Orlando Pride forward Alex Morgan in starting XI for Americans

By Official Florida FC

Wednesday morning was now the first time Sweden provided a wake-up call for the United States women’s soccer team in the Olympics. The solace for the Americans is this time the result didn’t end their run.

The Swedes strafed the Americans 3-0 in the opening game of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to snap the USWNT’s 44-match unbeaten run. Stina Blackstenius scored a brace and Lina Hurtig added the third in the 72nd minute to secure the USWNT’s worst loss in nearly 14 years.

Sweden stunned the Americans in the quarterfinals of the 2016 Olympics, winning in penalty kicks. On that muggy day in Brazil, the Americans outshot their Scandinavian opponents, but couldn’t finish. Wednesday, Sweden took more shots, put more of them on goal and created more opportunities through open play and set pieces.

Orlando Pride forward Alex Morgan, the only person on the USWNT roster with Florida ties, started the match. She took one shot and didn’t put it on target before being replaced by Carli Lloyd at halftime.

The 32-year-old Morgan is scoreless in her last five matches for club and country. Morgan was one of six starters on Wednesday who are over 30. That sextet will not have a long time to recover as the Americans’ next match is against New Zealand on Saturday.