The USWNT came up short in the Tokyo Games semifinals, losing to Canada 1-0, and the U.S. "attempt to become the first reigning World Cup champion to win the following Olympic gold medal was derailed" amid "disappointment." The "last image on the TV broadcast before NBC left it" was of F Carli Lloyd"kneeling on the field in tears, likely knowing her last shot at an international title was gone." For her, F Megan Rapinoe, and "lots of other players in this game, it was more than a loss." It was the "end of an era" (AP, 8/2).
Now, the "highly decorated U.S. team, whose top 18 players at the Olympics average nearly 31 years old, faces questions about how much of the core group that led it to two consecutive World Cup titles will return for the next one," which will be played in Australia in '23 (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/2).
