Women’s National Soccer Team Defeats Canada 4-3 in Drama Filled Overtime Match U.S. Women’s National Team Defeats Canada 4-3 in Drama Filled Overtime Match to Qualify for Gold Medal Game at 2012 Olympics
News-Sports.net - Aug 07,2012 - With a flair for the dramatic, Alex Morgan scored the game-winning goal in the 123rd minute and the U.S. Women’s National Team overcame three deficits during regulation to defeat Canada 4-3 in overtime on Monday in the semifinal stage to advance to the gold medal game of the 2012 Olympics.
Alex Morgan Scores Game-Winner in 123rd Minute
Abby Wambach Equalizes at 3-3 with a Penalty Kick, Her Fifth Goal in Five Games
Megan Rapinoe Tallies First Two U.S. Goals, the First Directly Off a Corner Kick
USA Faces 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion Japan in Olympic Gold Medal Game on Thursday, Aug. 9, Live on NBC Sports Network
Alex Morgan scored the game-winning goal in the 123rd minute of the Olympic semifinal match as the U.S. Women’s National Team overcame three deficits during regulation to defeat Canada 4-3 in overtime in one of the most exciting and dramatic matches in Olympic history.
The USA advances to its fifth straight gold medal game where it will face Japan in a rematch of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final. Japan defeated France 2-1 in the other semifinal.
The gold medal match between the U.S. and Japan kicks off at 2:45 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 9, at Wembley Stadium in London. The match will be televised on the NBC Sports Network.
Midfielder Megan Rapinoe scored the first two goals for the USA and Abby Wambach scored her fifth goal in five Olympic matches to force overtime in what was the 500th international match in U.S. Women’s National Team history.
In rollicking match that saw Canada take the lead three times – all scored by star forward Christine Sinclair – the Americans battled back to tie each time and that set the stage for Morgan’s dramatic game-winning goal. The USA out-shot Canada 27-7 for the match but Sinclair showed why she is one of the best goal scorers in women’s soccer history.
Morgan had not scored since her two-goal performance in the USA’s 4-2 victory against France in the Group G opener on July 25, but she had caused all kinds of problems for every U.S. opponent with her tremendous speed, fight and strength. She was due for a goal and it came at the most dramatic of times.
The speedy U.S. forward has shown a knack for scoring huge goals at opportune moments in her young career and this goal may have been the biggest. With just 30 seconds left in the third and final minute of stoppage time, Morgan rose over defender Chelsea Stewart to meet a cross from Heather O’Reilly and loop her header over Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod to seal an historic victory. O’Reilly had entered the game in 101st minute for Lauren Cheney and picked up her first assist of the 2012 Olympics.
Despite the USA’s strong first 20 minutes and multiple set piece opportunities, Canada broke through for the game’s first tally as Canada worked the ball from the left side through Marie-Eve Nault and
