Photo: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
The U.S. women's soccer team lost 3-0 to Sweden on Wednesday in the team's first appearance in the group stage of the 2020 Olympics.
Why it matters: The stunning defeat marks the first loss for the U.S. team in 44 matches, the first loss under head coach Vlatko Andonovski and it raises the stakes for the next two games if the U.S. team wants to get out of Group G.
- "We got our asses kicked, didn’t we?" Megan Rapinoe said after the game, per Yahoo! Sports.
The big picture: The game, played before a near-empty stadium, marked the first Olympics event to take place in host city Tokyo.
- Only a few dozen credentialed reporters were in the stands and a smattering of photographers were on the field, Axios' Ina Fried, who is at the Games, reports.
Between the lines: The Swedes, ranked 5th in the world, dominated play and got their opening goal in the 25th minute from a header from Sweden’s Stina Blackstenius.
- The second goal came early in the second half, again from Blackstenius, when she finished off a corner kick.
- The final goal of the game came in the 72nd minute off of another header, this time from Lina Hurtig.
- The U.S. team lacked possession, played flat and struggled to create chances.
Of note: The U.S. lost the first game of the 2008 Olympics and went on to win gold.
What's next: The U.S. team will continue in Group G play on July 24, when they face New Zealand at 7:30 a.m. ET.
Go deeper: U.S. women's soccer team seeks redemption on Olympic stage