That’s all for today. Thanks as always for following along with us and be sure to check out the full match report from our Suzanne Wrack.
Meanwhile in Yokohama, the second Olympic semi-final between Australia and Sweden is set to kick off in 20 minutes. The winner advances to face Canada in the goal medal match while the loser will face the United States for bronze. You can follow minute-by-minute coverage of that contest with our Jonathan Howcroft here.
Rapinoe begins to tear up when asked what she said to Carli Lloyd after the final whistle: “Obviously, we’ve been in this a long time together. We’re both closer to the end than at the beginning, and we’ve shared a lot of those happy moments on the field and, you know, not many sad moments, but we’ve had a few. We don’t even really need to, say anything.
“It’s tough. [She’s] one of the greatest players that’s ever pulled this Jersey on. It was probably – I mean, who knows, it might not be her last Olympics but it probably is – obviously we want to send everybody out on the happiest note and we weren’t able to do that today.”
“I feel like we haven’t had our joy a little bit,” says Rapinoe, when asked why the US team has struggled relative to their imperious standards in Tokyo. “It just hasn’t flowed for us. It hasn’t been easy. I think that we’ve tried to find it, you know, it’s not for lack of effort or anyone, you know, not giving everything they have. You can see everything is all the way out there every single game. But it just didn’t didn’t click for us. I don’t know if it was just roster rotations. I know it’s a tough tournament, trying to save people. But our bench is deep, deep, deep as hell. So I don’t think we can really put it on that. I can’t quite put my finger on it. I’ve been thinking about the whole tournament, we just didn’t have that juice that we normally do.”
“It’s terrible,” says Megan Rapinoe. “We just didn’t have it today. Just too many errors from us again. I felt like the space was there for us to play and we just couldn’t get into it too many touches or, you know, an errant touch. That’s football. They got, I think, one shot on goal, a PK, and from what it sounds like it was a PK. So yeah, it’s a bitter one to swallow. Obviously we never want to lose to Canada. I don’t think I’ve ever lost Canada. So it’s a bitter one. Obviously there’s still a lot of compete for. That’s what I told the girls and what we talked about in the huddle. It’s not the color we want, but there’s still a medal on the line. That’s a huge thing and we want to win that game, but yeah, this is ... this sucks. It sucks.”
Updated
FT: USA 0-1 Canada
Canada’s first shot on goal was a penalty kick after a VAR review and that’s all it took to end two decades of heartbreak. The Canadians have defeated the United States for the first time since March 2001 and only the fourth time in 62 all-time meetings.
The US have now played five games at these Olympics and failed to score in three of them.
90 min+4: The corner is cleared from danger. Only seconds remaining.
90 min+3: Last chance saloon for the Americans. Dunn sends a long ball forward and it’s headed away, but the US win a corner. Rapinoe sprints toward the flag to take it. Franch has made her was up the park as an extra attacker.
90 min+2: Leon and Ertz get tangled up vying for a 50-50 ball. Both are down for a moment, then both are up.
90 min: Another substitution for Canada as Adriana Leon enters for Deanne Rose. There will be four minutes of stoppage time.
87 min: Sinclair comes off, giving the captain’s armband to Rose on her way to the bench. Jordyn Huitema comes on.
86 min: Rapinoe whips in a cross from the sideline and Lloyd rises up to head it directly into the crossbar. It rises up and out for a goal kick. Four minutes left plus stoppage time.
84 min: Beckie has a go on goal but it’s an easy save for Franch.
82 min: The Americans are pushing forward but their latest attack fizzles out when Press’s header is easily hauled in by the keeper.
80 min: Sam Mewis is coming on for O’Hara. The US will move to a back three and push an extra player forward into attack.
GOAL! USA 0-1 Canada (Fleming 74)
Franch guesses the right direction but it doesn’t matter. Fleming’s effort has too much power and it’s in for a goal. Canada are 15 minutes from their first win over their southern neighbors in more than 20 years!
Updated
73 min: Play has been stopped for a VAR check for a potential Canada penalty on a Davidson foul on Rose just inside the area as Rose was in a dead spring away from the goal. And, oh boy, the penalty has been given.
Updated
71 min: Press curls in an effort from outside the area but it’s scooped up by the keeper.
70 min: The good news is the pace has picked up significantly in the 10 minutes since fresh legs came on.
69 min: The latest US corner finds Horan, but her header is easily corralled by Labbe.
68 min: The US have a great energy about them since the wave of substitutions. Lawrence hacks down Rapinoe in the midst of an attack and the US will have a free kick from a dangerous area. Rapinoe swings it in but Labbe punches it away. A ninth corner for the Americans forthcoming. Ertz heads it on target but Labbe makes a hair-trigger save up and over the crossbar and it’s another corner.
Updated
66 min: Sauerbrunn finds Press down the center of the park, but her pass to Lloyd is just behind her. Just a tick off, but promising signs in the build-up. Moments later the US win an eighth corner. The Americans are still in search of their first shot on target.
