TOKYO, Japan — It was not an encouraging start for the U.S. Women's National Team at the Tokyo Olympics, as they kicked things off with a thud in a 3-0 loss to Sweden.
The team is taking it in stride - Megan Rapinoe said they would "take it on the chin and move forward - and the fans... well, they're trying to cope with it by having a laugh.
There wasn't much of a bright side to the game, in which the USWNT looked sluggish and overwhelmed almost from the get-go - but it was at least good for some memes.
Metro Atlanta's own Kelley O'Hara made for a good symbol of how things went:
The early start means USWNT fans will have to chew on this one for a while today.
Supporters had been flush with excitement and anticipation ahead of the game - the team had cruised through a series of friendlies before the Olympics and looked like they were primed to hit the ground running.
They did not, however, hit the ground running.
For those who didn't actually get up to watch it, checking out the score will be a bit of a dumbfounding experience.
Or maybe the best idea is just to go back to bed and pretend it never happened:
The good news for the USWNT is that their path to gold in Tokyo is still very much open. They have two more games to go in the group round, against New Zealand on Saturday and Australia next Tuesday, and positive results in those should send them to the knockouts with a clean slate.