How Canada Beat the U.S. in the Women’s Soccer Semifinal
KASHIMA, Japan — The United States women’s soccer team lost, 1-0, to Canada in an Olympic semifinal match Monday night at Ibaraki Kashima Stadium, ending the Americans’ hopes of following up their 2019 World Cup title with an Olympic gold medal.
The United States lost its star goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, the penalty-kick shootout hero of its quarterfinal victory, to a knee injury just half an hour into the match. But in the end, it was a shot that no goalkeeper was likely to save that sank them.
In the 74th minute, Canada midfielder Jessie Fleming, striding to the spot after a video review awarded her team a penalty and a chance to take the lead, lashed a penalty kick high and hard to the left of Adrianna Franch, the American backup keeper. It rippled the side netting in the corner of the goal, sending her team into raucous celebrations.
The penalty call had not been made initially on the field, but it was confirmed by a second look from the video assistant and the match referee, Kateryna Monzul of Ukraine. It came after the United States defender Tierna Davidson and Canadian forward Deanne Rose came together to chase a bouncing ball in the penalty area. Davidson took a swing at it, but missed, and instead clipped the leg of Rose, who went tumbling to the ground.
Monzul reviewed the contact on a sideline monitor and then returned and, dramatically, pointed to the spot.
The loss sent the Americans spiraling out of a tournament in which they never looked totally comfortable. They fell to Sweden, 3-0, in their opening match and looked tentative and ponderous at various points thereafter.
Canada now has a chance to win a gold medal after winning the bronze at two straight Games.
Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/08/02/sports/us-canada-soccer-olympics/