Under Pressure: The U.S. Women's World Cup Team (2023) s01e04 Episode Script
Episode 4
1
[dramatic music plays]
[Carli] When I retired in 2021,
there was a shift within this team,
within the culture, the mentality.
It's not a guarantee
you'll win a World Cup,
and today was just
uninspiring, disappointing.
They don't look fit.
I think there's a lot of
off-the-field things that are happening,
and winning and training and
and doing all that you can
to be the best possible individual player
is not happening.
I didn't have this on my radar as far as
this being a potential next career move.
[female announcer] Carli Lloyd blasted
the team, the performance was lackluster,
not inspiring, and looked like
they take things for granted.
That doesn't help. That doesn't help
the players, that doesn't help the staff,
that doesn't help the football.
[Lindsey]
Everyone gets to have their opinion.
The US National
will always have that.
But it doesn't really matter for us.
I mean, they can say what they want,
to question the mentality of this team,
to question the willingness to compete,
uh, I think it's insane.
It was a very Carli Lloyd reaction.
That's exactly how Carli is.
That's what she brought
to the US Women's National Team.
As a player, I was always somebody
who tried different things,
got outta my comfort zone Um,
and that's exactly what I did with this.
I think I'm the only
US Women's National Team player
that has ever been this open
and honest about what I'm seeing,
and I think for so long, it's fluff,
and it's you know,
saying what we all wanna hear.
There's a difference
between confidence and arrogance.
It's okay to be confident,
but you never wanna
cross that line of being arrogant.
And this is exactly
what can come and bite you.
My job is to say what I feel,
and I'm not afraid to say what I feel.
And sure,
maybe I lose some people along the way,
or, ya know,
some of the players maybe get upset.
But I've had so many people
reach out to me and say,
"You're right," and, "Facts,"
and, "Thank you for speaking up."
Carli's obviously come out
with some strong comments,
that the US doesn't have it.
First of all, is she right?
Has our mentality changed?
Thank you very much.
[Christen] The second thing is,
if we had put in the tackles
that Carli wants to see,
if we were picking each other up,
if we were laying into each other
for a bad moment after the game,
is that enough?
Is the US mentality enough?
I can understand
the reactions that we saw.
Look, at the end of the day,
winning speaks.
They can still win this World Cup.
[mysterious music plays]
[cheering]
[crowd] USA! USA! USA! USA!
[crowd cheers]
We haven't been playing,
um, to our best potential,
but I don't think it really
matters in tournaments.
It's about the result.
[male announcer 1] US women enter this
going off their worst group stage campaign
ever at a World Cup.
But the knockout stage certainly
offers an opportunity for a restart.
Sweden is a whole new game.
It's a whole new opponent,
whole new style of soccer.
[Lindsey] We have our game plan.
We know what Sweden can do
and how they're gonna play against us.
Two changes to this US lineup,
but no formation change.
They're goin' with a 4-3-3.
In goal, Naeher.
[Lindsey] Obviously, we wanna win
this game, and we wanna move through,
but we need to go enjoy this game.
The joy and the movement
and the free flow,
that's when we're at our best.
[male announcer 2] For Vlatko Andonovski,
head coach of this team,
this is the biggest game of his career.
A loss would be the biggest failure
in US Women's World Cup history.
They have never done
worse than third in the World Cup.
So find your joy,
find your chi, find your happy place.
Put on your big-girl pants.
[loudly] Get the job done,
and make us believe!
[crowd cheers]
[hopeful music plays]
Maybe the first ten minutes, we were under
a little bit of heat, a bit of pressure,
but then, all of a sudden,
when we got on the ball,
the confidence that we had,
the bravery that we had, we were doing it.
[male announcer 1]
It's Rodman leading the way.
The Americans starting to threaten.
When I'm playing at my best,
like, I feel very free.
I feel like I'm not thinking.
While the game is going on,
I can't see anything around me
other than the field and the players.
[Lindsey] Our team at our best,
some of the free-flowing games
[male announcer 2]
Once again to Sophia Smith.
[Lindsey]where we played
out of our minds,
the ball was just moving.
That's where you feel the best.
That's where you feel the free flow.
[tense music plays]
[fan] Put on Lynn Williams!
Lynn Williams! ♪
[male announcer 3] Substitution for USA.
Lynn Williams.
[cheering]
[male announcer 4] What a save by Mušović.
It's a really, really good save.
Here's a chance.
Sophia Smith, is this the moment?
- Oh!
- Whoa! What happened there?
[crowd] Oh!
[crowd exclaims]
[male announcer 4] And it is raid
after raid by the Americans,
yet to find their reward.
Morgan's determination.
And Mušović is there once again.
Big chance here. Lynn Williams.
Mušović again.
Lynn Williams has got
goal-side of Andersson.
Delivers the cross in towards Alex Morgan!
What a save! Mušović again.
A massive save.
She's almost unbeatable tonight.
[tense music fades out]
[Kristie] One of the coaches
came over to me and Kelley,
and he was just like,
"I hope you guys are preparing yourselves
to take a penalty kick."
[anxious music plays]
And I was kinda like, "What?"
[male announcer 4] And Kristie Mewis
is on for her first minutes
at this Women's World Cup.
[Kristie] I ended up maybe running around
for 30 seconds, and then
[male announcer 4] Penalties will decide
a spot in the quarterfinals.
A hundred and twenty minutes of football
could not produce a goal.
Sweden nil, USA nil.
[grumbles] Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay.
This is this is
a different kinda pressure though.
[female announcer] Mušović,
in goal for Sweden,
will be goin' into this shootout
sky-high in confidence.
And USA will be thinking how on earth
have they not scored in normal time?
[crowd cheers]
[male announcer 4] USA to take
the first one,
and it's gonna be Andi Sullivan.
[crowd murmurs nervously]
- Yes!
- Whoo-hoo!
[male announcer 4] And the USA
lead the shootout 1-nil.
[crowd cheers]
[cheering]
[heartbeat]
[Kristie] I've never felt more confident
in a moment.
I have been preparing
for that moment my whole life.
[heartbeat continues]
Every time I went out and trained
[clock ticks]
every time I kicked with my left foot,
I was training for that one moment
because that was the only moment
that I was gonna get in the World Cup.
And I think
that that's why I felt so confident.
I was like,
"I have done this five million times."
"This is going in."
[male announcer 4]
Now Kristie Mewis didn't touch the ball
after being brought on
as a late substitute.
So this is her first kick of the contest.
[heartbeat continues]
[cheering fades]
[slow exhale]
[anxious music crescendoes]
[crowd cheers]
Yes!
[cheering fades]
[male announcer 4] The stakes grow higher
with every successful dispatch.
One miss could be fatal.
It's Nathalie Björn.
Yes!
[male announcer 4]
And she's placed it over.
And the Americans now
with the chance to win it.
[cheering]
Megan Rapinoe, 38 years young,
veteran of so many
Women's World Cup campaigns.
Against Mušović.
- Oh my God, no!
- [male announcer 4] Over the top!
I don't believe it.
Holy
[cheering fades into background]
[male announcer 4] And Sweden
can breathe again.
- What a save by Alyssa Naeher!
- [crowd cheers]
And the Americans are almost there.
She's been through all this before.
Can she keep her cool
and put America back in front?
No! Clips the post.
Goodness me.
And now Sweden have a chance to win it.
- She had it. She knew what she was doing.
- Oh my God.
[male announcer 4] One kick.
["Who We Are" by Hozier plays]
And it's all on Lina Hurtig.
