Sweden knock out Women’s World Cup holders USA in wild penalty shootout.

- Sweden beat the United States 5-4 on penalties to condemn the defending champions to their earliest Women's World Cup exit on Sunday after the teams were locked at 0-0 at the end of extra time.

Lina Hurtig struck the winning spot-kick at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium to cap a madcap shootout in the round of 16 clash, though U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher parried the ball on the line and the result needed to be confirmed by VAR.

Sweden head into a quarter-final against Japan in Auckland on Friday but it was the first exit before the semi-finals in nine World Cups for the Americans, who were bidding for an unprecedented third consecutive title.

Gloomy U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski was not convinced Hurtig's spot-kick had crossed the line

Young U.S. forward Sophia Smith was left shattered, having had a chance to win the match for the four-times champions when she stepped up in the penalty shootout only to blast the ball over the bar.

She was not the first player in her team to miss.

The talismanic Megan Rapinoe, renowned for her peerless record in shootouts, thumped the U.S.'s fourth kick over the bar after Sweden's Nathalie Bjorn also fired high.

Lindsey Horan thumped a header against the bar and Musovic denied her again with a low dive when the U.S. skipper fired a deflected cross at the far post.

Musovic produced another wonderful save to stop an Alex Morgan header and see the Swedes into extra time, then foiled a Lynn Williams shot in the first period.

Rapinoe came on to replace Morgan in extra time but could not conjure the magic that helped the U.S. to back-to-back World Cup triumphs in Canada in 2015 and France four years ago.

Sweden vs USWNT: Last 5 game results.

Sweden

2 August 2023: Argentina 0-2 Sweden

29 July 2023: Sweden 5-0 Italy

23 July 2023: Sweden 2-1 South Africa

11 April 2023: Sweden 3-3 Norway

7 April 2023: Sweden 0-1 Denmark

USWNT

1 August 2023: Portugal 0-0 USWNT

26 July 2023: USWNT 1-1 Netherlands

21 July 2023: USWNT 3-0 Vietnam

9 July 2023: USWNT 2-0 Wales

11 April 2023: USWNT 1-0 Republic of Ireland

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