- Rapinoe disappointed to be left out on the bench
- Did not play a part against Netherlands
- USWNT held to a 1-1 draw by Netherlands
WHAT HAPPENED? The veteran USWNT forward expressed her disappointment for not being part of the starting lineup in the team's 1-1 draw against the Netherlands at the Women's World Cup. Coach Vlatko Andonovski made only one change during the match and Rapinoe believed she could have helped secure a better result for the team. This was not the first time she was benched; she also started as a substitute in the USWNT's Group E opener against Vietnam.
WHAT THEY SAID: Speaking to reporters after the match, Rapinoe said, "I think I could have helped. But I think Lynn [Williams] could have helped, and I think Trinity [Rodman] was helping, and I think [Sophia Smith] was helping, and we had chances. It was right there for us. I don't think that it was like all the players on the field didn't do their job. I think that they were giving everything and still creating chances up till the very end and just weren't able to get that last goal.
"[Andonovski] knows every single sub wants to go in the game. He explained to [the media] that he felt like we had the momentum. Ultimately, that's his decision. I feel like the players that were off the field felt like players on the field were going to score."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Rapinoe, 38, had announced just days before the start of the Women's World Cup 2023 that she will retire from professional football at the end of the 2023 NWSL season.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
Getty
Getty
WHAT NEXT FOR USWNT? The USWNT will have to secure at least a point against Portugal in their final group game on August 1 in order to qualify for the knockout stage.
