REVIEW: ‘Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team’ Is Cut Short

Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team is a sports documentary directed by Rebecca Glitz.  The documentary follows the most successful women’s football team in history as they enter the 2023 World Cup, facing incredible pressure to continue their legacy and succeed. Whilst men’s association football isn’t as popular yet within the United States, the women’s game certainly has, especially the national team. As they enter the World Cup, as seen in the series, they have won a record four times and are the current title holders.

The structure of the series, and likely the plot, struggles due to the events within the World Cup. It is clear, based on what was shot and how it was edited, that the tournament went in ways that production couldn’t have predicted.  The split in the episode also shows that there was more planned. The first two episodes are heavily directed towards the buildup of the World Cup and the squad selection, with the last part of episode 2 being the first group stage match against Vietnam. The next two games are in the third episode, with the final episode also featuring their final match.

Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team is less about the football matches themselves, which becomes very clear early on in the series. Even the crucial matches of the tournament are condensed into a few moments. The emphasis is on the players, the women who have helped generate a legacy and are trying to carry it on. Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team feels short and lacks the ending it may have desired, but that is due to the unpredictability of football, which is what has made it the world’s biggest sport.

With the unexpected direction that the World Cup takes, the focus breaks away from this specific team, spending more time emphasising both history and the wider women’s game. It’s one of the most important stories to tell, as the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) is arguably the forerunner for the sport’s stratospheric rise. Much time is spent glorifying the 1999 and 2019 teams. They’re fascinating stories, demonstrating decades of change and awakening.

There are also huge moments and talking points spinning out of the World Cup, from the Rubiales scandal to the treatment that many players faced from their respective football federations. What happens actually becomes a more important conclusion than what started out as a fly-on-the-wall documentary following one team as women’s football experiences a crisis during its extreme pinnacle.

Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team does an excellent job of exploring the different generations within the squad, and the characters vary. Perhaps that is why this documentary was chosen for this year. You still have legends like Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan, who have become cultural icons transcending sport. Then we see some players, for example, Lynn Williams, performing at the height of their game but fighting to stay in the team, and then there are the youngsters who are seen as the future, such as Alyssa Thompson.

The build-up and depiction of these different personalities are fantastic in the first half of the series, helping the audience get to know the team that will be putting it all on the line. It celebrates them and adores them for the remarkable athletes that they are. When the World Cup starts, however, the criticism comes thick and fast, and it changes the tone of the show. Everything from their ruthlessness to their attitude is questioned by pundits and fans alike. However, it is important that the team are viewed as pioneers and Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team never shies away from that.

But what is also captured well is the wider growth of the sport that is making other national teams catch up. Through various relationships seen onscreen, there are glimpses of what players in those other nations are like, both as a person and as a player. For example, American midfielder Kristie Mewlis’ partner is Australian star player Sam Kerr, which actually grants the series an extension into the tournament, as well as a deep dive into their personal lives. Presenting the women as both extreme competitors and regular humans is vital to how the show keeps interest. It’s impossible to intricately explore every player in that squad, so it is the most interesting and impactful figures that receive the most screen time.

The editing and the production of Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team are not too dissimilar to others of its kind and potentially don’t do enough to stand out. There is a great awareness of when to be dramatic and the crucial moments to capture. The focus away from the actual football does provide more weight to who the players really are, and the majesty and excitement of the beautiful game are beautifully shown. To ask for more is not unwarranted, but there are many reasons why that isn’t possible.

Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team is cut short by its source material. It’s evident that the events of the actual tournament hamstrung the initial intentions of the series, perhaps shortening it whilst also changing the ultimate direction. It’s somewhat anticlimactic, but there are some fantastic positives to come from it.

Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team becomes more than a puff piece that seemed impossible to match. It not only gives some of the world’s finest athletes more dimensions, but it also stands as a platform for the whole of women’s football, national and international. Even when faced with turmoil, the sport’s heavyweights will fight for those who need it. It’s not the most revolutionary of sports documentaries; in fact, much of it is rudimentary. But there is certainly enough personality to salvage something.

Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team is available on Netflix.