Nine years after notching her first Olimpico in the London Games, Megan Rapinoe scored again from the corner flag in Tokyo.
“I meant this one,” said Rapinoe in a post-game interview following the USWNT’s bronze-medal win.
Megan Rapinoe says she called her shot on the Olimpico during match preparations yesterday. "And I meant this one." It's her second #Olympics Olimpico, nine years apart from the first for the #USWNT.pic.twitter.com/Y8sgAWpzwF— Jeff Kassouf (@JeffKassouf) August 5, 2021
Megan Rapinoe says she called her shot on the Olimpico during match preparations yesterday. "And I meant this one." It's her second #Olympics Olimpico, nine years apart from the first for the #USWNT.pic.twitter.com/Y8sgAWpzwF
Rapinoe’s 2012 Olimpico may have been a happy accident, but it came at a critical time, equalizing in the team’s Olympic semifinal against Canada.
This time around, Rapinoe’s corner-flag curler was intentional.
“I actually said it to Vlatko and our assistant coach Laura Harvey yesterday. They were saying ‘put it here, this is where we want to go, this is kind of the game plan,’ and I was like ‘well, I might just shoot it.’”
In 2012, @MPinoe became the first to score from a corner at an Olympic Games in the semifinal against Canada.At the #TokyoOlympics, she's done it again. @uswnt pic.twitter.com/cwDpn06TwC— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 5, 2021
In 2012, @MPinoe became the first to score from a corner at an Olympic Games in the semifinal against Canada.At the #TokyoOlympics, she's done it again. @uswnt pic.twitter.com/cwDpn06TwC
Rapinoe, known for her clutch set-piece delivery, leaves Tokyo with yet another claim to fame.
“I guess I am the only player with two Olimpicos now.”
In fact, she’s the only player with any.