I can't watch. I can't watch.
You only feel it when it's lost ♪
Getting through still has a cost ♪
Quietly, it slips
Through your fingers, love ♪
Falling from you drop by drop ♪
[male announcer 4] And there,
has it gone over the line?
What I had left you ♪
I just held it tight ♪
So someone with your eyes ♪
Might come in time ♪
[male announcer 4] And it all hangs
in the air.
To hold me like water ♪
[male announcer 4] It's confirmed,
by millimeters!
The United States of America
fall out of the tournament!
Is just carving through the dark ♪
To get so far ♪
And the hardest part ♪
Is who we are ♪
It's who we are ♪
Ah, that's just like a sick joke,
a fucking missed penalty.
I mean, that's just
We didn't put anything
in the back of the net. I didn't.
As a forward,
you're judged, deservingly, on goals,
and there was none for me, so I mean
The cruelest of exits for the US,
by a millimeter.
[player] Somebody said there's a picture
of it by a millimeter or something.
So it's tough to have
your World Cup end by a millimeter.
Is who we are ♪
It's who we are ♪
[Vlatko] I had my life
on the line right now,
and I had to pick
who's gonna take the penalty,
Megan Rapinoe is gonna be my first choice.
Number one in the world.
No question about it.
[Carli] You can never take winning
ever for granted
because, just like that,
they're all packin' their bags
and goin' home tomorrow.
[Megan] That's some dark humor.
Me missing a fucking penalty
at the end of this game, and I feel like
ya know, I joke too often, al always in
the wrong places and inappropriately,
so maybe this is "ha ha" at the end.
I dunno. It seems funny.
Nobody nobody's gonna laugh
'cause you guys feel bad,
but it's kinda funny.
I mean, it's like
You guys thought I was gonna make it.
- [male reporter] Yeah.
- Yeah.
I was like, "Jesus Christ."
[man] No, we gotta go. Thank you.
Quietly, it slips
Through your fingers, love ♪
Falling from you drop by drop ♪
["Who We Are" ends]
[brakes hiss]
[engine revs]
[birds chirp]
[Kristie] It didn't end the way
that we wanted it to.
But also, I mean, Sweden deserved to win.
Um
They kept us from scoring,
and they did better with their penalties.
So it was just
It's a stupid way to lose, but, um
[indistinct chatter]
Yes, my dream of being at a World Cup
and winning a World Cup is now over.
But Sam's in the quarterfinals.
This is just so crazy. This is everything
that she's always wanted too.
Everyone that was on the US team
went back home,
but there's no place I'd rather be.
I'm happy to be here and support her.
And obviously it is a bit hard,
but I think I can separate it,
because I love her so much.
[rhythmic music plays]
[male announcer]
Australia will take on France
in the Women's World Cup quarterfinal,
where a win will make it
our most successful tournament to date.
[singing]
Waltzing Matilda ♪
There's this growing comparison between
what the US women did on home soil in '99
to what Australia
is achieving right here in 2023.
[cheering]
[Kristie] I'm hanging out
with all of her family and friends,
and all of them have jerseys on,
and they're like, "Where's your jersey?"
And I'm I, like,
cannot put on an Australian jersey.
What section are we in? I could text her.
Try to be like, "Try to look for us."
Tell her exactly opposite the box.
[Kristie] Really? Yeah, okay.
[crowd chanting] Aussie! Aussie!
[Kristie] It's been difficult for Sam
because she got injured
the day before the World Cup.
But today's a new day,
and she's gonna play.
- [tense music plays]
- [male announcer 1] She's comin' in.
[Kristie] I'm just really excited
for her to have this moment,
especially with her team
doing so well right now too.
[male announcer 1] And there she is.
First touch and touches. Kerr on the move!
[male announcer 2] Australia goes
to penalty kicks in the Women's World Cup.
[male announcer 3] The great Sam Kerr
is ready.
The step-up. Goal. Two-two.
[Kristie] Sometimes I feel
I have imposter syndrome,
and I'm like, "How is she choosing me?
How am I good enough for her?"
You know what I mean?
[male announcer 1] Goal!
Australia wins! They go through.
[crowd cheers]
[pleasant music plays]
So we, like, always joke about that
'cause I think she feels the same way.
- Yeah!
- Whoo!
Yeah! Yes!
- Did you watch the penalties?
- [boy] Yes.
- Who scored one? You?
- [boy] You.
[Kristie] Both of us are able
to get through everything
because we know we're gonna have
each other to lean on, the end of the day.
Win, loss, we know what each other needs,
and we bring each other, like, the calm.
Oh my God!
- Which way did you go? I feel like
- [Sam] I went right.
Went this way.
It's a really good thing,
and I value having her so much
at the end of every day.
[pleasant music fades out]
[chill music plays]
[phone rings]
[answer tone]
- [Lynn] What are you doing?
- [Marley] Nothing. I had a shower, babe.
Now I was gonna
get ready for bed and then
You have this dream about
what the World Cup is gonna be like.
And I think it's one thing to be
playing well and it just doesn't work out,
but if you didn't play well,
I don't think we were, like, set up
to have the success to go on and win it.
And then you start thinking,
like, hindsight 20/20,
of, like, all the things
that led up to it.
Could you have done
something to change it?
Was it even in your control at all?
- I wanted to win.
- [Marley] You're a part of that.
I know. [laughs] I wanted you to win too.
I was talkin' about the game
with someone today, actually.
It's just like you said. It's like
- Yeah, it's just not meant to be.
- Soccer doesn't always work out.
It just wasn't meant to be, I guess.
I'm depressed.
I know. [laughs]
I know. I'm so sorry, babe.
I'm just kidding. I miss you.
I miss you too.
[Lynn] At a personal level,
so proud of what I did.
- Meh!
- Yeah.
My journey in soccer, in getting here,
and getting to the World Cup,
and being able to represent your country
Like, I can recognize how amazing that is,
I'm so honored to be able to do that. Um
But on another level,
like, I I get sad, and then I get angry,
and I get sad, and then I get angry.
Um
The World Cup will eat you.
Eat you up and spit you out with bad skin.
[Marley laughs]
Turned inside out.
Seriously.
Literally.
Yeah, it was it was a it was terrible.
- [Marley coughs]
- [Lynn sighs]
- What're you gonna do?
- Love you. Have a great day. Love you.
- I love you too. Good night.
- Good night, babe.
[hang up tone]
[dramatic music plays]
[Lynn] When you're coming off
of a World Cup that didn't go your way,
coming down from that, it's just, like,
emotionally, you're a little drained.
All right.
And then there's also
jet lag on top of it, so
We're working on it.
We didn't really get much closure
after the World Cup.
We lose the game, and then on the way
from the stadium back to the hotel,
we're getting an email saying, "Send us
your flights when you wanna leave."
And then the next morning,
people are leaving.
So there was never, like, a closure.
We have a camp in September.
Hopefully I'll get invited to that.
It will be nice to see everybody, be like,
"How are you doing? It's been a month."
"Is everybody okay?
How's it been being back?"
"Have you processed what's going on?"
"Are we able to move forward?"
"Are we gonna be playing
a different style?"
There's, like, a lot of question marks
up in the air.
In the last two major tournaments
between the Olympics and this World Cup,
we've only won three
out of the ten games that we've played.
And when you only win
three out of the ten games,
there's no way
you're gonna have that coach continue on.
Vlatko Andonovski, the head coach
for the US Women's National Team,
is stepping down.
[male announcer 1]
Not surprising news, but big.
