The USWNT is moving on to the semifinal at the Paris Olympic Games! After a tense quarterfinal against Japan on Saturday, Trinity Rodman broke the 0-0 deadlock in the 105+2′ to send the USWNT into its seventh-ever Olympic semifinal. In a stressful match and one in which Emma Hayes will want a better performance from her team moving forward, a win was all that mattered.
The USWNT will now face Germany in Lyon on Tuesday for the semifinal.
Here is the breakdown of Saturday’s quarterfinal match from Parc des Princes:
USWNT Pre match nuggets
The only change made to the starting XI was Korbin Albert starting in place of Sam Coffey who was on a one-match suspension for picking up another yellow card against Australia on Wednesday.
Lindsey Horan provided the first scoring opportunity in the 6′. Running towards the penalty area, Horan attempted a header from a cross but Japanese goalkeeper Ataka Yamashita was in position to make a save. Horan was offside after video replay, which meant a goal wouldn’t have counted anyway.
Mallory Swanson made fans and teammates hold their breath momentarily in the 9′. After being taken down, Swanson was a bit slow to get back on her feet but didn’t have any issues moving forward. Before the 2023 World Cup, Swanson tore her patellar tendon, causing her to miss extensive time.
Easing into the game
The start of the match is one that Horan will want to forget about heading into the semifinal. Not being able to find early chemistry with other midfielders, misjudging passes, and being caught out of position, Horan looked a bit behind the pace after an early scoring opportunity.
Japan’s first scoring chance didn’t happen until the 35′. Mina Tanaka found herself near the penalty area, but the American defenders were able to limit her chances and Alyssa Naeher made an easy save.
Despite a scoreless first half, the Americans dominated Japan in possession. Being able to lockdown Japan’s attackers and regain possession quickly, the USWNT was in control of the match, but couldn’t find a goal yet.
Emily Sonnett picked up the first yellow card of the match in the 57′. Japan’s Aoba Fujino took off down the right wing and Sonnett decided to take a foul to end a potential scoring chance.
Second half provides no shocks
Throughout the whole second half, both teams were strong defensively but neither side was able to put themselves on the scoreboard. Hayes surprisingly didn’t make any substitutions before heading into extra time considering the USWNT weren’t at their best all match. In the 91′, Hayes made her first substitution of the match by bringing on Lynn Williams in exchange for Swanson.
The USWNT started to pick up the pace in extra time. After a chance from Sophia Smith and stronger play from the midfield, the team played with more urgency than they did during the first 90 minutes.
In the 105+2′, Rodman gave the USWNT the lead. After struggling throughout the majority of the match, she played an incredible pass from Crystal Dunn and put herself in position on the right side of the penalty box to fire off a left-footed shot into the back of the net.
Rodman’s goal gave the USWNT the added momentum to lock down Japan’s struggling offense during the rest of extra time and place a birth in the Olympic semifinal. Rodman and the rest of her team know that Saturday’s performance won’t cut it in the semifinal, but she showed off her game-changing abilities to move the USWNT onward.
Up Next
The USWNT will take on Germany in the semifinal on Tuesday in Lyon.
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY
