Fleming stepped up to help Canada win

One could make an argument Jessie Fleming was destined for stardom the moment she put on a Canadian jersey for the women's national soccer team.

Fleming was just 15 years old when she made her debut for Canada. Eight years later, she's helped the team earn its first Olympic gold medal by being deadly from the penalty spot.

Fleming, 23, a product of London, Ont., scored on a penalty to tie the gold-medal game 1-1 against Sweden at the International Stadium in Yokohama on Saturday local time, and added another in the shootout to help Canada win gold.

“We have such a great group, everyone stepped up and everyone did their job,” said Canada captain Christine Sinclair. “That's what made it unique.”

Perhaps a symbolic passing of the torch, Sinclair once again picked up the ball after Canada was awarded a penalty in the final, and handed it to Fleming.

Sinclair, who for the longest time was the designated penalty taker for Canada, did the same thing in the semifinal, where Fleming went to score the decisive goal in a 1-0 win against the United States.

Fleming also scored from the penalty spot in the quarter-final shootout against Brazil.

Against the United States, Fleming slotted her right-footed penalty into the top right corner of the net past American goalkeeper Adrianna Franch, who had replaced injured starter Alyssa Naeher.

In the final, Fleming went to the bottom lefthand corner of the net past Sweden goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl, who dove the wrong way anticipating a repeat of the semifinal.

Then in the penalty shootout, Fleming was called to take a shot from the spot again, and buried it in the same left-hand corner, completely foiling Lindahl.

Sympathy from Sinclair:

Sinclair missed a penalty in the shootout against Brazil, so has some idea of what Sweden midfielder Caroline Seger went through in the final.

Unlike Canada in the quarter-final, however, Sweden were unable to overcome the miss, losing out on the gold medal.

“She's one of my friends; my heart breaks for her,” Sinclair said.

Had Seger been able to convert, Sweden would have won the gold medal instead of settling for sliver for the second consecutive Olympics.

Instead, by sailing her shot over the net, Seger kept Canada alive and Deanne Rose converted to tie the shootout, sending it into extra shots.

Goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé then stopped Sweden defender Jonna Andersson, and Julia Grosso converted on her attempt to give Canada the win.

“She (Seger) has done so much for soccer in Sweden and throughout the world,” Sinclair said. “She's a worldclass soccer player and has been for so many years … My heart hurts for her.”