You can't lead
the US Women's National
to their earliest exit ever
from a World Cup
[male announcer 2] Never wanna see someone
lose their job, but he didn't deliver.
[male announcer 3] Thank you,
Vlatko, for everything, and we move on.
[Lynn] It's a cutthroat sport.
It's a cutthroat industry
when you're a coach and a player.
Like, at any given moment,
my career could be taken from me,
my spot could be taken from me.
When we're held to this standard,
the coaching staff also has to be.
[Alex] As a captain
for this World Cup team,
I had a lot of conversations
with Lindsey and Vlatko,
being really honest with him,
and he was incredibly receptive to that.
But I don't know
that a lot of other players
felt the comfortability
or the vulnerability
to have the chats with him
that me and Lindsey had.
[Lindsey] Obviously, Vlatko gives us
the game plan every single game.
But we're the players on the field,
so Portugal might do something different.
Portugal might press harder.
Portugal might stop this from happening.
We should've come together,
like, "This is not working."
"We need to do this. We need to try this."
It's on all of us
because we we couldn't figure it out.
Individually, collectively,
we couldn't figure it out.
[Meg] I mean, the team did not perform,
and there was a coaching element
to their failure at this World Cup,
and I think
everybody's pretty aware of that.
There is a standard that has been set
[chuckles]
and he didn't meet it.
[dramatic music fades out]
[rhythmic music plays]
The most successful coaches
that we've seen at the world stage
are the ones who are willing to be bold,
who are willing to make big decisions,
big tactical moves, big substitutions.
And it just felt like
when it came to crunch time,
Vlatko wasn't prepared
to make those decisions.
He was almost frozen.
But I don't think
it's all on Vlatko at all.
The players have to bear
some of that responsibility.
"What was our role in this?
We're on the field. We're playing."
The expectation for
the US Women's National Team is to win.
When you don't, the program moves on,
and we have to find new leadership.
They're gonna do a deep dive
beyond coaching.
They're gonna do a deep dive
of player development,
staff, sport science.
We need to right a lot of the elements.
The expectation has to remain the same
for the US Women's National Team.
[Christen] We gotta get back on top,
and there's no other expectation.
[Tobin] Those voices that say
we had such a golden generation,
that doesn't belong
in the US Women's National Team.
There's no idea of a golden generation.
The US Women's National Team is golden.
[dramatic music plays]
[Abby] The world is getting better
at women's soccer.
Why is that? Hm.
Because our Women's National
has required it.
[Lindsey] This is a competitive World Cup,
where any team can go out and win.
This is what it's supposed to be like.
[male announcer 1] Carmona fires. In!
2-1 Spain!
[male announcer 2] Playing it back,
shot taken. Goal, England!
[Lindsey] The international game,
it's such a nice style of football,
where everyone wants the ball.
You're playing tiny passes here and there.
They're so confident on the ball,
they're so technical.
We need to progress
in this possession style of play.
We need better coaches.
We need better youth development.
We need more investment there.
[cheering]
[Christen] There is a legitimate increase
in investment at a club level in Europe,
and we're seeing the improvement
of club teams in Spain and in England,
so it's no surprise those two countries
were represented in the final.
[male announcer 2]
Spain wins the World Cup.
Spain goes out and wins this game,
and then you see what took place after.
[male TV announcer]
Luis Rubiales kissed Jenni Hermoso
after Spain beat England on Sunday.
[female TV announcer]
The player Jenni Hermoso accused
Spanish football boss Luis Rubiales
of kissing her without consent.
[Foudy] For so long, this Spanish team
has been arguing, and fighting,
and saying, "This federation is toxic.
This culture is toxic."
"It's not good. We want change,"
and been blown off, blown off, blown off.
[crowd cheers]
But the difference this time around
was it was in front of the world to see,
and they're world champions.
[Meg] Immediately following the World Cup,
it's reported, okay, he's going to resign
because of the public pressure
around this moment.
And then instead, he gets up
in front of the entire federation
and just starts yelling,
"I will not resign. I will not resign."
[in Spanish] I will not resign.
I will not resign.
[Meg in English] And the camera pans out
to the crowd, and everybody's clapping.
And that's the point where you realize,
who are the allies for this team
in the room? Can anyone be trusted?
The rot is so deep at this point.
[crowd cheers]
That's the system
this sport is up against.
That room is everywhere.
That room is every single country.
These players have been told
to be grateful that they're playing.
"Don't worry about the money.
Don't worry about the hotel rooms."
"You'll be fine.
Just shut up and go play."
There was a reaction from society, saying,
"This has been happening for too long,
and we're no longer gonna stand for this."
[female announcer 1]
Spain's football chief is facing
growing pressure to resign.
[female announcer 2] For days,
the outrage has been building.
Tonight on the streets of Madrid
[male announcer 1] Dozens of players
will refuse to play for Spain
until Luis Rubiales
steps down from his role.
[male announcer 2] Prosecutors announced
they're opening
a preliminary investigation
of alleged sexual assault.
[female announcer 3]
Luis Rubiales is resigning.
[male announcer 3] Supposed to be a week
when Spain celebrated women's football,
but instead, all of that has been
overshadowed by one man's behavior.
What should be talked about is them,
how they played and won the World Cup,
and how beautiful it was.
[crowd chants] USA!
[Lindsey] I remember the celebrations
that we had after winning the World Cup.
[sad music plays]
Everything was so perfect.
Everything was so great.
And for them, this celebration
should never be taken away.
And it's being taken away.
I get so pissed off about that,
but then you see winning a World Cup
can now put you on the stage
and in this level
where you can stand up for something.
[hopeful music plays]
The '19 World Cup, the US team knew
that they were leveraging a possible win
as it related to the fight for equal pay.
[Megan] We've filled stadiums,
we've broken viewing records,
and yet, despite all of this,
we're still paid less
than our male counterparts.
[male announcer] The United States
[crowd cheers]
the champions of the world.
[Megan] We really just blew the lid
off everything
in the landscape of women's sports.
It was one of those,
like, seminal moments.
[crowd chanting] Equal pay!
[female announcer] The legions
of American fans in the stands,
getting behind the team's fight
to be treated the same
as their male counterparts.
And it was just like,
there's nothing more left to say,
and it's only a matter of time now.
[female anchor]
The six-year battle for equal pay
for members of
the US Women's National Soccer
has finally come to an end
with a landmark settlement.
It is a huge win for us,
for women's sports, for women.
[Megan] The justice comes
in the next generation
never having to go through
what we went through.
It's it's equal pay across the board
from here on out.
[crowd cheers]
[Abby] We have equal pay now.
But just because
our women's national team has equal pay
doesn't mean everybody else does.
[tense music plays]
[Foudy] Yes, there's been growth
and progress and investment.
But we're still fighting
the most basic of fights.
And you see, you know,
the Jamaica team, the Nigerian team,
all of them talking about,
"We're not fighting for equal pay."
"We're fighting for equal treatment,
a field to practice on."
"Can I just get a schedule?" [laughs]
"I just want the basic of shit."
You talk to any player
in any corner of the world,
and they will point to the United States
and their willingness
to stand up for their rights,
their willingness to gather together
and say, "We must do better."
[all] Oosa-Oosa-Oosa-Ah!
[Foudy] And that will always be the legacy
of the US Soccer Federation.
Yes, we wanna win World Cups
every single year.
But we also have to recognize the impact.
That is something every country
looks at and nods and says, "Thank you."
