Weltmeister USA failed the Olympic gold mission in women’s soccer. Superstar favorites Megan Rapinoe surprisingly lost 0:1 (0:0) in the semi-finals against Canada on Monday. While the Underdogs celebrated the greatest success in Canadian football history, the American women could win the most bronze this time around after a total of four gold medals (1996, 2004, 2008, 2012) and the last two World Cup titles in a row. Canada will face the winner of the final match between Sweden and Australia, while the United States will face the loser.
At Kashima, the Americans were unlucky in the first half as goalkeeper Alyssa Naher was injured in a collision and had to be substituted. She was the winner of the match in the quarter-finals against the European champions Netherlands, with three penalty saves.
Canada’s Jesse Fleming secured that role in the semi-finals when she converted a penalty in the 74th minute. The goal turned the game on its head, with the Americans the dominant team. However, the United States remained extremely harmless in the attack. The Rio Olympic champions from Germany were not in Japan.
Meanwhile, the US men’s team won the Gold Cup final against defending champion Mexico. In the CONCACAF Championship, the American footballers won 1-0 after extra time on Sunday (local time) and scored a massive win. Of the ten tournaments that preceded the 2021 edition, both countries won five. Mexico had defeated the United States in the last three matches. The decisive goal was scored by Miles Robinson of Atlanta United with a header in the 117th minute. Overall, this was the seventh success of the United States in the Gold Cup.
At the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, both teams had previously squandered every opportunity to advance, including several times FC Schalke 04’s Matthew Hoebe. One such opportunity came in the 71st minute when his shot topped out inside the penalty area in the last minute spelled out and for angle.
Just two months ago, the two teams faced each other in the final of the CONCACAF Nations League. The match also went into overtime at the beginning of June, with the United States winning 3-2 in the final. Not many important professionals like Champions League winner Christian Pulisic of Chelsea attended the Gold Cup.
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