sweden and her team would move on.
Naeher got her hands on it, but the ball popped in the air and VAR replay showed that her second attempt to save it wasn’t enough — it was in by millimeters, so much so that you couldn’t fit an index card in between it and the goal line.
The three photos of that moment tell the tale of how amazing the initial save was … but how close it was to then ultimately being saved:
Here’s the replay:
After review, the penalty is good and Sweden wins 🇸🇪
🇺🇸:✅✅✅❌❌✅❌
🇸🇪:✅✅❌❌✅✅✅ pic.twitter.com/PbidlCoiWd— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 6, 2023
Alyssa Naeher nearly kept it out 🧤 pic.twitter.com/DjpatlgCKD
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 6, 2023