We’ve all heard about humility in victory, but someone should teach the United States’ Women’s World Cup team about it.
The top-ranked Americans opened their latest quest for global soccer domination Tuesday in France by humiliating Thailand 13-0.
That’s not a typo, 13-0.
The previous record for most goals, and most lopsided victory, in a women’s World Cup match was Germany’s 11-nil win over Argentina in 2007.
And the records didn’t end there. Superstar Alex Morgan tied a World Cup record by scoring five goals and teammate Carli Lloyd, 36, became the oldest American to score in a World Cup game.
The U.S. led 34th-ranked Thailand 3-0 at halftime before added 10 more goals after the break, and after the game, American coach Jill Ellis said “it’s a tournament where goal differential is important.”
She’s right, but the 13-0 scoreline is not why the U.S. team’s trouncing of Thailand was classless. It was the way the Americans celebrated their goals, acting as if each one was the biggest goal of their careers.
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Yet this is a squad that has won three World Cups and three Olympic soccer gold medals — more than any other country.
The Americans, or any other team, can run up the score all they want if they’re so worried about goal differential in the group stage, but they should show some class and humility and act like they’ve been there before.
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