We were in the Olympic finals the following year against the same team and won, even though I thought we played better in the World Cup. But after you get your ugly cries out in the shower, there’s always another game. We were ahead with two minutes left, but we let in a late goal and lost on penalty kicks. My first major loss was the 2011 World Cup. It’s important to allow yourself to feel in that moment. It’s about the process and the journey, the people you’re with, continuing to grow and learn, and getting better every day.Īfter major setbacks-big losses, injuries-how do you reset and recover? I’ve won a lot in my career, and I’ve lost a lot. You can only try to not make the same mistake twice. Not even World Cup penalty shots make you nervous? So I just revel in those moments: having that huge crowd with all those crazy fans and millions watching on TV, being in the spotlight when so often women in sports are not. I see myself as an entertainer as well as an athlete, probably more the former than the latter. Now that I’ve played in front of 50,000, 60,000, 70,000 people, my nightmare is to play in front of 2,500. So if you’re a starter on the women’s national team and you’ve made it to the World Cup, you’ve gone through the gantlet. We’re constantly in the pressure cooker, and there is the expectation of perfection. Also, the team has been so successful for so many years. I’m a pretty confident person and luckily don’t deal with a lot of anxiety. Rapinoe: Some of it is just my natural inclination.
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