just nine overs for the second wicket. But the Rapids struck back once Wade, having made 74 off 32 deliveries, was caught by Rhodes at long-on off Ed Barnard.Rhodes then came into the attack and in his se

BRASILIA, Brazil -- It wasnt politically correct. But the first words out of Hope Solos mouth after an Olympic quarterfinal against Sweden were undeniably honest and entirely sincere in summing up a days frustrations.The United States dominated possession. It nearly quintupled Swedens shots. It had the first chance and the last chance in open play.The three-time reigning Olympic champion and current World Cup champion is also going home without an Olympic medal of any kind for the first time, eliminated by Sweden 4-3 in a penalty shootout after the teams played to a 1-1 stalemate over 120 minutes of soccer.Cue the goalkeeper who is rarely unwilling to speak her mind, in this case about a team that set out to defend to the last woman.I thought that we played a courageous game, Solo said. I thought that we had many opportunities on goal. I think we showed a lot of heart. We came back from a goal down; Im very proud of this team. I also think we played a bunch of cowards. But, you know, the best team did not win today; I strongly, firmly believe that. I think you saw Americas heart. You saw us give everything that we had today.Unfortunately the better team didnt win.The better team, yes. Almost undeniably. But not the team that best executed its assignment on this day.Which perfectly encapsulates the frustration, if it doesnt excuse the sentiment more suited to a sport with judges. Pragmatism is style in soccer.The United States knew this was coming. Coach Jill Ellis, who rarely shows her hand in the days leading up to games, didnt even offer the pretense evasiveness the day before this one. She used to work for Pia Sundhage, the coach who went home to Sweden after taking the United States to two Olympic gold medals. She knew Sundhage would be pragmatic, especially when it came to the United States. Everyone knew.The United States began Fridays game with a scoreless drought of more than 200 minutes against Sweden, including a scoreless World Cup draw a year ago in Canada. U.S. wunderkind Mallory Pugh was barely in high school the last time the Americans scored against a Swedish team.Sweden is not a minnow in womens soccer, not with players like Lotta Schelin and Caroline Seger. But Sweden and its coach are also not novices ready to run pell-mell into the breach. Certainly not after they were exposed by Brazil earlier in this tournament in a 5-1 loss.They had to do what they had to do, said Carli Lloyd, more measured than her teammate. They had to sit back. They sat back as we expected them to do. They werent confident in their abilities to open up because they opened up against Brazil, and the score sheet was not so great. So yeah, they sat back, they waited for that one moment to counterattack.That moment came in the 61st minute, not as some lumbering stroke of luck, but as the product of some nice interplay around midfield, short passes that set up an open look at a long ball toward Stina Blackstenius. The Swedish player got inside U.S. defender Julie Johnston, gathered the ball and beat Solo with a quality shot to the far post.It was fortunate, but it wasnt lucky. No luckier than the long balls Leicester City sent to Jamie Vardy en route to a Premier League title last season. Soaking up possession and hitting back with a lightning bolt is all the rage.The thing is, while the Swedes were committed and organized in their defending to the end, they werent exactly stopping the Americans in their tracks. The United States didnt play poorly. It wasnt precise enough. It didnt finish well enough; at least one missed chance likely will haunt each of the attacking players who were on the field. Maybe Crystal Dunn could have come on sooner. Maybe the gamble on Megan Rapinoe, a sub who had to be subbed when the game went to overtime, didnt work out. But the United States moved the ball. It had ample opportunity to deliver crosses into the box, to let Pugh slip into space in the middle of the field and play in Morgan, to set up set pieces.It has played worse and won on many occasions.Inside 18 yards, when theres 20 people in the box, it is tough, Ellis said. I dont care what level you play. It is really hard for an organized attack to break down an organized defense. Its really, really hard. So we knew we had a massive challenge. But in terms of what we tried to do, and how we tried to play, I actually thought today [was as well as the team had played] -- especially the first half, for sure, and part of the second half. We tried to play.The U.S. equalizer came in the 77th minute, and more luck was involved in it than in the Swedish goal. Before Alex Morgan could slide home the goal with a composed finish, the ball first had to reach her by way of a ricochet off a Swedish players head after a Dunn header.Surely that was the breakthrough, as a late goal has so often been in major tournaments, and especially those since 2011. But as much as the U.S. women pressed in the final 13 minutes, Dunns presence adding a different energy to the attack, the only ball that found the back of the net was Lloyds header that was incorrectly negated for offside (as was a Schelin goal seconds later).I felt like we were going to score again and win within regular time, Morgan said. But the time just kept going on, and they kept defending well. It never went in the back of the net. I was really optimistic. I didnt even anticipate it going into penalties, either. But it just wasnt our day today.Unfortunately, that means it was the last day in