By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
The greatest surprise of the opening day of Tokyo Olympics was the 3-0 massacre of reigning FIFA Women’s World Cup Champions, United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) by Sweden on Wednesday as women’s football took the center stage in Japan.
For the Team USA, it was a day the players will live to regret as the team’s 44th match unbeaten record was shattered by a strong Sweden senior women’s national team after a 3-0 hammering of the Americans who have won Olympics Gold medals in four past Games.
A brace by forward Stephanie Blackstenius scored in the 25th and 54th minutes and another goal from Liam Hurtig in 72nd minute ensured that Sweden got the better of Team USA.
All efforts for the Americans to come back into the game proved abortive as the Swedish defence was too strong to penetrate by the US women’s team that looked very ordinary on the day their big names like Megan Rapione, Carli Lloyd, Samantha Mewis and co failed to come to the party.
