Ex-USWNT star Sydney Leroux fires back at Netherlands criticism

Sydney Leroux has entered the conservation.

The former U.S. Women’s National Team player, who currently plays for Angel City FC in the NWSL, clapped back at Netherlands forward Lineth Beerensteyn after she called out the Americans for talking too much in the lead-up to their Women’s World Cup exit Sunday with a Round of 16 loss to Sweden.

“From the first moment I heard they were out I was just thinking, ‘Yes, bye,’” Beerensteyn, whose country tied its match against the U.S. in the group stage, said prior to the Netherlands’s clash with Spain on Friday.

After the Netherlands lost 2-1 to Spain, Leroux mocked Beerensteyn on Twitter.

“One thing we’ve learned is wait to talk s–t until after you’re on the podium with a gold medal because now… you’re bye too,” Lereoux wrote to her 2.1 million followers.

Before the Netherlands-Spain match, part of Beerensteyn’s focus squarely was on the USWNT.

“From the start of the tournament, they had already really big mouths and were already talking about the final,” she said.

“I was thinking you first have to show it on the pitch before you talking (big). I’m not being rude in that way, I still have a lot of respect for them, but now they’re out of the tournament — and for me, it’s a relief, and for them it’s something they will have to take with them in the future.”

“Don’t start to talk about something that is far away. I hope they will learn from that,” Beerensteyn said.

She played the full 120 minutes as Spain took down the Netherlands in extra time in the quarterfinals match.

The Juventus forward narrowly missed a goal to take a 2-1 lead in the 106th minute and laid on the pitch afterward.

It was a much different reaction than her jubilation over the USWNT’s exit from the 2023 World Cup, which was its earliest elimination ever in the tournament.

Beerensteyn was a member of the Netherlands team that lost, 2-0, to the Americans in the 2019 World Cup final, which marked the USWNT’s second straight title after it defeated Japan in 2015.

This time around, Netherlands was the better squad in group play.

Netherlands finished atop Group E, which sent the the second-place U.S. team to its knockout round match against Sweden.

The U.S. lost to Sweden in heartbreaking fashion on penalty kicks.

Sweden’s game-winning penalty kick crossed the line by a “millimeter” before being swatted out by goalie Alyssa Naeher — ending the USWNT’s shot at a third consecutive title.

U.S. superstar veteran Megan Rapinoe missed a crucial penalty kick when the Americans led the shootout, 3-2.

Spain will now face Sweden — which defeated Japan, 2-1, on Friday — in the semifinals.