[waves crash]
[sounds of children playing]
[pants]
[Alex] I've always wanted
to become a professional athlete
since I was a little girl.
But women's soccer
is still incredibly behind
in terms of paying players,
the working conditions of players,
just access for fans
to the sport of women's soccer.
I have this platform
where people are listening right now,
and I need to be able to use it for good.
Do I wanna win every day,
all day, like, every game?
Yeah, of course. I'm a competitor.
I wanna win 100% of the time,
and losing's hard.
We didn't perform up to our level,
but there was some incredible football
played this World Cup,
and that's just a testament to where
the women's game could've always been.
Sweet.
But I'm excited for where it's gotten now
and hopeful for the future.
All right, cool. I'm gonna go up and get
my shoes, and then we're good to go.
[birds chirp]
I'm, like, never late,
but I'm, like, an hour late.
[inhales] Uh! It's just this day.
[pensive music plays]
Initially, I think I was still processing
us not being in the World Cup anymore.
Initially, I was like,
"Well, of course, I wanna get home."
"I wanna get back to my routine,
get back to playing with San Diego."
I was really down.
It was unfortunate
because I actually felt like this team
had built something special off the field,
and that was gonna translate
on the field, and it didn't.
I would say that this team meshed better
than any other team I had been a part of.
Just knowing that the team
had each other's backs
and really cared for each other, I think,
was the hardest part in that loss.
- Hi.
- [woman 1] Hi.
- [Alex] How's it goin'?
- Great. How are you?
- [Alex] Good. Good to see you.
- Good to see you. I know.
We have Fox, we have KUSI,
which is a local station.
- And then we have, um, Televisa.
- Okay.
We're gonna do one little snippet
for social for Del Mar.
- We'll get you out of here in 30 minutes.
- Okay. Sounds good.
I'm gonna try to go to the beach
after this.
- Hi, how are you?
- [Alex] Hey, good. How are you?
[woman 2] Good.
I'm so proud to live here,
to represent San Diego.
I'll be there on Sunday,
so, uh, I'm gonna be havin' a good time.
Well, the Del Mar Food and Wine Festival
is gonna be an incredible Uh, let's
[sirens blaring]
There's something goin' on.
It's more important than us.
- It's all burning down, everybody.
- Yeah.
Bein' on the national team
has really helped me
kind of be confident in who I am
and kind of the legacy I wanna leave,
and the mark I wanna leave on the sport.
- Can we take a selfie real quick?
- [Alex] Yes, of course.
- Yay! Thank you so much. You're awesome.
- [Alex] Yeah.
Hi. I'm just leaving Monarch,
so I'll meet you guys
down at Vulcan and E Street.
Okay, bye.
[soulful rock music plays]
After the loss,
all I wanted was to be with my family.
I was able to see Charlie in the stands.
She was asking me after the last game
why I was sad and why I was crying,
and she said I did a really good job.
I hugged her for probably five minutes.
Probably four minutes more
than she wanted me to hug her,
but all she wanted was to be with Mom,
and she could care less
about me as a soccer player.
Your family isn't judging you
by what you bring to the field.
I'm just with the people that
that love me for who I am
regardless of,
you know, what the score is,
or how many goals I score
at the end of the day.
The team,
we have achieved incredible things
and will continue
to achieve incredible things,
even though we didn't in 2023.
Look at this.
- Uh-huh.
- The sea!
We can go swimming, Mommy.
Okay, Daddy's gonna lock it up.
It doesn't take away
that we are competitors,
that we are pioneers,
that we are leaders in this sport.
That's what this team is about.
Doing the most on the field.
Big step. Yeah.
[club music plays]
[indistinct chanting]
[coach] We are here, and we've done
a really good job of sticking together.
Now, it's time to make
all that togetherness super visible,
and, in honor of the one and only Pinoe,
be unapologetically us.
[Megan] Here we go! Yeah!
[shouts]
As often happens at World Cups,
especially when it doesn't go well,
it's this, "Okay, you're out tomorrow,"
and there is no closure.
You're coming off
this incredibly emotional World Cup loss,
so it's clearly not a victory tour
in a sense as it typically was,
but we're honoring
one of the most iconic in Megan Rapinoe.
[crowd to the tune of "Seven Nation Army"]
Hey! Oh Megan Rapinoe! Hey! ♪
Oh Megan Rapinoe!
Hey! Oh Megan Rapinoe! ♪
One more time!
[Foudy] The last time she's wearin' the
red, white, and blue is somethin' special.
[hip-hop music plays]
[male announcer] And we're underway.
Megan Rapinoe's final game
for the US Women's National Team.
Having a taste of what it is
to win championships and win World Cups
and be at that level
and play in those games,
there's nothing better than that.
[male announcer] Megan Rapinoe.
Dlamini punches away.
Sonnett with a header!
[crowd cheers]
Emily Sonnett with a goal.
And she will celebrate with Megan Rapinoe,
who delivered the corner.
[Megan] It's where I feel most comfortable
and where the team seems to thrive.
[female announcer] Really well.
That struck hard by Rapinoe.
[Megan] When you know you're at that level
and you know you have that quality
and the ability to win World Cups,
it doesn't feel comfortable
to not reach that potential.
It feels, like, achingly hollow.
[anxious music plays]
[cheering echoes distantly]
I just wanna say thank you.
We fought so hard off the field
to continue to create
more space for ourselves
to be who we are.
But hopefully, in turn, more space
for you guys to be who you are.
[chanting] Megan! Megan!
[Megan] It has been such an honor
to be able to wear this shirt,
and I just wanna say
thank you to all the players mostly.
Pull it together, Lindsey. [laughs]
[Foudy] You're obviously gonna see a shift
in some of the veteran group
over this next year,
with Megan retiring, Julie Ertz retiring.
We don't know yet
where Becky Sauerbrunn is gonna be.
["Glory" by H.E.R. plays]
I think it's a really exciting period
for this team.
The Olympics is ten months away,
and that younger generation is gonna
be able to put the stamp on this team.
- [male announcer] Trinity Rodman!
- Always need a little more ♪
[Foudy] If you go down the line
of such talented players,
it's their chance to say,
"What do we wanna create?"
"What's our legacy?"
I just wanna know
What it feels like to be the one ♪
Yeah, yeah ♪
Glory ♪
Everybody fightin' for it ♪
[woman] What do you think about,
like, the next World Cup?
I feel like I'm excited, 'cause I feel
like I won't be the youngest,
but I also won't be the oldest.
- I hope you're there. It'll be so fun.
- Yeah.
Are you healing up?
[Mallory] It's good.
[Alex] I'm extremely optimistic
for the future of this team,
for the next generation.
Mia, congratulations on your first cap.
[Megan] For the younger players,
they don't wanna be
anything less than what we've been.
I think they wanna be more.
It's like, once you see it
and then you can see beyond it.
Lookin' down at all
The people lookin' up to me ♪
Yeah, yeah ♪
Glory ♪
[Lindsey] At the end of the day,
you're playing for that little girl
that once dreamed of being here.
Always need a little more ♪
[male announcer] Don't kill the messenger,
but this team sometimes rubs
some Americans the wrong way.
I hope goin' forward,
that this team is able to unite.
[Tobin] How we silence the critics
now in this moment
is we go to an Olympics,
and we win an Olympics.
Always need a little more ♪
[female announcer] This team means so much
to the world of football.
That is never going to change.
- We go after it. Let's go, guys.
- Do it on three. One, two, three.
[all] Oosa-Oosa-Oosa-Ah!
