Rapinoe delivers winner

YOKOHAMA, Japan — When Megan Rapinoe stepped up to take her penalty, she was just trying to stay as calm as possible in the moment.

“You can either take one and lose it, or take one and win it,” she said. “It’s going to go one of two ways.”

This one was a winner. Rapinoe converted the deciding penalty in a shootout and the United States advanced to the semifinals of the women’ s tournament ,4-2, following a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands on Friday.

U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher stopped Vivianne Miedema’s opening attempt in the shootout and then saved a shot from Aniek Nouwen before Rapinoe put her penalty away.

After Rapinoe converted, she turned to her teammates, folded her arms and grinned in triumph.

Afterward, she joked about the pressure.

“I just try to stay calm. I always say to myself, ‘The worst that’s going to happen is you’re going to lose the whole thing,’ “she said, smiling.

Miedema scored a pair of goals in regulation time for the Netherlands, giving her 10 goals for the tournament — an Olympic record. But the Dutch are headed home.

Miedema put the Netherlands ahead in the 18th minute but the Americans equalized when Sam Mewis headed in a goal off a feed from Lynn Williams in the 28th. Williams then gave the Americans the lead in the 31st.

Miedema, who was playing in her 100th game for the Netherlands, made it 2-2 in the 54th. Naeher stopped Lieke Martens’ penalty in the 81st minute and the game went to overtime.

“I felt amazing. I should have taken the penalty in the game,” Miedema said. “I should have just stuck with my plan and go from there. But it’s life. It’s football and I just need to move on.”