a major tournament until the 2019 World Cup, qualification willing.In the end, the real frustration wasnt from what Sweden did, but what the United States couldnt do to finish what it started -- what it started Friday, and what it started with the World Cup title a year ago.Even just a few minutes more removed from the field, at the end of the questioning that began with her harshest words, Solo modified her stance ever so slightly when asked if it would be acceptable for some teams to play the way Sweden played.Youve got to take your hat off to them because they beat us, Solo said. So theyre going on, like I said, and were going home. They dont have as quality of players as the American team does or as Brazil does, so they have to play a way thats going to give them hope to beat a team like Brazil or the USA. And I think thats part of the tactical side of things. And Pia is somewhat of a tactician, so she dropped her team into a 50 and tried to hit long balls. They could only really score on the opportunity for a long ball or on set pieces.So I guess you can say its smart, but I dont think its respectful to the game.But no matter how strongly some feel otherwise, nowhere more than in the U.S., where the game is part athletics and part art, the game also is set up to produce an outcome.Solos words were a reflection of the frustration inherent in that.What they missed is that Sweden showed its heart, too, right down to Lisa Dahlkvists clincher in the shootout that beat Solo after the keeper delayed the proceedings to fix what she said was a faulty strap on her glove.It would be hard to eliminate the United States without courage.It might well have been a different outcome on another day. Maybe most days. Just not this day.Derrel Thomas Jersey . 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Belfort (24-10) needed just 77 seconds to down Henderson in the headlining bout of Saturdays "UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson" event at Goiania Arena in Goiania, Brazil. The fight served as a rematch of the pairs 2006 meeting, which Henderson won by decision.Worcestershire 166 for 5 (Mitchell 61, Whiteley 41*, Clarke 3-22) beat Birmingham 164 (Wade 74, Hain 46, Henry 3-15) by five wicketsScorecard Worcestershire Rapids kept alive their slim hopes of reaching the NatWest T20 quarter-finals with a five wicket victory over local rivals Birmingham Bears after some explosive hitting from Ross Whiteley.The Rapids ended a run of five successive defeats in completed matches and completed a double over their neighbours to retain the Norman Gifford Trophy.Some explosive hitting by Ross Whiteley enabled the Rapids to reach their 165 target with four balls to spare. He showed the form which brought him 29 sixes in last seasons competition in smoting an unbeaten 42 off 20 balls with four sixes and three fours.Now the Rapids must now defeat Derbyshire Falcons in their final North Group match and hope other results go their way if they are to reach a fourth quarter-final in five years.In contrast, Birminghams colossal collapse when baqtting meant they have now lost three matches in a row in the competition to undermine their own hopes of a last eight spot.Dougie Brown, Birminghams director of cricket, said: It wasnt a case of the game drifting away. We were masters of our own demise again. We were last week as well. We lost eight wickets for 19 runs from a real position of authority.Worcestershire were immediately on the back foot as they lost three wickets inside the first four overs. Tom Kohler-Cadmore clipped Rikki Clarke into the hands of deep mid wicket, Joe Clarke played on to Oliver Hannon-Dalby and Joe Leach sliced Recordo Gordon to backward point.Brett DOliveira, who this week earned his first England Lions call-up, and skipper Daryl Mitchell tried to repair the damage as their half century stand came up in seven overs.The Rapids needed 95 off the final 10 overs and Mitchell targeted the firsst over from Aaron Thomason to increase the tempo, striking two sixes as the all-rounder conceded 19 overs.ddddddddddddThe return to the attack of Clarke ended a stand worth 76 in nine overs as DOliveira skied a comfortable catch to Josh Poysden at backward square leg.Mitchell reached his half-century off 29 balls with two sixes and four fours but Clarke also brought about his downfall on 61 as he drilled a catch to Sam Hain at mid off. But then Whiteley moved into overdrive with support from Ben Cox to turn ther game in ther Rapids favour.Birmingham appeared to be heading for a score in excess of 200 after reaching 120 for 1 in the 12th over. But a dramatic collapse saw nine wickets fall for just 35 runs and the Bears were bowled out for 164 in 19.3 overs. Australian wicket-keeper Matthew Wade led the initial onslaught for the visitors in his second T20 appearance for the Bears.He raced to a half century off just 23 balls with the aid of three successive sixes over long on off spinner DOliveira in an over costing 25 runs.Wade and Sam Hain plundered 103 in just nine overs for the second wicket. But the Rapids struck back once Wade, having made 74 off 32 deliveries, was caught by Rhodes at long-on off Ed Barnard.Rhodes then came into the attack and in his second over picked up three wickets as Laurie Evans, Hain (46) and Clarke all perished to the off spinner.Ateeq Javid was run out attempting a second run in the next over from Rhodes before Mitchell pulled off a fine one-handed catch at mid wicket to account for Jeetan Patel.Rhodes finished 4 for 13 from three overs in only his second T20 appearance before Henry polished off the innings with two wickets in his final over of his current spell at New Road. ' ' '