Netherlands’ Beerensteyn says U.S. team should learn from their ‘really big mouth’
Netherlands forward Lineth Beerensteyn pulled no punches about the absent United States squad at the Women’s World Cup on Thursday, saying the two-times reigning champions should have done their talking on the pitch.
The Dutch drew 1-1 with the U.S. to finish ahead of them atop Group E. The Americans were then eliminated by Sweden in the last-16, the first time in history they had gone out before the tournament semi-finals.
“The first moment when I heard that they were out, I was just thinking yes, because from the start of this tournament they have already a really big mouth, they were talking already about the final and stuff,” said Beerensteyn, who scored in the Netherlands’ 2-0 last-16 win over South Africa.
“I was just thinking you first have to show it on the pitch before you’re talking. And I’m not being rude in that way. I have still a lot of respect for them. But now they are out of the tournament.”
The Netherlands were eliminated in the semi-finals by the U.S. at the World Cup four years ago.
“For me, yeah, it’s a relief and for them, it’s a thing that they have to take with them in the future,” the Juventus striker said. “Don’t start to talk about something that’s far away and I hope that they will learn from that.”
