If nothing else, it was an eventful year in American women's soccer.
For the U.S. women's national team, 2021 started out with the promise of Olympic glory, but ended with a disappointing showing in Tokyo that saw them take home a bronze medal.
In the NWSL, a year that promised a return to normal after a coronavirus-hit 2020 turned into a reckoning on the league's inability to protect players amid a series of abuse scandals.
On this week's episode of 'All of US: The U.S. Women's Soccer Show', GOAL breaks down the year that was in American women's soccer.
USWNT falls short of their goal
The USWNT were heavy favorites heading into the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, but started out with a humbling 3-0 loss to Sweden and never fully returned to their world-beating best.
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The U.S. struggled throughout the tournament, but did manage to salvage a medal by defeating Australia in the third-place match after a stunning defeat to Canada in the semi-final.
Following the Olympics, the USWNT bid farewell to an iconic figure, as Carli Lloyd played the final matches of her career.
Lloyd's exit was symbolic as the U.S. turns the page on the year and looks forward to 2022, when they will aim to bring in some new blood while looking ahead to the 2023 World Cup.
A season of turmoil in the NWSL
The NWSL was hoping for a return to normality in 2021 after a mostly lost season in 2020, but what transpired was anything but business as usual.
The league was besieged by a number of scandals involving head coaches engaging in abusive behavior toward players, which was compounded by the lack of an adequate response from club executives and league officials.
By the end of the season, five of the league's 10 coaches had been replaced due to inappropriate behavior.
On the field, one of those five teams – the Washington Spirit – went on an incredible late-season run that saw them crowned league champions.