World Champions United States WNT Lose Three Successive Games For First Time Since 1993

The world champions, the United States women’s national team went down to their third successive defeat, losing 2-1 to Germany in Fort Lauderdale, Florida last night. It is the first time since 1993 that they have lost three games in a row. The match also ended the team’s 71-game unbeaten streak on home soil going back five years.

An 89th minute goal from German substitute Paulina Krumbiegel was enough for Germany to win 2-1 in Florida. This defeat comes on the back of two successive defeats in Europe during October, going down 2-1 to European champions England at Wembley and 2-0 to Spain in Pamplona. For the number one team in the world playing at the end of their league season, to lose to the nations ranked third, fourth and sixth respectively is no shame but with their defense of the FIFA Women’s World Cup beginning in just eight months, this appears to be a team in transition, currently unable to match the top European nations.

Germany, took the lead in the 52nd minute when Klara Bühl’s long-range shot hit the post and deflected back into the net off United States goalkeeper Casey Murphy. It seemed that substitute Megan Rapinoe had salvaged a draw when she equalized five minutes from time before Germany’s late winner. Speaking after the game, Rapinoe was typically forthright. “This is not the World Cup,” she said, “but that’s three on the bounce and that’s never good.”

“I thought there was a lot of good stuff today. We were taught some good lessons today, about staying focused the whole time, there a little lack of focus at the end with the last goal and we’ve got to finish our chances. I don’t really want to sugar-coat it. It sucks. You never want to lose three in a row. I don’t think I’ve ever lost three in a row on this team.”

Coach Vlatko Andonovski denied his team had anything to worry about, claiming he was unhappy with some of the calls from the Jamaican referee Odette Hamilton and her assistants from Honduras. “First and foremost, we’re not happy with the result. Any time you don’t win a game, you can’t be happy, no matter what happens on the other side. I think we played a really good game against an incredible opponent. I think that the referees took some things away from us. I don’t want to count a lot on it but I feel like the game was a little too much for them.”

German coach Martina Voss-Teklenburg, who admitted earlier in week that her team were reluctant to travel across the Atlantic at this busy time in the European club season, was pleased with the her way her team reacted to conceding a late goal to Rapinoe saying “what I learned today is that this team is always ready to learn from mistakes, adapt tactically and then find their way back into the game. Of course that gives us courage and security. We showed a good reaction to the 1-1 draw. We forced the United States to make mistakes.”

Despite missing several key players who did not travel to the United States due to injury, Germany’s win was the first time since July 2017 that a visiting nation have won away to the world champions, ending the hosts 71-game unbeaten run (64 wins, 7 draws) since losing 1-0 to Australia during the Tournament of Nations. The United States longest unbeaten run at home remains the incredible 104 games in which they were undefeated between December 2004 and December 2015.

It is also the first time since 1993 that the United States have been defeated in three successive matches. On that occasion, they lost to Norway and Germany within four days at the Cyprus Cup before losing to the Germans again the following month. The United States will have the chance to gain revenge on their opponents in three days time when they face Germany once more in Harrison, New Jersey. The team has never lost four successive matches in their 37 year history.

In that match, striker Alex Morgan will become only the 13th player in the country’s history to win 200 caps. She hopes that occasion will be an improvement on her 199th appearance. “Hopefully”, she said, preferring to dwell on the positives of last night’s games. “I think there were some really great moments. I thought we looked the best in the world at times tonight and I think just our finishing wasn’t there and some calls didn’t go our way. So it’s a little disappointing but I think that we’re happy to have another go at Germany in a few days.”