The final penalty kick that eliminated the USA women's soccer team from the 2023 Women's World Cup is not one that we see too often.
The referees needed to resort to goal-line technology to determine whether the ball crossed the line after an unfortunate sequence for the Americans.
It was the decisive penalty that gave Sweden a ticket to the World Cup quarterfinals where they will face Japan.
Meanwhile, the final decision from the referees eliminated the USA from the competition in the earliest ouster from the tournament in program history. The Americans had always finished third or better in all eight previous editions.
The moment Sweden learned it was moving on to the Quarterfinals 🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/PhZJf4lS7c
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 6, 2023
Did the ball cross the line in USA vs Sweden penalty?
It took a seventh round of penalties to determine a winner between the USA and Sweden during a Women's World Cup knockout match that was scoreless through 90 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of extra time.
In that seventh round, with the penalty shootout score tied at 4-4, the USA's Kelley O'Hara kicked first and hit the right post, giving Sweden the chance to win it.
OFF THE POST!
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 6, 2023
🇺🇸:✅✅✅❌❌✅❌
🇸🇪:✅✅❌❌✅✅ pic.twitter.com/wsH9byQqsq
It was Lina Hurtig who stepped up to face U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, and she took her right-footed shot, striking it to the left of goal.
Naeher got a hand on Hurtig's shot, but the ball spun backward in the air toward the goal line. Naeher made a second attempt to swat it away, and she looked to have done enough to keep it out.
But when it's that close, the referees resort to goal-line technology to determine whether the ball crossed the line in its entirety.
Moments later the referee received word from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) that goal line technology showed the ball to have fully crossed the line, giving Sweden a 5-4 penalty victory.
The image shows there to barely be daylight between the ball and the goal line, making it one of the tightest goal-line decisions you'll ever see.
Alyssa Naeher nearly kept it out 🧤 pic.twitter.com/DjpatlgCKD
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 6, 2023
What USA goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher said
Naeher appeared to be talking to members of the coaching staff on the field immediately after the penalty shootout, as if she was making the argument that it wasn't clear the ball went over the line.
Shortly after she conceded defeat when talking to U.S. broadcaster Fox following the match:
"We just lost the World Cup by a millimeter. That's tough," Naeher said postgame. "Proud of the fight of the team tonight. We knew we hadn't given our best in the group stage and we wanted a complete team performance and the team came out and I thought we played great tonight.
"We showed that American mentality that's been standard for this team," she continued. "To come up short hurts and is going to hurt for a long time."
Soccer penalty kick rules
The FIFA Laws of the Game specifically outline how penalty kicks work. The initial save attempt by USA goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher on that last Sweden kick was not enough to rule it out.
That's because according to page 90 of the FIFA Laws of the Game:
"The kick is completed when the ball stops moving, goes out of play, or the referee stops play for any offence; the kicked may not play the ball a second time."
That means that despite the initial save, the penalty kick was still alive as the ball spun backward in the air toward the goal mouth.
And although the kicker is not allowed to touch the ball a second time, the goalkeeper is permitted to make a second attempt to keep the ball out, as the USA's Alyssa Naeher did — although unsuccessfully — on the last penalty.
Why the last Sweden penalty kick counted despite the initial save
The definition of a goal is also clearly outlined in the Laws of the Game (page 87) and FIFA also includes an image that makes it clear what counts as a goal.
"A goal is scored when the whole of the ball passes over the goal line, between the goalposts and under the crossbar, provided that no offence has been committed by the team scoring the goal."
Goal line technology is used at major FIFA tournaments and in major league competitions around the world (Ex. English Premier League) to help determine whether a ball has wholly crossed the line.
In this instance, the technology was critical in determining that the winning penalty crossed the line, since it's difficult for the naked eye to definitively arrive at that conclusion, especially when the ball is floating in the air.
The 2023 Women's World Cup official regulations (page 50) make it clear that the outcome of goal line technology is final and cannot be disputed.
"Goal-line technology may be used for the purpose of verifying whether a goal has been scored to support the referee's decision.
The participating teams shall consent, without reservation, to the use of goal-line technology in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023, and unconditionally and irrevocably waive any and all rights and interests they may have in connection with or as a result of the use of goal-line technology in matches of the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023."
Why did game end on Sweden's penalty?
Here's how penalty kick shootouts work: Each team gets five kicks to start. The team with the most goals after five rounds wins the shootout. However, if the score is level after the fifth round of penalties, then the teams go into sudden death rounds.
The USA and Sweden were level at 3-3 after both teams took their fifth attempt. So they went into sudden death.
Both teams made their shots in the sixth round, but that wasn't the case in the seventh round.
After the USA's Kelley O'Hara slammed her shot off the post (USA's seventh kick), Sweden stepped up with a chance to win it on their seventh attempt and they converted by the slimmest of margins as outlined above.
Once confirmed by the referees, that last goal gave Sweden a 5-4 lead in the sudden death round, thus ending the match.
The full penalty shootout rundown follows below.
USA vs Sweden penalty kick shootout
The penalty shootout was wild and the USA actually had a chance to win it at one point.
U.S. forward Sophia Smith had a chance to win it in the fifth round, but her shot was off target and the miss gave Sweden life.
The Swedes went on to convert their next three kicks, including that last crazy sequence on the Lina Hurtig kick that was initially saved by Alyssa Naeher.
1st Round (USA 1-1 Sweden)
- USA: Andi Sullivan scores
- Sweden: Fridolina Rolfo scores
2nd Round (USA 2-2 Sweden)
- USA: Lindsey Horan scores
- Sweden: Elin Rubensson scores
3rd Round (USA 3-2 Sweden)
- USA: Kristie Mewis scores
- Sweden: Nathalie Bjorn misses
4th Round (USA 3-2 Sweden)
- USA: Megan Rapinoe misses high
- Sweden: Rebecka Blomqvist shot saved by Alyssa Naeher
5th Round (USA 3-3 Sweden)
- USA: Sophia Smith misses high with chance to win it
- Sweden: Hanna Bennison scores to equalize 3-3
6th Round (USA 4-4 Sweden)
- USA: Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher scores
- Sweden: Magdalena Eriksson scores
7th Round (USA 4-5 Sweden)
- USA: Kelley O'Hara hits the post
- Sweden: Lina Hurtig scores after Alyssa Naeher saves
The USA missed three of their seven penalty kick attempts. In addition to Sophia Smith's miss, USWNT legends Megan Rapinoe and Kelley O'Hara failed to convert.
"It's like a sick joke, a dark comedy that I missed the penalty," Rapinoe told Fox postgame. "The game can be cruel and just not our day. I still just feel really grateful and joyful. I know it's the end, that that's sad. ... I've loved playing for this team and this country. It's been an honor."