Glory ♪
For it
Always need a little more ♪
[hip-hop music plays]
[dramatic music plays]
[Carli] When I retired in 2021,
there was a shift within this team,
within the culture, the mentality.
It's not a guarantee
you'll win a World Cup,
and today was just
uninspiring, disappointing.
They don't look fit.
I think there's a lot of
off-the-field things that are happening,
and winning and training and
and doing all that you can
to be the best possible individual player
is not happening.
I didn't have this on my radar as far as
this being a potential next career move.
[female announcer] Carli Lloyd blasted
the team, the performance was lackluster,
not inspiring, and looked like
they take things for granted.
That doesn't help. That doesn't help
the players, that doesn't help the staff,
that doesn't help the football.
[Lindsey]
Everyone gets to have their opinion.
The US National
will always have that.
But it doesn't really matter for us.
I mean, they can say what they want,
to question the mentality of this team,
to question the willingness to compete,
uh, I think it's insane.
It was a very Carli Lloyd reaction.
That's exactly how Carli is.
That's what she brought
to the US Women's National Team.
As a player, I was always somebody
who tried different things,
got outta my comfort zone Um,
and that's exactly what I did with this.
I think I'm the only
US Women's National Team player
that has ever been this open
and honest about what I'm seeing,
and I think for so long, it's fluff,
and it's you know,
saying what we all wanna hear.
There's a difference
between confidence and arrogance.
It's okay to be confident,
but you never wanna
cross that line of being arrogant.
And this is exactly
what can come and bite you.
My job is to say what I feel,
and I'm not afraid to say what I feel.
And sure,
maybe I lose some people along the way,
or, ya know,
some of the players maybe get upset.
But I've had so many people
reach out to me and say,
"You're right," and, "Facts,"
and, "Thank you for speaking up."
Carli's obviously come out
with some strong comments,
that the US doesn't have it.
First of all, is she right?
Has our mentality changed?
Thank you very much.
[Christen] The second thing is,
if we had put in the tackles
that Carli wants to see,
if we were picking each other up,
if we were laying into each other
for a bad moment after the game,
is that enough?
Is the US mentality enough?
I can understand
the reactions that we saw.
Look, at the end of the day,
winning speaks.
They can still win this World Cup.
[mysterious music plays]
[cheering]
[crowd] USA! USA! USA! USA!
[crowd cheers]
We haven't been playing,
um, to our best potential,
but I don't think it really
matters in tournaments.
It's about the result.
[male announcer 1] US women enter this
going off their worst group stage campaign
ever at a World Cup.
But the knockout stage certainly
offers an opportunity for a restart.
Sweden is a whole new game.
It's a whole new opponent,
whole new style of soccer.
[Lindsey] We have our game plan.
We know what Sweden can do
and how they're gonna play against us.
Two changes to this US lineup,
but no formation change.
They're goin' with a 4-3-3.
In goal, Naeher.
[Lindsey] Obviously, we wanna win
this game, and we wanna move through,
but we need to go enjoy this game.
The joy and the movement
and the free flow,
that's when we're at our best.
[male announcer 2] For Vlatko Andonovski,
head coach of this team,
this is the biggest game of his career.
A loss would be the biggest failure
in US Women's World Cup history.
They have never done
worse than third in the World Cup.
So find your joy,
find your chi, find your happy place.
Put on your big-girl pants.
[loudly] Get the job done,
and make us believe!
[crowd cheers]
[hopeful music plays]
Maybe the first ten minutes, we were under
a little bit of heat, a bit of pressure,
but then, all of a sudden,
when we got on the ball,
the confidence that we had,
the bravery that we had, we were doing it.
[male announcer 1]
It's Rodman leading the way.
The Americans starting to threaten.
When I'm playing at my best,
like, I feel very free.
I feel like I'm not thinking.
While the game is going on,
I can't see anything around me
other than the field and the players.
[Lindsey] Our team at our best,
some of the free-flowing games
[male announcer 2]
Once again to Sophia Smith.
[Lindsey]where we played
out of our minds,
the ball was just moving.
That's where you feel the best.
That's where you feel the free flow.
[tense music plays]
[fan] Put on Lynn Williams!
Lynn Williams! ♪
[male announcer 3] Substitution for USA.
Lynn Williams.
[cheering]
[male announcer 4] What a save by Mušović.
It's a really, really good save.
Here's a chance.
Sophia Smith, is this the moment?
- Oh!
- Whoa! What happened there?
[crowd] Oh!
[crowd exclaims]
[male announcer 4] And it is raid
after raid by the Americans,
yet to find their reward.
Morgan's determination.
And Mušović is there once again.
Big chance here. Lynn Williams.
Mušović again.
Lynn Williams has got
goal-side of Andersson.
Delivers the cross in towards Alex Morgan!
What a save! Mušović again.
A massive save.
She's almost unbeatable tonight.
[tense music fades out]
[Kristie] One of the coaches
came over to me and Kelley,
and he was just like,
"I hope you guys are preparing yourselves
to take a penalty kick."
[anxious music plays]
And I was kinda like, "What?"
[male announcer 4] And Kristie Mewis
is on for her first minutes
at this Women's World Cup.
[Kristie] I ended up maybe running around
for 30 seconds, and then
[male announcer 4] Penalties will decide
a spot in the quarterfinals.
A hundred and twenty minutes of football
could not produce a goal.
Sweden nil, USA nil.
[grumbles] Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay.
This is this is
a different kinda pressure though.
[female announcer] Mušović,
in goal for Sweden,
will be goin' into this shootout
sky-high in confidence.
And USA will be thinking how on earth
have they not scored in normal time?
[crowd cheers]
[male announcer 4] USA to take
the first one,
and it's gonna be Andi Sullivan.
[crowd murmurs nervously]
- Yes!
- Whoo-hoo!
[male announcer 4] And the USA
lead the shootout 1-nil.
[crowd cheers]
[cheering]
[heartbeat]
[Kristie] I've never felt more confident
in a moment.
I have been preparing
for that moment my whole life.
[heartbeat continues]
Every time I went out and trained
[clock ticks]
every time I kicked with my left foot,
I was training for that one moment
because that was the only moment
that I was gonna get in the World Cup.
And I think
that that's why I felt so confident.
I was like,
"I have done this five million times."
"This is going in."
[male announcer 4]
Now Kristie Mewis didn't touch the ball
after being brought on
as a late substitute.
So this is her first kick of the contest.
[heartbeat continues]
[cheering fades]
[slow exhale]
[anxious music crescendoes]
[crowd cheers]
Yes!
[cheering fades]
[male announcer 4] The stakes grow higher
with every successful dispatch.
One miss could be fatal.
It's Nathalie Björn.
Yes!
[male announcer 4]
And she's placed it over.
And the Americans now
with the chance to win it.
[cheering]
Megan Rapinoe, 38 years young,
veteran of so many
Women's World Cup campaigns.
Against Mušović.
- Oh my God, no!
- [male announcer 4] Over the top!
I don't believe it.
Holy
[cheering fades into background]
[male announcer 4] And Sweden
can breathe again.
- What a save by Alyssa Naeher!
- [crowd cheers]
And the Americans are almost there.
She's been through all this before.
Can she keep her cool
and put America back in front?
No! Clips the post.
Goodness me.
And now Sweden have a chance to win it.
- She had it. She knew what she was doing.
- Oh my God.
[male announcer 4] One kick.
["Who We Are" by Hozier plays]
And it's all on Lina Hurtig.
I can't watch. I can't watch.