60 min: It’s a full line change for the United States: Christen Press for Lynn Williams, Megan Rapinoe for Tobin Heath and Carli Lloyd for Alex Morgan. Canada counters with a pair of switches as Julia Grosso and Deanne Rose enter for Quinn and Nichelle Prince.
58 min: Another corner for Team USA. Davidson sends it to the area and it’s headed directly back to her. She slips it to Dunn, who darts into the area and tries a cross that’s hit out for the seventh US corner. This one finds Horan in heavy traffic, but her header is wide of the target for a goal kick. Meanwhile, a trio of US substitutions have taken their position on the touch line ...
56 min: Lavelle intercepts a pass, runs about 20 yards with a Canadian defender in her wake and sends it to Williams. Moments later the US wins another corner, but the service is poor and it’s easily cleared.
54 min: Sinclair dispossesses Dunn along the right flank and tries to send a through ball into the area but it’s broken up by the help defender.
52 min: Lavelle sends a ball into the mixer and Heath delivers a lovely flick to Williams, but the flag goes up. Better from the United States over the past several minutes.
49 min: Horan fires an incisive cross from a deep-lying position into the area and Labbe sprints off her line to meet it.
46 min: And we’re off and running in the second half. No changes for either side.
Half-time: USA 0-0 Canada
Not a lot to write home about, save for the injury that forced USA first-choice keeper Alyssa Naeher to the bench. The tension is worthy of an Olympic semi-final if not the quality. And yet, it’s early still.
45 min+4: The US win a corner. It’s cleared from danger but the Americans take over possession and begin working it up from the back.
45 min+3: For the first time in what seems like ages, the US are patiently probing the Canadian defense in the final third. Heath has a go on goal but it’s blocked by a Canadian defender. Moments later Williams – all but invisible today after terrorizing the Dutch in the quarter-finals – lofts a cross in to Morgan but her header sails wide of the post.
45 min: The fourth official signals for six minutes of added time.
41 min: Quinn comes in a bit high on Alex Morgan, catches the USA forward’s shin and sends her crashing to the grass. She’s down for about a minute but makes it to her feet and looks fit to continue.
Updated
39 min: The US finally keep possession long enough to muster an attack, winning a corner. It’s cleared from immediate danger, then back toward the Canadian goal before going out for a goal kick.
35 min: Canada have gone from level terms to completely dominating the midfield since the Naeher injury. They have been the better team since the first 10 minutes.
31 min: O’Hara is beaten down the left side by Prince, whose workrate has been excellent for Canada throughout the first half hour. She makes a late challenge to bust up the attack and pays the price of a yellow card, the first booking of the day for either side.
29 min: The US are having a much harder time keeping possession in the midfield than in the opening stages. A Canadian attack is thwarted, rolling past the end line for a goal kick. Then immediately after Naeher takes it, she grimaces and motions to the bench to be taken out of the game. Adrianna Franch will be coming in to play goalkeeper, costing the US their first substitution.
25 min: Franch’s bib has been removed and it appears she is coming into the game. Naeher is on her feet in the penalty area trying to bend her knees and flex her right leg while both trainers look on ... and after a little more than five minutes it appears Naeher is going to try and give it a go. Franch’s bib is back on and she sits back down on the bench. Game on.
Updated
23 min: Naeher has been down for four minutes now, though is now in a seated position. The trainers are still working on her. Both sides have congregated in front of their benches for an impromptu water break. Franch is being put through her paces along the touch line.
21 min: Alyssa Naeher, the hero against the Dutch, is down in a heap after a collision near the edge of the area. She appears to be in serious pain as two USA trainers attend to her. Back-up goalkeeper Adrianna Franch is warming up on the sidelines and she appears to be putting on her gloves.
Updated
18 min: The Canada corner is cleared past the goal line for a second corner. The second is cleared down the field. But moments later, the Canadians are on the attack again and win a third.
15 min: First moment for the Americans as Canada’s Beckie crosses to Prince in the area. It’s beautifully defended by the captain Sauerbrunn, but goes out for Canada’s first corner.
13 min: A bit of a quiet patch as the teams trade possession in the middle third.
Updated
10 min: Ten minutes down and Canada have only made one or two brief forays into the US half. The Americans dominating possession in the early going even if they don’t have the chances to show for it so far.
9 min: The US win another corner. The service is not immediately cleared, but there’s no real moment of danger either before it’s headed wide by Ertz beyond the near post for a goal kick.
6 min: The Americans come out pressing high, same as the quarter-finals against the Netherlands. The US win a corner. It’s cleared safely from danger by the Americans win back possession and are building up from the back. A collision between Ertz and Sinclair near the halfway line leaves Ertz grounded momentarily, but gingerly makes it back to her feet.
4 min: Lavelle wins a foul near the touchline. Then moments later Horan goes down in a heap after a enthusiastic challenge from a Canadian defender. She makes it to her feet after nearly a minute and appears to be OK. Early signs of a very physical contest.
Updated
3 min: There the first half-chance of the match as the ball is played through from the midfield to Sinclair, but there’s too much on it and it’s past the line for a goal line for a goal kick. Sweltering conditions of 84F with 85% humidity today.
