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The US women’s soccer team Olympic gold medal hopes have been dashed as they were defeated in a tight semifinal match to Canada, 1-0, and will now compete for a bronze medal on Thursday.
The US team suffered a significant setback in the 30th minute when the starting keeper Alyssa Naeher was forced out of the game due to a knee injury. Naeher was the primary reason the US team advanced in a previous knockout game against the Netherlands that went to PKs, of which Naeher saved two.
The game was scoreless until the 75th minute when Canada was awarded a penalty through VAR after Tierna Davidson fouled Deanne Rose in the box. Jessie Fleming buried the PK for the winning goal.
The US Women’s team found themselves at the center of a political maelstrom during this run for Olympic gold. Former President Donald Trump mentioned an early loss during a political rally, which saw his supporters cheer the US team defeat.
The US women’s team is currently FIFA’s top-ranked team while Canada is ranked 8th nationally. So while this result is definitely an upset, Canada is by no means a pushover.
Canada will play either Australia or Sweden in the gold medal match on Friday, while the US will play the team that loses the other semifinal.
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