- Criticism Targets First Lady Jill Biden’s Tweet Following USA National Team’s Match against Portugal
- Despite securing a place in the knockout stages, the reigning world champions fell short of expectations, prompting scrutiny
- The team will now prepare to face either Sweden or Italy in the round of 16.
Football fans have voiced strong opinions regarding a tweet shared by United States First Lady, Jill Biden, following the women’s national football team’s progression to the round of 16 in the ongoing Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The USA successfully secured qualification, overcoming a late challenge from Portugal, as they strive to become the first team to win three consecutive World Cups. Finishing as the runners-up in Group E, just behind the Netherlands, who achieved a comprehensive victory over Vietnam in their final group match.
Clockwise from top left: Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle, Sophia Smith, Alex Morgan, Trinity Rodman, Megan Rapinoe. (Getty Images)
However, despite securing qualification, the defending champions displayed a subpar performance and had a stroke of luck in avoiding elimination during the group stage. In the closing moments of the match, Portugal’s substitute player Ana Capeta hit the post, narrowly missing a potential game-changing goal.
The women’s team, under the management of Vlatko Andonovski, delivered another unimpressive showing, having only managed to score three goals against debutants Vietnam before being held to a frustrating draw against the Netherlands, fellow finalists in the 2019 tournament.
Prominent figures, including the esteemed captain Carli Lloyd, have called upon Andonovski to make significant changes moving forward if the team intends to mount a strong challenge for the title once again.
“That was a game worth waking up early for! Great work, USWNT! Congratulations on advancing to the Round of 16!”
Jill Biden
The match took place during the early hours of the night in various parts of America, leaving fans questioning whether it was worth waking up for. The lack of clarity arose from the reigning four-time champions’ difficulty in breaking through a determined Portuguese team’s defense.
The United States will now anticipate their upcoming opponents, with Sweden being the most probable match-up. Ranked third by FIFA, Sweden currently holds the top spot in Group G.
