Hope Solo calls Sweden 'cowards' as US stunned in Rio women's football

Rio de Janeiro: The women's football tournament at the Games has been blown wide open after reigning Olympic and world champions the US were eliminated in a stunning result against Sweden.

And the Matildas stand to be major beneficiaries from the Americans' exit. Australia were in the Americans' side of the draw, but will now face the less fearsome Swedes should they progress from their quarter-final against new tournament favourites Brazil in Belo Horizonte.

The US had won four of the previous five women's football tournaments but fell to Sweden 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Sao Paulo on Friday afternoon, local time.

But far from being gracious in defeat, controversial American goalkeeper Hope Solo slammed her opponents after the game.

"We came back from a goal down, I'm very proud of this team," Solo was quoted as saying in the LA Times.

"And I also think we played a bunch of cowards. The best team did not win today. I strongly, firmly believe that.

"Sweden dropped back. They didn't want to open play. They didn't want to pass the ball around. They didn't want to play great soccer, entertaining soccer.

"It was a combative game. A physical game. Exactly what they wanted. Exactly what their game plan was.

Solo also didn't hold back against Swedish coach Pia Sundhage, who was the former US national team coach.

"We had that style of play when Pia was our coach. I think it was very cowardly. But they won, they're moving on. And we're going home," Solo said.

Sundhage responded bluntly to Solo's remarks.

"I don't give a crap. I'm going to Rio, she's going home," Sundhage said, according to Sports Illustrated.

I also think we played a bunch of cowards.

Hope Solo

Sundhage also called on Solo to define what a "good team" was, the LA Times reported.

"Well, usually - especially with the Americans - a good team is when they're winning," Sundhage was reported as saying.

"And they're winning all the time. That's the best team in the world. But for once they didn't go the whole way through. We won the game.

"They played more attacking football than we did. We defend very well. And the fact that ... it went to penalty kicks says something about our defending. US play better in the attack, we played better in the defence. And at the end of the day we won the game and that's what all counts.

"It's OK to be a coward if you win."

Crowds in Brazil have jeered and taunted Solo during games, including some football fans chanting "Zika, Zika" at her during the US team's clash against Colombia.

Before the Games, Solo upset some Brazilians by tweeting a photograph of herself wearing a hat with mosquito netting, apparently to protect herself against the Zika virus. She also posted a photograph of dozens of packs of mosquito repellent that she was packing for her trip to Brazil.

She later tried to make amends, blaming the US media for spreading fear about Zika and other problems ahead of the Rio Games.
 

Catch our live blog of the Matildas' clash with Brazil from 11am Saturday (AEST).

- with Megan Levy