Netherlands striker Lineth Beerensteyn did not hold back in her criticism of the USWNT’s absence at the Women’s World Cup.
She believed that the reigning champions should have let their performance on the field speak for itself.
The Dutch team drew 1-1 with the USA, securing the top spot in Group E. However, the Americans were subsequently knocked out by Sweden in the round of 16, marking the first time in history that they had failed to reach the semi-finals of the tournament.
“The first moment when I heard that they were out, I was just thinking yes, because from the start of this tournament, they have already a really big mouth, they were talking already about the final and stuff,” said Beerensteyn, who scored in the Netherlands’ 2-0 last-16 win over South Africa.
“I was just thinking you first have to show it on the pitch before you’re talking. And I’m not being rude in that way. I have still a lot of respect for them. But now they are out of the tournament.”
Four years ago, the Netherlands were knocked out in the semi-finals of the World Cup by the USWNT.
“For me, yeah, it’s a relief and for them, it’s a thing that they have to take with them in the future,” the Juventus striker said.
“Don’t start to talk about something that’s far away and I hope that they will learn from that.”
The US team has faced criticism following their unexpected elimination, leading to a negative response. Fans have heavily criticized a pre-tournament advertisement by American World Cup broadcaster Fox Sports, deeming it “arrogant.”
The advertisement begins with the statement: “Everyone is curious, what will it require to defeat this US team?” It proceeds to depict various national stereotypes, such as a Londoner riding a bus on a rainy day and an Italian wearing a leather jacket and using binoculars, implying that they might attempt to copy their strategies as an Italian-flagged drone hovers over a USWNT training session.
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