OLYMPIC GAMES | SOCCER
Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher sends the USWNT to the semi-final
After a 4-2 penalty shootout the United States women’s national team defeated the Netherlands to book their ticket to the next round of the Olympic soccer campaign.
It was not easy but the United States women’s national team is one step closer to winning a medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. On Friday the game between the USWNT and the Netherlands finished 2-2 after the 90 minutes and the Americans took the victory after a 4-2 penalty shootout to advance to the semi-final of the campaign and face Canada on 2 August.
The USWNT in search of gold
Veteran striker Megan Rapinoe scored the penalty that gave the USWNT the ticket to the next round, but the hero was goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher who saved two penalties. The Americans started the tournament with serious doubts after a 3-0 defeat against Sweden, but as the tournament has progressed they are looking like the top contenders to win the gold medal.
“I just try to be calm,” said Rapinoe after the game. “I say to myself, the worst that’s going to happen iis that we lose the whole thing.”
"This team just kept pushing for 90 minutes, 120 minutes, and we just kept believing that we were going to find a way to get it done," Naeher said. "Very proud of the four players to step up and score their four penalties to go four-for-four. That is huge."
The VAR was vital in this game
Towards the end of the 90 minutes the player from Netherlands, Lineth Beerensteyn scored what looked like the winning goal, but it was ruled offside after the referee checked with the VAR. Also the USWNT had two goals ruled out by the VAR in the second half of extra time.