USA failed to win even three matches at the Women's World Cup for the first time - a lacklustre performance culminating in an extraordinary and historic exit at the hands of Sweden on penalties.

Shock abounded even among the media ranks after the Americans' fate was sealed, a natural reaction when such a long-dominant team are dethroned.

World champions in 2015. World champions in 2019. But now there is a new world order, and the USA will have to get used to it.

"A total disaster, to say the least," Ryan Tolmich, American soccer correspondent for Goal, told BBC Sport.

"I think most people here would have been totally stunned if they had actually won it, but going out so early is a historically bad result."

It is the first time the USA have finished a Women's World Cup lower than third place.

Taking the Sweden game in isolation, it would be possible to think the USA were unfortunate. They dominated play, and were it not for Swedish keeper Zecira Musovic - player of the match with 11 saves - they would have progressed.

They could also point to the decisive penalty, scored by Sweden's Lina Hurtig. USA keeper Alyssa Naeher appeared to have clawed the ball away, however goal-line technology indicated it had just crossed the line. By millimetres, USA were out.

But they have not fallen short of expectations by millimetres. That gap is a chasm.

'An imperfect team from front to bottom'

Issues have included the tactics of head coach Vlatko Andonovski, whose direct football has attracted criticism for not getting the best out of the players available.

He switched formation from the 4-3-3 which produced unimpressive draws with Netherlands and Portugal to a 4-2-3-1 against Sweden, but it was too late. He is soon out of contract and seems unlikely to get another.

The USA have also been rocked by injuries to key players, with those affected including captain Becky Sauerbrunn, creative force Catarina Macario plus strikers Mallory Swanson and Christen Press.

There is also the issue of a generation of older players on which Andonovski has been too reliant. The 38-year-old Megan Rapinoe's final act of her World Cup career - which has included her winning it twice - was to blast her penalty well over the bar.

"It's a catastrophe," said Jonathan Tannenwald of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Obviously Andonovski will lose his job - he's out of contract anyway.

"The funny thing is, Andonovski was hired to have a generational overhaul, but the timing of the pandemic and the Olympics were a hindrance, he never got to take it all the way. Now, US Soccer are really going to have to clean house - they have an Olympics next year, possibly hosting the next World Cup, you don't want to stand around."

Injuries led to square pegs in round holes, but the bigger problem was a lack of coherence. The front three of Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Alex Morgan are among the greatest individual players in the world, but they never convinced as a working attacking unit.

"The USA is very much an imperfect team from front to bottom," said Tolmich. "Their centre-back pool is weak, which means Julie Ertz drops back from midfield. Then, the midfield becomes weak. And then the attack has totally not been in sync, not finishing chances created through pure talent, but also not creating much else through actual good play.

"I don't think anyone who has followed along would say it's been a surprise to see them show some weaknesses, but I think everyone is surprised at just how bad it's been.

The casual American fan that only watches big tournaments is confused, but this team is one that is missing up to five starters due to injury, and they are struggling to overcome that."

'The world has caught up'

Indeed, the fans are only now starting to get used to the USA's new straitened circumstances.

Two who were at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on Sunday night, Esaam and Sonya, had rushed over from Orlando, Florida, on a 15-hour flight after realising they could miss out on seeing the USA play at this World Cup.

"We thought they were going to waltz right through to the final, so we were starting our trip in Auckland on 10 August," Esaam said.

"Then when we saw how poorly they were doing, we thought we should start our trip right now or we might not see them.

"We should have known, the world has caught up."

America and Kat from Portland, Oregon had been following the USA throughout this World Cup and had their tickets booked for Sydney where they expected their team to be facing South Africa in the last 16.

So they "were refreshing the page for an hour" to get tickets for Melbourne after their team's unexpected second place in Group E.

"Women's sport has come really far. I think other countries are getting more experience," said America. "I think they should have different tactical iterations, I don't know if we have seen many versions of this team."

Ultimately, this seismic shift had been coming. At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Sweden beat USA 3-0. The European side may have won in very different style and circumstances two years later - but the signs were there.

"Everybody knows the world has closed the gap," New York Times world editor Andrew Das told the BBC after the draw with Portugal.

"Things are not the same as they used to be, when the US would hang nine or 10 on teams routinely - they do not win like that any more. The US has not scored six goals in a game for two years, which is something they used to do quite often.

"The idea of being the best team in the world is something that motivates them, but it may not be based in reality any more. That's something they have to come to terms with."

The USA's exit from the 2023 Women's World Cup will go down in history. Just not the history they have been used to making.

In their final home game of 2024, the United States Women's National Team delivered a memorable win for a packed Lynn family stadium in Louisiana, giving fans exactly what they hoped for. 

This victory was especially significant for midfielder Rose Lavelle, who celebrated her 100th cap with the national team. Here’s a recap of the key moments from the match.

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First Half

The first shot of the game came from Vanina Preininger of Argentina in the 4th minute from 35 yards out and it was comfortably saved by goalkeeper Amanda Haught. USA responded in the 10th minute with a right footed shot from Emma Sears that was blocked.

OH YAY, NAE!#USWNT x @VW pic.twitter.com/BgrbbVQupZ

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) October 30, 2024

Both sides kept on mounting pressure on each other until 37th minute when Naomi Girma headed the ball from close range following a setpiece situation to give USA the lead her first international goal. Argentina tried to equalize through series of effort but were unable to find the back of the net.

Seven minutes later, Rose Lavelle delivered a corner, and Girma went for a header. The ball deflected off Cometti’s leg and into her own net, extending the United States’ lead to 2-0. This brought the first half to a close.

