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Heather O’Reilly believes the U.S. women’s national team will rise again. Speaking in her role as a FOX studio analyst following the team’s Round of 16 loss to Sweden on Sunday, O’Reilly harkened back to the team’s semifinal loss to Brazil.
“In 2007 I was part of a team that got knocked out 4-nil to Brazil in the semifinal,” she said of the game noted for coach Greg Ryan’s goalkeeper change to Brianna Scurry followed by Hope Solo’s postmatch, mixed zone blowup. “And there (were) a lot of whispers among pundits and former players, like does this team have what it takes to carry the tradition of excellent that Mia Hamm, and Brandi Chastain, and Julie Foudy laid?”
That U.S. team came home in tatters after the beat down by Brazil who by all accounts were better than the United States. There was also Germany, who had taken the U.S. out of the 2003 World Cup and would defeat Brazil in the 2007 final to repeat as champions.
“It was hard for me,” O’Reilly admitted. “But…
