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The scene was almost too comical to believe: Megan Rapinoe, one of the team's most outspoken and controversial figures, missed an almost embarrassingly easy shot. This miss was so blatant that had it been any average American kicking a ball—an activity most would consider a waste of time—he would have simply picked the ball up and thrown it with his hands. The defeat was not only a moment of sports disappointment but also a stark reminder of the team's decline on the world stage, setting an enduring record for their early exit.