U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Knows Their ‘Legacy Is at Stake’ in First Trailer for Netflix Series — Watch!

Mar. 15, 2025

U.S. Women’s soccer team at the 2023 World Cup.Photo:Brad Smith/USSF/Getty

United States players line up during the penalty kick shootout during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Round of 16 match between Sweden and the United States at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on August 06, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia.

Brad Smith/USSF/Getty

TheU.S. women’s national soccer teamis feeling the heat.

In thefirst trailerforUnder Pressure, an upcomingNetflixdocuseries which takes fans behind the scenes of the team’s 2023 FIFAWorld Cupjourney, the athletes acknowledge that their “legacy is at stake.”

They are about to vie for an historic third-consecutive world title, and they know expectations are high.

“To win one is hard. To win two in a row is unbelievable. To win three? It has never been done,” says U.S. Soccer Federation President Cindy Parlow Cone as footage captures some of the highs and lows of the competition, which ended for the U.S. in round 16 after a disappointing defeat to rival Sweden.

In voiceovers, the team members rattle off the myriad criticisms lobbed at them as they took on the high expectations: “We’re not playing to our strengths. Lack of substitutions. Uninspiring. Taking it for granted. The world’s caught up…”

The docuseries also features interviews with USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski, who wouldgo on to resignin the aftermath of the team’s lackluster World Cup performance. “When I got this job, I knew what I was getting myself into,” he tells the Netflix cameras. “It’s very simple: Win every game.”

Another clip highlights the team’s long-runningfight for equal pay. “We’ve used success to make things better,“Megan Rapinoesays, seemingly referring to the U.S. Soccer Federation announcing in 2022 that a deal had been struck with the players' unions for identical pay structures for women and men.

Alex Morgan plays in the 2023 FIFA World Cup.Ulrik Pedersen/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

Alex Morgan of USA controls the ball during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group E match between Portugal and USA

Ulrik Pedersen/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

The series also captures the roller coaster of emotions the women experienced throughout the competition. “I’ve just wanted this for so long,” forward Lynn Williams says, wiping tears from her face.

“It hurts and it will for a while but this wound will eventually turn into a scar,” Morgan wrote in anInstagram postat the time. “Another reminder that we compete because we want to be the best, measure ourselves against the top in the world. This time, we came up short. We know that and I own that.”

(L-R) Alyssa Thompson, Sophia Smith, Megan Rapinoe and Lindsey Horan.Brad Smith/USSF/Getty

Lindsey Horan #10 of the United States celebrates scoring with Sophia Smith #11 and Megan Rapinoe #15 during the second half of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group E match between USA and Vietnam at Eden Park on July 22, 2023 in Auckland, New Zealand.

She said she hoped her teammates would learn from the experience and take those lessons into the future. “To carry scars is not a sign of weakness but a reminder that you fell and found a way to get back up,” she wrote. “There is a lot of work to do and I don’t expect it to be easy but nothing worth fighting for ever is.”

“This game shows you the highest of highs and lowest of lows. It can be brutal but this wound will not only heal but will serve as a defining moment in the history of [the USWNT] — one we will grow and be stronger for.”

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Under Pressurepremieres Dec. 12 on Netflix.

source: people.com