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Rio 2016: US women’s soccer team dethroned by Sweden

Posted at 2:24 PM, Aug 12, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-12 16:24:19-04

By Eoghan Macguire

CNN

(CNN) — Team USA has reigned supreme in women’s Olympic soccer since Athens in 2004, but there will be a new champion this year in Rio after Sweden knocked out the defending champion on penalties at the quarterfinal stage in Brasilia Friday.

Sweden took the lead through Stina Blackstenius just after the hour mark but Tina Morgan made it 1-1 with 13 minutes of regulation time remaining.

The sides could not be split after 30 minutes of extra time, and penalty misses from Morgan and substitute Christen Press handed the initiative to the Swedes.

Lisa Dahlkvist then faced down the pressure to convert the winning spot kick for Sweden, which is led by former US coach Pia Sundhage.

Sweden has never won an Olympic medal in women’s football before, although it did lose the bronze medal playoff match to Germany in 2004.

More to follow…

The-CNN-Wire
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