You only feel it when it's lost ♪
Getting through still has a cost ♪
Quietly, it slips
Through your fingers, love ♪
Falling from you drop by drop ♪
[male announcer 4] And there,
has it gone over the line?
What I had left you ♪
I just held it tight ♪
So someone with your eyes ♪
Might come in time ♪
[male announcer 4] And it all hangs
in the air.
To hold me like water ♪
[male announcer 4] It's confirmed,
by millimeters!
The United States of America
fall out of the tournament!
Is just carving through the dark ♪
To get so far ♪
And the hardest part ♪
Is who we are ♪
It's who we are ♪
Ah, that's just like a sick joke,
a fucking missed penalty.
I mean, that's just
We didn't put anything
in the back of the net. I didn't.
As a forward,
you're judged, deservingly, on goals,
and there was none for me, so I mean
The cruelest of exits for the US,
by a millimeter.
[player] Somebody said there's a picture
of it by a millimeter or something.
So it's tough to have
your World Cup end by a millimeter.
Is who we are ♪
It's who we are ♪
[Vlatko] I had my life
on the line right now,
and I had to pick
who's gonna take the penalty,
Megan Rapinoe is gonna be my first choice.
Number one in the world.
No question about it.
[Carli] You can never take winning
ever for granted
because, just like that,
they're all packin' their bags
and goin' home tomorrow.
[Megan] That's some dark humor.
Me missing a fucking penalty
at the end of this game, and I feel like
ya know, I joke too often, al always in
the wrong places and inappropriately,
so maybe this is "ha ha" at the end.
I dunno. It seems funny.
Nobody nobody's gonna laugh
'cause you guys feel bad,
but it's kinda funny.
I mean, it's like
You guys thought I was gonna make it.
- [male reporter] Yeah.
- Yeah.
I was like, "Jesus Christ."
[man] No, we gotta go. Thank you.
Quietly, it slips
Through your fingers, love ♪
Falling from you drop by drop ♪
["Who We Are" ends]
[brakes hiss]
[engine revs]
[birds chirp]
[Kristie] It didn't end the way
that we wanted it to.
But also, I mean, Sweden deserved to win.
Um
They kept us from scoring,
and they did better with their penalties.
So it was just
It's a stupid way to lose, but, um
[indistinct chatter]
Yes, my dream of being at a World Cup
and winning a World Cup is now over.
But Sam's in the quarterfinals.
This is just so crazy. This is everything
that she's always wanted too.
Everyone that was on the US team
went back home,
but there's no place I'd rather be.
I'm happy to be here and support her.
And obviously it is a bit hard,
but I think I can separate it,
because I love her so much.
[rhythmic music plays]
[male announcer]
Australia will take on France
in the Women's World Cup quarterfinal,
where a win will make it
our most successful tournament to date.
[singing]
Waltzing Matilda ♪
There's this growing comparison between
what the US women did on home soil in '99
to what Australia
is achieving right here in 2023.
[cheering]
[Kristie] I'm hanging out
with all of her family and friends,
and all of them have jerseys on,
and they're like, "Where's your jersey?"
And I'm I, like,
cannot put on an Australian jersey.
What section are we in? I could text her.
Try to be like, "Try to look for us."
Tell her exactly opposite the box.
[Kristie] Really? Yeah, okay.
[crowd chanting] Aussie! Aussie!
[Kristie] It's been difficult for Sam
because she got injured
the day before the World Cup.
But today's a new day,
and she's gonna play.
- [tense music plays]
- [male announcer 1] She's comin' in.
[Kristie] I'm just really excited
for her to have this moment,
especially with her team
doing so well right now too.
[male announcer 1] And there she is.
First touch and touches. Kerr on the move!
[male announcer 2] Australia goes
to penalty kicks in the Women's World Cup.
[male announcer 3] The great Sam Kerr
is ready.
The step-up. Goal. Two-two.
[Kristie] Sometimes I feel
I have imposter syndrome,
and I'm like, "How is she choosing me?
How am I good enough for her?"
You know what I mean?
[male announcer 1] Goal!
Australia wins! They go through.
[crowd cheers]
[pleasant music plays]
So we, like, always joke about that
'cause I think she feels the same way.
- Yeah!
- Whoo!
Yeah! Yes!
- Did you watch the penalties?
- [boy] Yes.
- Who scored one? You?
- [boy] You.
[Kristie] Both of us are able
to get through everything
because we know we're gonna have
each other to lean on, the end of the day.
Win, loss, we know what each other needs,
and we bring each other, like, the calm.
Oh my God!
- Which way did you go? I feel like
- [Sam] I went right.
Went this way.
It's a really good thing,
and I value having her so much
at the end of every day.
[pleasant music fades out]
[chill music plays]
[phone rings]
[answer tone]
- [Lynn] What are you doing?
- [Marley] Nothing. I had a shower, babe.
Now I was gonna
get ready for bed and then
You have this dream about
what the World Cup is gonna be like.
And I think it's one thing to be
playing well and it just doesn't work out,
but if you didn't play well,
I don't think we were, like, set up
to have the success to go on and win it.
And then you start thinking,
like, hindsight 20/20,
of, like, all the things
that led up to it.
Could you have done
something to change it?
Was it even in your control at all?
- I wanted to win.
- [Marley] You're a part of that.
I know. [laughs] I wanted you to win too.
I was talkin' about the game
with someone today, actually.
It's just like you said. It's like
- Yeah, it's just not meant to be.
- Soccer doesn't always work out.
It just wasn't meant to be, I guess.
I'm depressed.
I know. [laughs]
I know. I'm so sorry, babe.
I'm just kidding. I miss you.
I miss you too.
[Lynn] At a personal level,
so proud of what I did.
- Meh!
- Yeah.
My journey in soccer, in getting here,
and getting to the World Cup,
and being able to represent your country
Like, I can recognize how amazing that is,
I'm so honored to be able to do that. Um
But on another level,
like, I I get sad, and then I get angry,
and I get sad, and then I get angry.
Um
The World Cup will eat you.
Eat you up and spit you out with bad skin.
[Marley laughs]
Turned inside out.
Seriously.
Literally.
Yeah, it was it was a it was terrible.
- [Marley coughs]
- [Lynn sighs]
- What're you gonna do?
- Love you. Have a great day. Love you.
- I love you too. Good night.
- Good night, babe.
[hang up tone]
[dramatic music plays]
[Lynn] When you're coming off
of a World Cup that didn't go your way,
coming down from that, it's just, like,
emotionally, you're a little drained.
All right.
And then there's also
jet lag on top of it, so
We're working on it.
We didn't really get much closure
after the World Cup.
We lose the game, and then on the way
from the stadium back to the hotel,
we're getting an email saying, "Send us
your flights when you wanna leave."
And then the next morning,
people are leaving.
So there was never, like, a closure.
We have a camp in September.
Hopefully I'll get invited to that.
It will be nice to see everybody, be like,
"How are you doing? It's been a month."
"Is everybody okay?
How's it been being back?"
"Have you processed what's going on?"
"Are we able to move forward?"
"Are we gonna be playing
a different style?"
There's, like, a lot of question marks
up in the air.
In the last two major tournaments
between the Olympics and this World Cup,
we've only won three
out of the ten games that we've played.
And when you only win
three out of the ten games,
there's no way
you're gonna have that coach continue on.
Vlatko Andonovski, the head coach
for the US Women's National Team,
is stepping down.
[male announcer 1]
Not surprising news, but big.
