The four-part series delves into the intimate details behind the USWNT’s devastating loss at the 2023 World Cup
Published December 15, 2023 11:00AM (EST)
Andi Sullivan, Naomi Girma, Lynn Williams, Julie Ertz, and Crystal Dunn in “Under Pressure” (Photo courtesy of Netflix)
When the United States women’s national soccer team (USWNT) won two consecutive World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, the whole world was counting on them to secure a third winning title at the 2023 games. Winning two back-to-back titles isn’t an uncommon feat (Germany was the first to do it back in 2003 and 2007). But winning three would set a new record high.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
On Aug. 6, the two-time defending champions were eliminated in the round of 16 by Sweden. Their heartbreaking loss still managed to score a few firsts for the team: It was the first time they had not made the semi-finals at the tournament. And it was the first time the team failed to progress to the quarter-finals.
Unlike their male counterpart, the USWNT has been a longstanding powerhouse since the 1990s. The team has won four Women’s World Cup titles (1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019), four Olympic gold medals (1996, 2004, 2008 and 2012), and nine CONCACAF Gold Cups. The USWNT has successfully medaled in every Women’s World Cup and Olympic tournament in women’s soccer, except for two: the 2016 Olympic tournament and 2023 Women’s World Cup, both of which they were eliminated by Sweden following a penalty shootout.
The USWNT’s 2023 season has been marred by skepticism and criticism, as many pointed fingers at the team’s head coach Vlatko Andonovski. Critics blasted Andonovski for his coaching decisions, namely his lack of substitutions on the pitch, along with his choice roster, which featured an overwhelming number of fresh faces.
The team’s World Cup journey — starting from the tryouts to the bombshell loss — is explored in Netflix’s latest docuseries “Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team.” The four-part series looks into the personal stories behind a few notable and up-and-coming players on the team. In addition to interviews with players, the series spotlights former USWNT players, sports journalists and critics.
Here are the 7 biggest moments from the series:
Andonovski was named the head coach of the USWNT on Oct. 28, 2019. He succeeded Jill Ellis, who coached the women’s national team from 2014 to 2019 and won two FIFA Women’s World Cups in 2015 and 2019.
“I think you have to be built so differently to want the U.S. Women’s National Team head coaching job because you have the highest expectations and the highest pressure,” said Meg Linehan, a senior writer for The Athletic.
Andonovski was heavily criticized after the USWNT secured a bronze medal in the 2020 Olympics. Many critics felt the team had underperformed that year after winning four previous Olympic gold medals. Andonovski faced more criticism amid the Women’s World Cup, when the U.S. was eliminated in a penalty shootout against Sweden in the round of 16.
Less than two weeks after the major upset, Andonovski resigned as head coach on Aug. 16.
Prior to the World Cup, Rapinoe suffered from a calf injury, which spurred public speculation about her playing capabilities. Rapinoe previously won gold with the national team at the 2012 London Summer Olympics, 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She also won the Ballon d’Or Féminin and was named The Best FIFA Women’s Player in 2019.
Several women’s soccer legends along with Rapinoe’s former USWNT players came to her defense:
“I say, ‘If she can give 20 minutes off the bench and change the game, why not?,’” said two-time World Cup champion Julie Foudy.
“When Megan is healthy and when Megan is fit, I don’t know if there’s been a better all-around player,” said retired USWNT soccer player Abby Wambach.
Rapinoe announced on July 8 that the 2023 World Cup would be her last major tournament, and that she would retire from professional soccer at the end of the year.
“I mean, to be honest, I’ve been thinking about this for a long time,” Rapinoe said in her announcement. “It is incredibly rare for athletes of any stature to be able to go out in their own way, on their own terms.”
Securing a spot on the USWNT is not an easy task. Players from all over the country spent seven grueling months competing against each other during a series of tryouts. The players were then judged based on their individual skill sets and how well they could play alongside their teammates.
