The USWNT talked the talk but didn’t walk the walk at the 2023 FIFA World Cup—at least according to Netherlands forward Lineth Beerensteyn. The 26-year-old Juventus starter didn’t mince words when discussing the USWNT’s departure in the round of 16, according to ESPN’s Joey Lynch.
After Sweden defeated the United States 5–4 in penalty kicks, a mix of reactions poured in from social media. But Beerensteyn’s reaction? “Yes! Bye!”
“From the first moment I heard they were out, I was just like, ‘Yes! Bye!” The Juventus attacker told reporters on Thursday. “From the start of the tournament, they had really big mouths and were already talking about the final.
“I was thinking you first have to show it on the pitch before you talk [big]. I’m not being rude in that way, I still have a lot of respect for them, but now they’re out of the tournament, and for me, it’s a relief, and for them, it’s something they will have to take with them in the future.
The Dutch forward had no problem discussing the USWNT and their approach in the World Cup. She also offered up a bit of advice for them.
“Don’t start to talk about something that is far away. I hope they will learn from that,” Beerensteyn stated.
The Netherlands and the United States have plenty of history, even dating back to the past two World Cups. The USWNT defeated the Netherlands 2–0 in the 2019 Women’s World Cup Final but were in danger of losing to the Dutch in the group stage at the ’23 tournament.
After the Netherlands jumped out to a 1–0 lead, the USWNT rallied and managed to find the back of the net to grab a point. In turn, this guaranteed that they controlled their destiny in the third and final game of the group stage against Portugal.