You can't lead
the US Women's National
to their earliest exit ever
from a World Cup
[male announcer 2] Never wanna see someone
lose their job, but he didn't deliver.
[male announcer 3] Thank you,
Vlatko, for everything, and we move on.
[Lynn] It's a cutthroat sport.
It's a cutthroat industry
when you're a coach and a player.
Like, at any given moment,
my career could be taken from me,
my spot could be taken from me.
When we're held to this standard,
the coaching staff also has to be.
[Alex] As a captain
for this World Cup team,
I had a lot of conversations
with Lindsey and Vlatko,
being really honest with him,
and he was incredibly receptive to that.
But I don't know
that a lot of other players
felt the comfortability
or the vulnerability
to have the chats with him
that me and Lindsey had.
[Lindsey] Obviously, Vlatko gives us
the game plan every single game.
But we're the players on the field,
so Portugal might do something different.
Portugal might press harder.
Portugal might stop this from happening.
We should've come together,
like, "This is not working."
"We need to do this. We need to try this."
It's on all of us
because we we couldn't figure it out.
Individually, collectively,
we couldn't figure it out.
[Meg] I mean, the team did not perform,
and there was a coaching element
to their failure at this World Cup,
and I think
everybody's pretty aware of that.
There is a standard that has been set
[chuckles]
and he didn't meet it.
[dramatic music fades out]
[rhythmic music plays]
The most successful coaches
that we've seen at the world stage
are the ones who are willing to be bold,
who are willing to make big decisions,
big tactical moves, big substitutions.
And it just felt like
when it came to crunch time,
Vlatko wasn't prepared
to make those decisions.
He was almost frozen.
But I don't think
it's all on Vlatko at all.
The players have to bear
some of that responsibility.
"What was our role in this?
We're on the field. We're playing."
The expectation for
the US Women's National Team is to win.
When you don't, the program moves on,
and we have to find new leadership.
They're gonna do a deep dive
beyond coaching.
They're gonna do a deep dive
of player development,
staff, sport science.
We need to right a lot of the elements.
The expectation has to remain the same
for the US Women's National Team.
[Christen] We gotta get back on top,
and there's no other expectation.
[Tobin] Those voices that say
we had such a golden generation,
that doesn't belong
in the US Women's National Team.
There's no idea of a golden generation.
The US Women's National Team is golden.
[dramatic music plays]
[Abby] The world is getting better
at women's soccer.
Why is that? Hm.
Because our Women's National
has required it.
[Lindsey] This is a competitive World Cup,
where any team can go out and win.
This is what it's supposed to be like.
[male announcer 1] Carmona fires. In!
2-1 Spain!
[male announcer 2] Playing it back,
shot taken. Goal, England!
[Lindsey] The international game,
it's such a nice style of football,
where everyone wants the ball.
You're playing tiny passes here and there.
They're so confident on the ball,
they're so technical.
We need to progress
in this possession style of play.
We need better coaches.
We need better youth development.
We need more investment there.
[cheering]
[Christen] There is a legitimate increase
in investment at a club level in Europe,
and we're seeing the improvement
of club teams in Spain and in England,
so it's no surprise those two countries
were represented in the final.
[male announcer 2]
Spain wins the World Cup.
Spain goes out and wins this game,
and then you see what took place after.
[male TV announcer]
Luis Rubiales kissed Jenni Hermoso
after Spain beat England on Sunday.
[female TV announcer]
The player Jenni Hermoso accused
Spanish football boss Luis Rubiales
of kissing her without consent.
[Foudy] For so long, this Spanish team
has been arguing, and fighting,
and saying, "This federation is toxic.
This culture is toxic."
"It's not good. We want change,"
and been blown off, blown off, blown off.
[crowd cheers]
But the difference this time around
was it was in front of the world to see,
and they're world champions.
[Meg] Immediately following the World Cup,
it's reported, okay, he's going to resign
because of the public pressure
around this moment.
And then instead, he gets up
in front of the entire federation
and just starts yelling,
"I will not resign. I will not resign."
[in Spanish] I will not resign.
I will not resign.
[Meg in English] And the camera pans out
to the crowd, and everybody's clapping.
And that's the point where you realize,
who are the allies for this team
in the room? Can anyone be trusted?
The rot is so deep at this point.
[crowd cheers]
That's the system
this sport is up against.
That room is everywhere.
That room is every single country.
These players have been told
to be grateful that they're playing.
"Don't worry about the money.
Don't worry about the hotel rooms."
"You'll be fine.
Just shut up and go play."
There was a reaction from society, saying,
"This has been happening for too long,
and we're no longer gonna stand for this."
[female announcer 1]
Spain's football chief is facing
growing pressure to resign.
[female announcer 2] For days,
the outrage has been building.
Tonight on the streets of Madrid
[male announcer 1] Dozens of players
will refuse to play for Spain
until Luis Rubiales
steps down from his role.
[male announcer 2] Prosecutors announced
they're opening
a preliminary investigation
of alleged sexual assault.
[female announcer 3]
Luis Rubiales is resigning.
[male announcer 3] Supposed to be a week
when Spain celebrated women's football,
but instead, all of that has been
overshadowed by one man's behavior.
What should be talked about is them,
how they played and won the World Cup,
and how beautiful it was.
[crowd chants] USA!
[Lindsey] I remember the celebrations
that we had after winning the World Cup.
[sad music plays]
Everything was so perfect.
Everything was so great.
And for them, this celebration
should never be taken away.
And it's being taken away.
I get so pissed off about that,
but then you see winning a World Cup
can now put you on the stage
and in this level
where you can stand up for something.
[hopeful music plays]
The '19 World Cup, the US team knew
that they were leveraging a possible win
as it related to the fight for equal pay.
[Megan] We've filled stadiums,
we've broken viewing records,
and yet, despite all of this,
we're still paid less
than our male counterparts.
[male announcer] The United States
[crowd cheers]
the champions of the world.
[Megan] We really just blew the lid
off everything
in the landscape of women's sports.
It was one of those,
like, seminal moments.
[crowd chanting] Equal pay!
[female announcer] The legions
of American fans in the stands,
getting behind the team's fight
to be treated the same
as their male counterparts.
And it was just like,
there's nothing more left to say,
and it's only a matter of time now.
[female anchor]
The six-year battle for equal pay
for members of
the US Women's National Soccer
has finally come to an end
with a landmark settlement.
It is a huge win for us,
for women's sports, for women.
[Megan] The justice comes
in the next generation
never having to go through
what we went through.
It's it's equal pay across the board
from here on out.
[crowd cheers]
[Abby] We have equal pay now.
But just because
our women's national team has equal pay
doesn't mean everybody else does.
[tense music plays]
[Foudy] Yes, there's been growth
and progress and investment.
But we're still fighting
the most basic of fights.
And you see, you know,
the Jamaica team, the Nigerian team,
all of them talking about,
"We're not fighting for equal pay."
"We're fighting for equal treatment,
a field to practice on."
"Can I just get a schedule?" [laughs]
"I just want the basic of shit."
You talk to any player
in any corner of the world,
and they will point to the United States
and their willingness
to stand up for their rights,
their willingness to gather together
and say, "We must do better."
[all] Oosa-Oosa-Oosa-Ah!
[Foudy] And that will always be the legacy
of the US Soccer Federation.
Yes, we wanna win World Cups
every single year.
But we also have to recognize the impact.
That is something every country
looks at and nods and says, "Thank you."
[waves crash]
[sounds of children playing]
[pants]
[Alex] I've always wanted
to become a professional athlete
since I was a little girl.