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Second Half 

In her first cap and start, Alyssa Malonson assists Naomi Girma's first career brace!!! #USWNT x @VW pic.twitter.com/pmg0pcJsqx

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) October 31, 2024

Girma struck again early in the second half when Malonson passed to her, allowing Girma to head the ball into the upper right corner of the net in the 49th minute, increasing the lead to three goals. 

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In the 82nd minute, Jaedyn Shaw had an opportunity for the USWNT but sent her right-footed free kick over the goal.

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USWNT Upcoming Fixtures

The U.S. will finish the year with two matches in Europe, starting with a game against England at Wembley on November 30, followed by a matchup against the Netherlands in The Hague on December 3.

2023 saw many iconic sporting moments throughout the 12 months. From Cristiano Ronaldo's welcome in Saudi, to Spain winning the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023, or, from Virat Kohli scoring his 50th ODI ton to Sheetal Devi shooting an archery with her legs, we have seen it all. Here's 20 iconic sports photos from the year 2023.

#20 | Healy, the photographer

#19 | Spain win the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023

#18 |Australia loves football

#17 | Messi magic in Miami

#16 |Lauren Hemp breaks Colombian hearts

#15 | Selfie of the year in ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier Zimbabwe 2023

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#14 | Danielle Collins' iconic serve

#13 | Postigo can do it on one foot

#12 | Carlos Alcaraz beats Novak Djokovic

#11 | Cummins silences the Indian crowd

#10 | Chloe Kelly's bicycle kick

#9 | Kohli gets past the GOD

#8 | Saudi welcomes Cristiano Ronaldo

#7 | Wrestlers Protest

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#6 | Bou Samnang's inspiring last-place finish

#5 | Mad-Max-Well's double ton

#4 | Neeraj's gold and praise for Arshad

#3 | Australia crowned World Champions for sixth time

#2 | Armless archer Sheetal Devi creates history

#1 | Messi infinity

New coach Montse Tome was about to announce her squad on Friday for the Nations League matches against Sweden and Switzerland on September 22 and 26. Spanish Women's Football team continue to reject national team call-ups as they want more changes at the Spanish football federation following the scandal over Luis Rubiales' kiss."

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Spanish football is in the mud since Rubiales forcibly kissed midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips in front of the world's media after Spain defeated England in the Women's World Cup final on August 20 in Australia. 81 Spanish players, including the 23 world champions wrote a letter last month stating they would not play for the national team without significant changes at the head of the federation.

Since then Rubiales has resigned and the football federation sacked their controversial coach Jorge Vilda. Spanish media said the players would release a statement outlining the changes that they still expect to see before they return to the pitch.

World Cup-winning Spain midfielder Hermoso said the kiss was not consensual and a Spanish judge has summoned Rubiales to appear in court on Friday in a sexual assault investigation. Luis Rubiales stood down from his post on Sunday, three weeks after the incident during the final medal ceremony following Spain's World Cup triumph. He continued to insist on his kiss on Hermoso's lips to be consensual.

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"What we had is a spontaneous act, a mutual act, an act that both consented to, which was driven by the emotion of the moment, the happiness, so I maintain that that is the truth of what happened," Luis Rubiales told TalkTV show Piers Morgan Uncensored.

The 46-year-old described the kiss as "non-sexual". He also compared his behaviour to how he would act with his daughters. "My intentions were noble, enthusiastic, 100 percent non-sexual, 100 percent, I repeat, 100 percent," said Rubiales.

"You can imagine if you win the lottery or hopefully soon one day the war in Ukraine finishes, I mean celebrations will go on up and down the globe," he added. "People don't ask permission, it's just a happy, happy time and people celebrate. Of course, I have said it from the beginning, I made a mistake, and I apologized in a sincere manner," he further added.

Over 80 women's players went on strike from the national team. Spanish Football Federation sacked the controversial coach Jorge Vilda. The former chief stepped down on Sunday to help Spain's 2030 men's World Cup bid, as well as his family who came under pressure after his actions.

Spanish public prosecutors have filed a lawsuit against football chief Luis Rubiales for sexual assault after he kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent. Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Rubiales faced backlash after a video went viral on the internet. Rubiales kissed Hermoso during the medal ceremony of Spain's Women's World Cup triumph in Sydney on August 20.

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"The prosecutors request that Luis Rubiales be questioned as an accused and Jenni Hermoso as a victim," the prosecutors' office said in a statement. It happened after Hermoso filed a complaint at the National Court on Tuesday, formally accusing Rubiales of sexual assault.

If the judge accepts the request, a magistrate will be assigned to head an investigation. It will end either with a recommendation for the case to go to trial or dismissed. Under Spanish law, sexual assault includes a wide array of crimes from online abuse and groping to rape, each with different penalties. The punishment for a non-consensual kiss can range from a fine to four years in prison.

Hermoso's complaint against Luis Rubiales:

Hermoso said the unwanted kiss had left her feeling "vulnerable and like the victim of an assault". On social media, she described it as "an impulsive, macho act, out of place. There were no type of consent on her part.

She also accused Rubiales of pressuring her to speak in his defense immediately after it went viral on social media. World football governing body FIFA provisionally suspended Rubiales for 90 days after he refused to resign from his post. 81 players went on strike from the women's side in protest after Rubiales' "false feminism" speech.

In a statement last week Rubiales reiterated that the kiss was "a mutual and consensual act" with "overflowing jubilation on both sides". The RFEF apologized for the "totally unacceptable behaviour" of Rubiales on Tuesday and fired Jorge Vilda.