The U.S. women's national team has been unpredictable over the past three years. From game to game, or even within the same game, there's consistently been a surprise from coach Jill Ellis designed to add more firepower in the attack.

There were the times Ellis had the team play with just three defenders to add an extra number going forward. There were asks for offensive players to fill defensive positions so they could attack, even from the back line. And there have been the late game substitutions where balance goes out the window – just get every attacker possible on the field, even if players are in unusual positions.

Many of these experiments haven't gone particularly well, but Ellis has persisted because the USWNT suffered a trauma in 2016 that she hasn't quite gotten over: losing to Sweden in the Olympics.

At the Rio Games, the USWNT lost to bunkering Sweden team and got knocked out in the quarterfinal round, the USA's earliest exit ever. Up until then, the USWNT had never failed to finish third in a World Cup or an Olympics, and Ellis's mission since then has been to ensure such a disaster never happens again.

But that's been easier said than done, as failed experiments over the past three years have proven, and it's unclear the USWNT has found its answer.

View photos Jill Ellis and the USWNT were beaten by Sweden in the Olympic quarterfinals, and that result has influenced the program to this day. (Associated Press) More

After all, a far inferior South African team bunkered with two blocks of four on Sunday, and the USWNT looked stymied for long stretches. It was a friendly, and the USWNT did eventually win 3-0, but there were many moments where the Americans did not look up to the task of unlocking South Africa's defense.

A better bunkering team could surely still succeed like Sweden did. And given how that loss to Sweden has guided the USWNT's tactics over the past three years – not to mention the fact the two countries will face each other in the final group game at this summer’s World Cup – it's worth revisiting that match.

The first thing to understand about what happened in 2016 is that Sweden's game plan was not a surprise to Ellis or her team.

"They will park the bus," Ellis said the day before the game. "They will sit as low as they possibly can and then look to transition, and they’re going to try to kill the game off that way and not give up space. I imagine they’ll play a 4-5-1 and be very compact.”

That's exactly what Sweden did, and yet the USWNT still couldn’t take a lead at any point. The score ended in a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes, and the U.S. lost in penalty kicks.

But the Americans’ performance in Brasília has been colored – tainted, even – by the fact that they ultimately lost. In truth, they found plenty of chances and were simply unlucky to not put more of them away. If the U.S. had won the penalty kick shootout, the Sweden match would've been a forgettable affair.

Here is each team's shooting map from the game:

View photos (Via Caitlin Murray) More

The USWNT took 26 shots and only got five of them on target – a problem of execution rather than opportunity. Of those 26 shots, 16 were taken inside the penalty box.

The Americans also dominated the game in other ways. They held onto 64 percent of the possession and controlled the rhythm of the game. They won 65 duels to Sweden's 38, and won 17 tackles to Sweden nine.

Carli Lloyd even scored what should've been the game-winner in the 115th minute of extra time, but she was incorrectly called offside.

Story continues