Canada stuns USWNT in Olympic semifinals

Canada has stamped their ticket to the gold-medal match in Tokyo, defeating the United States 1-0 in the semifinal Monday. The victory was Canada’s first win against the USWNT in 20 years.

The first half of Monday’s semifinal was relatively quiet, with neither side creating a solid chance on goal in the game’s opening 45 minutes.

The most significant development of the first half came in the 20^th minute when Alyssa Naeher went down, falling awkwardly on her leg after going up for a save. The USWNT goalkeeper — who saved three total penalty kicks in the team’s shootout win over Netherlands three days earlier — attempted to stay in the match, but an agonizing goal kick in the 30^th minute made it clear Naeher could not continue.

Adrianna Franch subbed in for Naeher, playing her first minutes of the Tokyo Olympics.

In the best of hands 👊🧤 pic.twitter.com/dDYDuuicwt

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) August 2, 2021

The game’s stalemate was finally broken in the 75^th minute, with Canada slotting home a penalty kick to go up 1-0 over the United States. Jessie Fleming converted from the line after VAR showed Tierna Davidson had committed a foul on Deanne Rose inside the box.

Canada converts the penalty to take the lead. #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/r856yMXjIb

— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 2, 2021

Fleming’s goal flattened any momentum the USWNT was beginning to build.

With a place in the final on the line, the U.S. mounted a final push in the game’s dwindling minutes but failed to put anything together in front of goal.

Next up: Canada will play the winner of the semifinal match between Sweden and Australia. The USWNT will play the loser of that game in Thursday’s bronze-medal matchup.