Canada Upsets US to Qualify for Women’s Soccer Final
Jessie Fleming scored a 2nd-half penalty as Canada upset four-time Olympic women’s football champions the US 1-0 in Kashima to reach final
On Monday, Jessie Fleming from Canada scored a 2-half penalty as her team upset four-time Olympic champions of women’s football, the U.S. 1-0 in Kashima, to qualify for the final for the first time in history. Her seventy-fourth-minute spot penalty kick helped Canada a first win against their neighbors since 2001 and confirm their final game with Australia or Sweden for the gold medal.
The defeat of the United States ended their thirty-sixth-match undefeated run against Canada. Furthermore, the world champions will face the losing team of the second semi-final on Monday for the consolation bronze medal. Canada and the United States combined for 7 goals previously at their last clash at the Olympics. The memorable game ended 4-3 semi-final wins for the United States after extra time at Old Trafford in 2012.
In that game, Alyssa Naeher, the United States goalkeeper, is not medically fit for the bronze contest and required lengthy treatment to her right knee after landing awkwardly clumsy while trying to collect a cross. Naeher saved a spot-kick in normal time and two additional in the shootout against the 2019 World Cup runners-up, temporarily fought on but ultimately replaced by Adrianna Franch in the 1st half.
The U.S. Advanced to Every Olympic Final aside from at Rio 2016
It was not until the introduction of Christen Press, Megan Rapinoe, and Carli Lloyd on the hour that the United States recorded the 1st shot on the mark, a twisting strike from Lloyd tilted over by Stephanie Labbe. Labbe stopped two shots as Canada edged Brazil on penalties in the prior round, and she formed another save to shut out at the header of Julie Ertz at a corner.
Canada Upsets United States to Qualify for Women’s Soccer Final Source: Web
The United States had advanced to every Olympic final game sidewise from at Rio 2016 Summer Olympics, where they lost to Sweden on penalties in the last eight minutes. So far, they had won just one time in four matches over ninety minutes in Japan and fell behind when Canada won a penalty following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review. The referee pointed the spot after making a consultation with the pitchside monitor.
Fleming placed the resulting penalty beyond Franch, and there would be no response from American people – header of Lloyd featuring the bar in the concluding minutes as their Olympics came to a broken end.
