USA 1-0 Japan: Trinity Rodman takes USA into Paris 2024 Olympic Games semi-finals with glorious winner
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Updated 03/08/2024 at 22:07 GMT+1
There were scenes of joy for the USA on Saturday after Trinity Rodman, with a wonderful late strike, took her side to the last four of the women's football tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The USA had struggled to break down their opponents before Rodman's timely intervention. They will face either Canada or Germany next.
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Video credit: TNT Sports
Trinity Rodman secured a semi-final place at Paris 2024 for the United States with a stunning goal in extra-time at the Parc des Princes.
A tense match of few chances was settled at the end of the first period of extra-time, when Rodman took a long pass from Naomi Girma, cut inside the area and curled a shot high into the far corner.
The pattern of the match was established in the first half, in which the United States dominated possession. There was little action in either penalty area, with Mina Tanaka’s low drive that was well saved by Alyssa Naeher being the highlight.
It took until the first period of extra-time before there was a clear chance, when Sophia Smith had her low shot at goal smothered by Ayaka Yamashita.
After the goal, Yamashita saved well from Rodman to prevent the United States moving further ahead.
The Americans now advance to a semi-final in Lyon on Tuesday, where they will face either Canada or Germany.
TALKING POINT
Will Emma Hayes need to shuffle the pack to win gold? The Olympic football tournament comes at you fast. Teams are required to play every three days, with the luxury of an additional day to prepare only manifests if you reach the final.
So far in France, the United States’ new coach Emma Hayes has kept a very settled side in pursuit of winning the tournament. Her policy of keeping a gamebreaker like Rodman on the pitch was vindicated when Rodman did indeed break the game open, but outside of that moment of inspiration the Americans turned in a weary performance.
Extra-time in the legs of those players will not help with the fatigue factor. With only 18 players in the squad it is a thin deck of cards to move around, but Hayes has plenty of experience in reserve on the bench. To get the United States over the line in this competition, Hayes may have to lean on it earlier in games, and in some cases even at the start of them.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH – Naomi Girma (United States)
Japan were lively going forward today, but their attacks repeatedly broke down in the final third due to the presence of Girma. She turned in a masterful defensive performance to earn her team a clean sheet, while her adroit switch of play was pivotal in setting up the only goal of the match.
PLAYER RATINGS
United States: Naeher 6; Fox 6, Girma 8, Sonnett 6, Dunn 6; Albert 5, Horan 7, Lavelle 6; Rodman 7, Swanson 6, Smith 7
SUBS: Williams 7, Nighwonger 6, Kreuger 6
Japan: Yamashita 7; Minami 6, Kumagai 7, Koga 6; Kitagawa 6, Nagano 5, Hasegawa 6, Moriya 6; Fujino 6, Tanaka 6, Seike 5
SUBS: Hamano 6, Miyazawa 7, Euki 6, Takahashi 6, Hayashi 7, Chiba 6
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
35' USA 0-0 Japan Ooh, a chance! Seike plays a cute pass into the area. Tanaka, with her back to goal, rolls to the left of her marker Horan and shoots at goal. It's a powerful whack but it's straight at Naeher.
95' USA 0-0 Japan A Japan break falls apart, but Sonnett plays a tired pass out of defence. Miyazawa picks it off, and shoots from a wide angle into the side-netting.
96' USA 0-0 Japan Oh what a chance for Smith! Minami plays a tired pass out of defence now, which Smith intercepts and she's clean through on the right. Her touch is a bit heavy, which allows Yamashita to rush out and smother the low shot at goal. That's the biggest chance of the match so far.
105+2' GOAL! USA 1-0 Japan Out of nothing, the United States lead! Girma fires a diagonal ball 40 yards to Rodman on the right of the area. Rodman kills it expertly, and then cuts inside Kitagawa; her left foot shot is on target this time, Yamashita gets fingertips to it but can't stop the ball going into the top corner!
111' USA 1-0 Japan So close to a second! There's space in the Japan back line now, and Smith spins into space in the centre circle before poking a pass through to Rodman, who is in on the right of the area. Rodman shoots low across goal and Yamashita just about turns the ball wide with an outstretched foot.
KEY STAT
- The United States have now reached the last four of the women's Olympic football tournament for the seventh time in eight attempts.
discovery+ is the streaming home of the Olympic Games, and the only place you can watch every moment of Paris 2024 this summer
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