“Every single day you have somebody who is knocking on your door, waiting for you to mess up,” forward Lynn Williams said. “Waiting for you to get injured, waiting for you to fail so that they can come in and take your spot. It’s psychotic. But I can’t believe I get to be a part of it.”
The final team featured both seasoned players who were oftentimes guaranteed a spot — like forward Megan Rapinoe, defender Becky Sauerbrunn and midfielder Rose Lavelle — and hopeful newcomers, better known as “bubble players.”
“A bubble player is someone who is just on the edge of making the roster [or] not making it,” explained Foudy. “They’re on the edge of the bubble. And that’s never a fun place to be. As the pool for the women’s national team grows and grows, it’s just harder and harder to get in the bubble.”
As for how each player learned if they made the roster or not, one would think the decision would be announced in a grand way, maybe via a mailed letter or even email. Instead, each player was notified through a FaceTime call from Andonovski.
“Of course you have injuries coming into a World Cup, but it feels like there’s a lot of injuries this World Cup,” Foudy said. “This team’s got a really interesting mix of nine returning players, 14 who are in their first World Cup, different lineups and changing of players, which starts to affect your flow and your continuity and your cohesion.”
One of the newest faces on the USWNT roster was Savannah DeMelo, who many believed was a shocking addition to the team. DeMelo has never made an international appearance or played a game with the USWNT.
“Because of some injuries, we needed another midfielder, and so there you have this player that can shine in that moment,” Foudy said.
When asked about the level of inexperience on the team, Andonovski wasn’t concerned:
“I’m not worried about the inexperience. And in fact, on the way here, I traveled with Megan, Alex and Lindsey, and I felt pretty comfortable just being around them and knowing that these are the players that are gonna lead the young group.”
Within the tournament, Andonovski was heavily blasted for his lack of substitutions made throughout the games. In the series, players who spent most of their time sitting on the bench said it “sucks.”
“You gotta just suck it up, go to these sessions,” said midfielder Kristie Mewis. “The day after the game, you’re exhausted, you’re frustrated. It just all kind of builds up. It’s a stress and anxiety that you can’t do anything about. Like, you’re helpless.”
A few players said the lack of substitutions also hurt a lot of players’ confidence. “I think that was a tough game for a lot of players who didn’t see the field,” said striker and team captain Alex Morgan.
Andonovski justified his decision during a press conference, saying, “I just didn’t wanna disrupt the rhythm at that point because sometimes a substitute might take a minute or two to get into a rhythm, and we just didn’t wanna jeopardize anything.”
“Coming back from giving birth was really hard, and I didn’t feel super quick,” said Morgan, who welcomed her daughter Charlie Elena Carrasco in May 2020. Preparing for the 2023 World Cup was “definitely a little different than previous World Cups,” she added.
Other mothers on the roster included defender Crystal Dunn and midfielder Julie Ertz, who both gave birth to their first children in 2022.
“We’re here to do work,” Morgan said. “We’re here to win a World Cup. But we’re also here to break down barriers along the way. I wanted to be my best every single day — not only to show my daughter that, but to show everyone else that moms really can do it all.”
“There is added value in bringing Alyssa Thompson, who is an infant, to the World Cup, to start getting that major tournament preparation,” said Linehan. “She is someone who we’re thinking about as a key player for 2027, potentially still in the mix for 2031.”
The 19-year-old forward, who currently plays for Angel City FC, became the first teenager to make the U.S. World Cup roster since 1995. Although Thompson played only 17 minutes across two games at the 2023 World Cup, she’s expected to dominate in many more games to come.
“We’ve got a full decade of tournaments ahead of us,” Linehan added. “So hopefully, she’s living through the emotions of those big moments and feeling them again in 2027, and being on more solid ground.”
“Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team” is currently available for streaming on Netflix. Watch a trailer for it below, via YouTube:
Joy Saha is a staff writer at Salon, covering Culture and Food. She holds a BA in journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park.
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