Alexi Lalas has stark warning for USWNT following dramatic World Cup exit

World Cup diary: England squeeze past Nigeria on penalties

United States soccer legend Alexi Lalas has warned that the USWNT risk becoming “irrelevant” after several players refused to sing the national anthem throughout the Women’s World Cup. Lalas is one of a number of former players who have vented their frustrations towards the team that was knocked out following a dramatic penalty shootout defeat to Sweden.

Despite the on-field drama after full-time, it’s the player’s actions before kick-off that have caused a stir among both fans and former players. Several of the starting lineups throughout the tournament refused to sing the national anthem as part of an ongoing protest against racial injustice and police violence.

Despite the player’s reasoning, Lalas, who earned 96 caps for the USMNT between 1991 and 1998, has become the latest pundit to hit out at the team.

Replying to a tweet that claimed it was “Weird watching Americans celebrate an American loss,” Lalas replied: “Don’t kill the messenger. This #USWNT is polarizing. Politics, causes, stances, & behavior have made this team unlikeable to a portion of America. This team has built its brand and has derived its power from being the best/winning. If that goes away they risk becoming irrelevant.”

The tweet has since received mixed criticism from fans, with some praising the 53-year-old: “Am I starting to agree with Lalas? Help” one user posted, with another adding: “Oh my god, I actually liked an Alexi Lalas post.”

The majority of the responses disagreed with the former defender. “Says the guy who is irrelevant,” a user responded. Another added: “I so wish you would become irrelevant. Just like your USMNT career.”

The USWNT saw all hopes of a third consecutive Women’s World Cup championship go down the drain in the Round of 16 against the Swedes, the No. 3 team in the world. Both teams failed to score in full time or extra time and the Americans were subsequently defeated thanks to Sweden’s Lina Hurtig’s controversial winning kick in the penalty shootout.

Don’t miss…
USA Women’s World Cup squad’s ‘passion’ called out as stars snub national anthem[LATEST]
USA dumped out of Women’s World Cup as Sweden win penalty shootout on VAR check[LATEST]

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The first five penalties were scored before a flurry of misses, including strikes by Sweden’s Nathalie Bjorn and USWNT veteran Megan Rapinoe. Hurtig’s winning penalty was initially saved by USA goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher but was deemed to have then crossed the line, giving Sweden the win.

The result is the worst finish the USWNT has suffered in a Women’s World Cup. In a statement, via The Athletic, there will now be a review of the program by U.S. Soccer.  “While we are all disappointed that our journey has ended at the Women’s World Cup, we want to thank the players, coaches and staff for their remarkable efforts and to our fans both in the stands and at home for their unwavering support,” it read.

“As we always do after a major tournament, we will conduct a review to identify areas of improvement and determine our next steps. As we look ahead, we embrace the hard work necessary to become champions again.”

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