U.S. Women Edge Japan 1-0 in Overtime, Thanks to Trinity Rodman’s Goal

PARIS (August 3, 2024) – Forward Trinity Rodman ended an overtime deadlock with a stunning goal and the U.S. Women’s National Team’s quest to reach the top of the podium at Paris 2024 continued as the U.S. defeated Japan 1 Left behind by -0. In a tense and tight quarter-final.

After spending the group stage in southern France in the Olympic host city of Paris, the U.S. was finally held for more than 105 minutes by a determined Japanese side that defended in low blocks and with great discipline. However, halfway through extra time at Parc des Princes, Rodman delivered, sending the fifth-seeded Americans to the semifinals against either Germany or Canada on Aug. 6 in Lyon. It will be the USWNT’s seventh trip to the last four in eight Olympic appearances.

Rodman’s game-winner at the end of the first period of overtime was the USWNT’s latest Olympic goal since Alex Morgan’s 120+3 goal against Canada in the 2012 Olympic semifinals.

The U.S., under recently appointed head coach Emma Hayes, has opened the Olympic tournament with four wins for only the second time. The last time came in 2012, when they defeated Japan for the gold medal. USA-Japan has become a knockout-round fixture in recent years and Friday’s clash was the seventh elimination game between the pair at a Women’s World Cup or Olympics, the most common knockout-stage fixture in the history of the two world competitions. .

The US now holds a 32W-1L-8D advantage over Japan and has won six of those seven eliminations. But where it fell — the memorable 2011 Women’s World Cup final — and the challenge that Japan has consistently presented has made the on-field rivalry much closer than it appears on paper. So it was again on Friday at Parc des Princes, where seventh-seeded Nadeshiko nearly held off an American attack that had netted nine times in three group stage games.

Hayes made one change to the team that defeated Australia in the Group B final, replacing the suspended Sam Coffey (yellow card accrual) with Corbin Albert in midfield. Coffey was one of three Americans, along with goalkeeper Alyssa Nahr and center back Naomi Garma, to play every minute of the group stage. Center back Terna Davidson (leg contusion) missed her second straight match and Emily Sonnett filled in admirably with Garma again.

The rest of the team held on as Hayes prioritized speed and chemistry in the USA’s fourth match in 10 days. Those qualities will be crucial, as Japan, Group C’s runner-up, sat further back than usual and forced the Americans to try and play through their 5-2-3 formation on defense. The U.S. had the majority of the ball (about 80% possession) during the opening half hour, but Nadeshiko looked to test the U.S.’s patience and limit any potential attackers out wide or from behind.

In the 30th minute, the U.S. finally got a glimpse of the Japanese goal. Captain Lindsay Horan’s midfield flick-on released Sophia Smith on the right, but the striker’s shot from an acute angle missed the mark. Japan forced the first save from Neher five minutes later as recent Utah Royals signing Mina Tanaka was able to turn on Horan and send a low effort towards the goalkeeper. Miyabi Moriah and Rose Lavelle had chances towards the end of the first half, but the Japanese shot went high and the American bid was comfortably saved.

The stalemate continued after the break with Japan gradually having a few more chances to go ahead although forward Mallory Swanson narrowly missed a 63rd-minute curler. Japan’s numerical advantage in midfield had the potential to cause problems for the U.S. when the ball was turned over, but Corbin Albert, Horan and Lavelle rarely did. Manchester City’s Yui Hasegawa was the orchestrator of several threatening Japanese counter-attacks and he fired a promising glance over the crossbar in the 80th. The US then put together their best attacking spell of the half in stoppage time, but were unable to break through as the Japanese fell back and blocked shooting lanes.

The USA then advanced to their third consecutive Olympic quarterfinal in overtime. The first two, against Sweden in 2016 and the Netherlands in 2021, went to penalties. Hayes’ interest in avoiding another tie-breaker saw Swanson relieved as Lynn Williams stepped on as the afternoon’s first substitute. Smith created the USA’s best chance of the game in the 97th when she outpaced defender Moeka Minami and raced toward the goal. Japan netminder Ayaka Yamashita came out quickly and blocked Smith’s shot.

As the first period of extra time entered stoppage time, Garma attempted a pass that the U.S. had lacked until then, a long angled ball over the top. This proved promising. His delivery into the right corner is won by Rodman, but the incoming cross does not find root. However, the idea of ​​bypassing Japan’s bank of defenders was clearly a good one and Dunn scored this time from the center circle seconds later. Rodman was open again and this time he brought the ball down, racing into the box and cutting the ball back against Japan’s Hikaru Kitagawa to fire a perfect left-footed blast over Yamashita and into the top left corner of the net. Before doing

It was Rodman’s third goal at the Olympics after scores against Zambia and Australia. She hasn’t scored in any of her 12 USWNT appearances this year but is flying into her first Olympics. Rodman also had an assist on Smith’s opening goal against Germany, giving him a goal in each of the USA’s four Olympic appearances.

Nahar’s shutout was her second in the tournament and 10th in 20 career Olympic or Women’s World Cups.

The semifinals will take place at the Stade de Lyon, an iconic venue in USWNT history. It was the site of the 2019 Women’s World Cup semi-final win over England and then the World Cup final defeat of the Netherlands. Seven players from that Olympic squad were on the World Cup Championship roster. The venue is also the home ground of Horan, who joined Lyon in 2022 and has already won a pair of French league titles and the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

Group B runners-up Germany and Group A runners-up Canada will play in Marseille later on Saturday.

Regardless of the results of the semi-finals, the Olympics will continue beyond August 6. A loss would send the Americans to the bronze-medal game on Aug. 9, while a win would send them back to Parc des Princes, now forever the site of Rodman’s famous strike, for the Aug. 10 gold medal game. of the.

Goal scoring rundown

USA — Trinity Rodman (Crystal Dunn), 105+2nd min: A beautiful, long-range switch from Dunn found Rodman in the right corner and the in-form forward did the rest. Rodman beat Hikaru Kitagawa on the dribble and fired a left-footed shot across the face of the goal and into the top left corner. USA 1, JPN 0 Final.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

U.S. She reached the Olympic semifinals for the seventh time in eight trips to the Olympics and the 15th time in 17 total appearances at the World Championships, only failing to reach the semifinals at the 2016 Olympics and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The USWNT improves to 32W-1L-8D against Japan, including 8W-0L-1D against the Japanese in the World Championship event.
The U.S. has now won all five meetings against Japan in the Olympics, its most ever against one opponent at the Olympic Games.
The USWNT has now won 12 games in a row since the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, its longest winning streak in any country outside the United States.