1 min: Both sides take a knee for a moment of silence before kickoff ... and we’re off! The United States are attacking from left to right in white shirts and blue shorts while Canada are going from right to left all-red strips.
Updated
Canada earned their semi-final berth by playing to a 0-0 tie with Brazil over 120 minutes before winning the penalty shootout. Brazil out-shot Canada 16-13 while putting six shots on goal to Canada’s two, but Jessie Fleming, Ashley Lawrence, Adrianna Leon and Vanessa Gilles all converted in the shootout while goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe came up big to make to save two Brazilian kicks to send Canada to its third consecutive Olympic semi-final. Labbe also made six saves on the night.
The Canadians qualified for the knockout stages by virtue of a second-place finish in Group E, picking up five points with a win and two draws. After opening the competition with a 1-1 draw against hosts Japan, Canada topped Chile 2-1 in its second group stage match and played Team GB to a 1-1 draw to close out group play. Janine Beckie scored both goals in the win over Chile, while forward and team captain Christine Sinclair scored against Japan an Adriana Leon found the back of the net against Great Britain.
Sinclair is by far the most-capped player on Canada’s roster with 302 international appearances. Just the fourth player in international soccer history to be capped more than 300 times, Sinclair reached the milestone in Canada’s opening match of the Tokyo Games – in which she also scored the opening goal – and joined Americans Kristine Lilly (354 caps), Christie Pearce Rampone (311) and Carli Lloyd (310).
With 187 international goals, Sinclair is also the leading goalscorer, men’s or women’s, in international soccer history, having eclipsed the USWNT’s Abby Wambach atop the all-time leaderboard during 2020 Olympic qualifying. This marks the fourth Olympics and ninth world championship event for Sinclair, who made her international debut in 2000 aged 16.
Updated
The USA and Canada are set to meet for the 62nd time overall in a series that dates back to 1986, when the USWNT were in just their second year in existence. The Americans hold a commanding lead in the all-time head-to-head – 51 won, three lost and seven drawn – having gone more than two decades since their most recent defeat in March 2001. But despite the long history of success, their 15 meetings since 2011 have included three draws and five one-goal wins for the US.
The most famous of those, of course, came before more than 26,000 fans in the 2012 Olympic semi-final at Old Trafford, when the international record goalscorer Christine Sinclair gave Canada the lead three times only for USA to pull level each time before Alex Morgan’s goal in the 123rd minute – which still stands as the latest goal in Fifa and Olympic history – sent the Americans through to the final and, ultimately, the title.
Their most recent meeting came in February at the SheBelieves Cup in Orlando, when Rose Lavelle scored in the 79th minute to lift the USA to a 1-0 victory to kick off the three-game tournament. The USA threatened on a number of set piece opportunities throughout the evening, earning 13 corners to Canada’s five and several free kicks in dangerous territory. After creating quality chances and knocking on the door for much of the night, the USA finally broke through off a free kick when Lavelle, a second-half substitute, pounced on a poor clearance in the penalty box and fired home for the game’s lone goal.
Updated
The teams!
Here’s a look at today’s teams. USA coach Vlatko Andonovski makes three changes from the lineup that faced the Netherlands in the quarter-finals: Tierna Davidson for Abby Dahlkemper in the back, Rose Lavelle for Sam Mewis in the midfield and Alex Morgan for Carli Lloyd in front.
USA
XI: Naeher, Dunn, Davidson, Sauerbrunn (C), O’Hara, Ertz, Horan, Lavelle, Heath, Morgan, Williams
Subs: Sam Mewis, Lloyd, Press, Sonnett, Rapinoe, Franch, Krueger
Canada
XI: Labbe, Chapman, Buchanan, Gilles, Lawrence, Scott, Quinn, Fleming, Sinclair (C), Prince, Beckie
Subs: Zadorsky, Rose, Grosso, Leon, Sheridan, Huitema, Carle
Referee: Kateryna Monzul (Ukraine)
Preamble
Hello and welcome to Ibaraki Kashima Stadium for today’s Olympic semi-final match between the United States and Canada. The four-time world champions have navigated a rocky course through group stage and survived a thrilling quarter-final clash against the Netherlands to reach the last four, where a showdown with their northern border rivals awaits.
The USA fell behind 1-0 in the 18th minute, stormed back to take a 2-1 lead on goals in the 28th and 31st, only to concede an equalizer early in the second half. Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher saved a penalty in the 82nd minute to help send the match to extra time, then made two crucial stops during the penalty shootout to send the USA through to its sixth Olympic semi-final. Canada also needed extra time and penalties to advance to the semis, topping Brazil from the spot following a scoreless 120 minutes of action.
“You never underestimate the USA,” Canada midfielder Desiree Scott told the Guardian. “They’re one of the top nations in the world with class players front and back. But you do watch the tournament, watch games progress and think ‘Ooh, maybe this is our time,’ and that does build a bit of confidence.”
Today’s winner will advance to Monday’s gold medal match against either Sweden or Australia, whose second semi-final is set to kick off in few hours’ time.
Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s our Suzanne Wrack’s lookahead to today’s semi-final.
