Team USA alive and kicking
Women’s soccer team heads to semifinals after beating Netherlands in shootout
Megan Rapinoe summarized what most soccer fans were feeling Friday after the United States advanced to the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics with a penalty shootout victory over the Netherlands.
“I don’t know who invented this,” she said, referring to the tiebreaker rules. “It is such a cruel way to end a game.”
Cruel for the losing side. Joy for the winners.
The Americans have experienced both in an Olympic quarterfinal elimination game. Friday they won, dulling the pain of their quarterfinal loss to Sweden in 2016 by defeating the Netherlands 4-2 in penalties after a 2-2 draw.
Rapinoe scored the winning goal, but Alyssa Naeher was the star. The 33-yearold goalie, whose penalty save with nine minutes left in regulation had kept the United States’ hopes alive, made two big saves in the shootout. Conversely, Dutch goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal failed to block any of the Americans’ four attempts. Rapinoe scored the game-winner.
Naeher stopped Dutch star Vivianne Miedema’s shot to open the shootout and also shut down Aniek Nouwen in the fourth round. Meanwhile, Americans Rose Lavelle, Christen Press and Alex Morgan converted their attempts ahead of Rapinoe’s gamewinner.
“You can take one and lose it, or you can take one and win it,” Rapinoe told reporters. “I mean you could lose the Olympics for your country.”
The United States faces Canada on Monday morning (1 a.m. PDT) in a semifinal after the Canadians edged Brazil with a 4-3 shootout victory. Sweden will face Group G rival Australia in the other semifinal. The Swedes defeated Japan 3-1, while Australia eliminated Great Britain 4-3 on penalties.
With the United States’ victory, three
Group G teams reached the medal round. Another U.S.-Sweden showdown could elevate the women’s tournament to something magical.
But the Americans’ placement in the final four was in doubt through the second half and two extra periods.
“I felt we grew in the game and dominated most of the second half,” van Veenendaal said through a translator.
The Netherlands had the storied U.S. soccer team on the back foot in a riveting go-for-broke game featuring the 2019 Women’s World Cup finalists. The United States defeated Holland 2-0 in that game.
It was much closer Friday after 120 minutes of hard-fought play led to the shootout.
The situation was reminiscent of the Rio Games when the Americans failed to reach the gold-medal game at the Olympics for the first time. The United States came to Tokyo looking for redemption and a fifth gold medal since women’s soccer was added to the Olympics in 1996.
It came down to Naeher, a former Penn State AllAmerican. Naeher had been Hope Solo’s understudy in the last Olympics. But Naeher took over after the defeat to Sweden when the fiery
Solo called the winners “cowards” for their defensefirst strategy.
U.S. Soccer officials suspended Solo, who never represented the national team again. Since then, Naeher
has been the team’s keeper.
Unlike Solo, Naeher doesn’t have a big public persona.
“That calmness is what helps her in goal,” said Lynn Williams, who had
a goal and an assist. “She kept us in the game. I don’t know how she does it.”
Naeher did it with laser focus when stopping Miedema, who appeared in her 100th game for the Netherlands.
Stopping the Olympics’ leading goal scorer gave the Americans a boost.
“Her saving the first one was huge,” Rapinoe said.
U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski started a surprising lineup, keeping stars Lavelle, Morgan, Press and Rapinoe on the bench in the first half. Andonovski said he and his staff considered all options, including the one that unfolded Friday at Yokohama International Stadium.
“The players that came in were the players who took the penalty kicks,” he said. “That was part of the plan.”
The Dutch dominated the second half after trailing 2-1 at the intermission, backing up their pregame claims that they weren’t afraid of the vaunted Americans.
After the United States finished group play 1-1-1, including a 3-0 defeat to Sweden, the Dutch were not impressed.
“We have again scored eight (goals), which I think is also a gesture to show that we are not afraid of America,” midfielder Danielle van de Donk said before the game. “Let them keep (their) form because in my eyes they are not very strong now.”