The USWNT is guaranteed a shot at an Olympic medal in Paris after defeating Japan 1-0 in extra time in Saturday’s epic quarterfinal match. Trinity Rodman notched the contest’s lone goal in the 107th minute, with the US ultimately holding on to avoid moving to penalty kicks.
The contest marked the second-straight matchup where the US found themselves face-to-face with a low block, as Japan packed their defense in a 5-4-1 formation.
While the US dominated possession, they didn’t always appear dangerous on the attack, with Japan more than happy to let their opponent pass along the backline. But Japan couldn’t manage to be clinical on the counter — and Rodman’s individual strike saved the day to break the deadlock.
Extra time prevades Olympic soccer quarterfinals
The USWNT and Japan were not alone in their futile regulation-time efforts, as three of the four Saturday quarterfinals required extra time to decide.
Reigning World Cup champions Spain rallied against Colombia with a two-goal comeback to enter extra time 2-2, eventually advancing on penalty kicks.
Later that afternoon, Canada and Germany battled to a scoreless stalemate after 120 minutes, allowing German goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger to play penalty kick hero. Berger saved two kicks and converted one herself to send the reigning Olympic champions packing.
With a 1-0 win over France, Brazil was the only team to register a victory inside of regulation play, albeit tacking on over 18 minutes of second-half stoppage time. Due to red card suspension, Brazilian legend Marta will miss the team’s semifinal, but will likely cap her international career in the subsequent bronze or gold medal match.
Olympic semis to feature group stage rematches
The semifinals will feature two group stage rematches, as the US takes on Germany and Spain squares off against Brazil.
Elsewhere, the USWNT beat Group B foe Germany 4-1, while Spain took down Brazil 2-0 in Group C. Group A saw all three of its teams eliminated in Saturday’s quarterfinal round.
How to watch the USWNT vs. Germany at the Olympics
The USWNT will kick off against Germany on Tuesday at 12 PM ET, with live coverage across NBC networks.
