Sweden coach: Mušović saves psyched out U.S. stars in shootout

MELBOURNE, Australia — Sweden girls’s nationwide staff coach Peter Gerhardsson mentioned goalkeeper Zećira Mušović’s efficiency was so spectacular that it might have psyched out the United States’ stars in the penalty shootout of Sunday’s Women’s World Cup round-of-16 match.

Mušović was essential in her aspect’s victory at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, pulling off a collection of gorgeous saves to disclaim the USWNT, which dominated a lot of the sport however could not rating in regulation or additional time because it completed 0-0.

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In the penalty shootout, which Sweden gained 5-4, Mušović did not must make a single save. Megan Rapinoe and Sophia Smith each noticed their makes an attempt sail over the bar — the latter of which might have gained the sport for the U.S. had it discovered the web. When Kelley O’Hara’s penalty hit the submit, it allowed Sweden’s Lina Hurtig to kick her aspect into the quarterfinals, with the ball crossing the road by a razor-thin margin.

“When you come to a penalty shootout, it’s the goalkeeper’s game,” Gerhardsson mentioned. “[Mušović] likes when it comes to penalties, she knows it’s her game. I don’t know what she did, what mental thing that she did to make them put them over the bar and things like that. But I think goalkeepers like these kinds of penalties, they’re mentally prepared, that’s their game.

“She was good in the sport. Even if she did not save any penalties, I feel for the opposite staff, perhaps they put it outdoors as a result of they know that if it isn’t a great penalty, perhaps she takes it.”

Mušović, who plays for WSL giants Chelsea, made a total of 11 saves across the evening, a single-game World Cup record for a goalkeeper who kept a clean sheet.

In doing so, Musovic ensured the USWNT would end its World Cup before the semifinals for the first time. The Americans also ended their tournament on a 238-minute scoring drought, their longest in Women’s World Cup history.

“To be capable of carry out in that method, it is a whole lot of exhausting work that is been put in over a whole lot of years that no person sees,” Mušović said. “The important motive why I’m a goalkeeper is as a result of I give my staff the chance to win the sport. I can solely do my greatest and you’ll solely love the sensation of if you’re in the zone and stuff is occurring in a method that you just’re simply doing it.

“I had a really good feeling before the game. I know we were facing a really good opponent in the U.S., ranked No. 1 in the world. We had a good feeling in the squad, we know what we are capable of. It was the game style, just go out and do your best, have each other’s backs and stay humble throughout the whole game.”

Mušović was named participant of the match, and teammate Magdalena Eriksson mentioned there’s little doubt her efficiency will likely be lengthy remembered. Among the highlights have been a block of a Trinity Rodman shot in the twenty seventh minute, a split-second response to disclaim a Lindsey Horan effort in the 53rd and a last-gasp deflection of an Alex Morgan header in the 89th.

“It’s gonna be historical,” Eriksson mentioned. “Finally she gets to prove what she can do on the world’s biggest stage. We all know she had this in her and now she could finally prove it.

“I’m simply so completely happy for the time being. Happy and confused as a result of I really feel like I do not know what’s occurred. I am unable to consider that we managed to do this. It was such a troublesome recreation for us. We relied loads on [Mušović] having an incredible recreation and we managed to tug by way of to penalties after which we knew something might occur.”