But women's soccer
is still incredibly behind
in terms of paying players,
the working conditions of players,
just access for fans
to the sport of women's soccer.
I have this platform
where people are listening right now,
and I need to be able to use it for good.
Do I wanna win every day,
all day, like, every game?
Yeah, of course. I'm a competitor.
I wanna win 100% of the time,
and losing's hard.
We didn't perform up to our level,
but there was some incredible football
played this World Cup,
and that's just a testament to where
the women's game could've always been.
Sweet.
But I'm excited for where it's gotten now
and hopeful for the future.
All right, cool. I'm gonna go up and get
my shoes, and then we're good to go.
[birds chirp]
I'm, like, never late,
but I'm, like, an hour late.
[inhales] Uh! It's just this day.
[pensive music plays]
Initially, I think I was still processing
us not being in the World Cup anymore.
Initially, I was like,
"Well, of course, I wanna get home."
"I wanna get back to my routine,
get back to playing with San Diego."
I was really down.
It was unfortunate
because I actually felt like this team
had built something special off the field,
and that was gonna translate
on the field, and it didn't.
I would say that this team meshed better
than any other team I had been a part of.
Just knowing that the team
had each other's backs
and really cared for each other, I think,
was the hardest part in that loss.
- Hi.
- [woman 1] Hi.
- [Alex] How's it goin'?
- Great. How are you?
- [Alex] Good. Good to see you.
- Good to see you. I know.
We have Fox, we have KUSI,
which is a local station.
- And then we have, um, Televisa.
- Okay.
We're gonna do one little snippet
for social for Del Mar.
- We'll get you out of here in 30 minutes.
- Okay. Sounds good.
I'm gonna try to go to the beach
after this.
- Hi, how are you?
- [Alex] Hey, good. How are you?
[woman 2] Good.
I'm so proud to live here,
to represent San Diego.
I'll be there on Sunday,
so, uh, I'm gonna be havin' a good time.
Well, the Del Mar Food and Wine Festival
is gonna be an incredible Uh, let's
[sirens blaring]
There's something goin' on.
It's more important than us.
- It's all burning down, everybody.
- Yeah.
Bein' on the national team
has really helped me
kind of be confident in who I am
and kind of the legacy I wanna leave,
and the mark I wanna leave on the sport.
- Can we take a selfie real quick?
- [Alex] Yes, of course.
- Yay! Thank you so much. You're awesome.
- [Alex] Yeah.
Hi. I'm just leaving Monarch,
so I'll meet you guys
down at Vulcan and E Street.
Okay, bye.
[soulful rock music plays]
After the loss,
all I wanted was to be with my family.
I was able to see Charlie in the stands.
She was asking me after the last game
why I was sad and why I was crying,
and she said I did a really good job.
I hugged her for probably five minutes.
Probably four minutes more
than she wanted me to hug her,
but all she wanted was to be with Mom,
and she could care less
about me as a soccer player.
Your family isn't judging you
by what you bring to the field.
I'm just with the people that
that love me for who I am
regardless of,
you know, what the score is,
or how many goals I score
at the end of the day.
The team,
we have achieved incredible things
and will continue
to achieve incredible things,
even though we didn't in 2023.
Look at this.
- Uh-huh.
- The sea!
We can go swimming, Mommy.
Okay, Daddy's gonna lock it up.
It doesn't take away
that we are competitors,
that we are pioneers,
that we are leaders in this sport.
That's what this team is about.
Doing the most on the field.
Big step. Yeah.
[club music plays]
[indistinct chanting]
[coach] We are here, and we've done
a really good job of sticking together.
Now, it's time to make
all that togetherness super visible,
and, in honor of the one and only Pinoe,
be unapologetically us.
[Megan] Here we go! Yeah!
[shouts]
As often happens at World Cups,
especially when it doesn't go well,
it's this, "Okay, you're out tomorrow,"
and there is no closure.
You're coming off
this incredibly emotional World Cup loss,
so it's clearly not a victory tour
in a sense as it typically was,
but we're honoring
one of the most iconic in Megan Rapinoe.
[crowd to the tune of "Seven Nation Army"]
Hey! Oh Megan Rapinoe! Hey! ♪
Oh Megan Rapinoe!
Hey! Oh Megan Rapinoe! ♪
One more time!
[Foudy] The last time she's wearin' the
red, white, and blue is somethin' special.
[hip-hop music plays]
[male announcer] And we're underway.
Megan Rapinoe's final game
for the US Women's National Team.
Having a taste of what it is
to win championships and win World Cups
and be at that level
and play in those games,
there's nothing better than that.
[male announcer] Megan Rapinoe.
Dlamini punches away.
Sonnett with a header!
[crowd cheers]
Emily Sonnett with a goal.
And she will celebrate with Megan Rapinoe,
who delivered the corner.
[Megan] It's where I feel most comfortable
and where the team seems to thrive.
[female announcer] Really well.
That struck hard by Rapinoe.
[Megan] When you know you're at that level
and you know you have that quality
and the ability to win World Cups,
it doesn't feel comfortable
to not reach that potential.
It feels, like, achingly hollow.
[anxious music plays]
[cheering echoes distantly]
I just wanna say thank you.
We fought so hard off the field
to continue to create
more space for ourselves
to be who we are.
But hopefully, in turn, more space
for you guys to be who you are.
[chanting] Megan! Megan!
[Megan] It has been such an honor
to be able to wear this shirt,
and I just wanna say
thank you to all the players mostly.
Pull it together, Lindsey. [laughs]
[Foudy] You're obviously gonna see a shift
in some of the veteran group
over this next year,
with Megan retiring, Julie Ertz retiring.
We don't know yet
where Becky Sauerbrunn is gonna be.
["Glory" by H.E.R. plays]
I think it's a really exciting period
for this team.
The Olympics is ten months away,
and that younger generation is gonna
be able to put the stamp on this team.
- [male announcer] Trinity Rodman!
- Always need a little more ♪
[Foudy] If you go down the line
of such talented players,
it's their chance to say,
"What do we wanna create?"
"What's our legacy?"
I just wanna know
What it feels like to be the one ♪
Yeah, yeah ♪
Glory ♪
Everybody fightin' for it ♪
[woman] What do you think about,
like, the next World Cup?
I feel like I'm excited, 'cause I feel
like I won't be the youngest,
but I also won't be the oldest.
- I hope you're there. It'll be so fun.
- Yeah.
Are you healing up?
[Mallory] It's good.
[Alex] I'm extremely optimistic
for the future of this team,
for the next generation.
Mia, congratulations on your first cap.
[Megan] For the younger players,
they don't wanna be
anything less than what we've been.
I think they wanna be more.
It's like, once you see it
and then you can see beyond it.
Lookin' down at all
The people lookin' up to me ♪
Yeah, yeah ♪
Glory ♪
[Lindsey] At the end of the day,
you're playing for that little girl
that once dreamed of being here.
Always need a little more ♪
[male announcer] Don't kill the messenger,
but this team sometimes rubs
some Americans the wrong way.
I hope goin' forward,
that this team is able to unite.
[Tobin] How we silence the critics
now in this moment
is we go to an Olympics,
and we win an Olympics.
Always need a little more ♪
[female announcer] This team means so much
to the world of football.
That is never going to change.
- We go after it. Let's go, guys.
- Do it on three. One, two, three.
[all] Oosa-Oosa-Oosa-Ah!
Glory ♪
For it
Always need a little more ♪
[hip-hop music plays]