MELBOURNE, Australia -- As the players of the U.S. women's national team walked one-by-one through the mixed zone outside Melbourne Rectangular Stadium to speak with reporters, it was obvious they'd rather not.
Sophia Smith and Julie Ertz were crying. Kelley O'Hara stared down at the ground, crestfallen. Everyone was reeling from a dramatic penalty kick shootout on Sunday that saw Sweden send the USWNT home in the round of 16, the USWNT's earliest exit in a major tournament ever.
A reporter asked Alex Morgan whether the players had been set up to succeed by the coaching staff, which includes manager Vlatko Andonovski.