U.S. Women Capture Their 3rd Straight Gold Medal With A Thrilling 2-1 Win Vs. Japan

Very rarely in sports do big games (Super Bowl, College Football Bowls, World Series, Stanley Cup Finals, NBA Finals) live up to their outsized expectations. We were lucky enough to witness an instant classic this afternoon as the U.S. women's national soccer team (6-0-0) beat Japan (3-1-2) 2-1 at Wembley Stadium to capture the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

This result was fitting redemption for the U.S. since they lost to Japan in penalty kicks last July in the 2011 World Cup Final.

Carli Lloyd provided both goals for the Americans who built a 1-0 halftime lead and then a 2-0 advantage in the second half before holding on for dear life as Japan turned up the heat, culminating in a goal by Yuki Ogimi in the 63rd minute.

In most cases, Lloyd would be the clear cut choice for player of the match however she has to share that honor with U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo (4 saves), who had to be at her absolute best to ensure that the U.S. won their third straight gold and fourth in five Olympics all-time.

Known more for her work-rate in the midfield and not her finishing touch, Lloyd stepped up with the best game of her life. She put the U.S. ahead 1-0 in the eighth minute (3rd of the tournament, 39th of her career) after a cross from Alex Morgan (tournament-high 5 assists) that curled away from Japan's goalkeeper Miko Fukumoto. In live action, I thought Abby Wambach one-touched it with her foot but it turned out that Lloyd ran onto it and headed it in. High marks for Morgan's pass too as she was able to put it in the right spot for her teammates.

The U.S. almost made it 2-0 when Megan Rapinoe nearly connected with Wambach for a through ball but it was a few feet too long. Japan suddenly woke up as U.S. defender Christie Rampone cleared a shot off the goal-line then Solo made her first A+ stop. Soon after that, she dove to rob Japan on a header that deflected off the crossbar and over the net.

Tobin Heath was lucky to get away with what easily could have been a handball in the box, leading to a Japan penalty kick. I'll say that it was more obvious than the call against Canada in the semifinals but that's how it goes sometimes in soccer (no conspiracy theories please).

Japan was fortunate not to trail 2-0 in the first half as one of their defenders headed the ball off their own post. They kept buzzing and hit the crossbar with the third superb chance of the first half for them. Shinobu Ohno had one last agonizingly close shot for Japan as her shot from the top of the box whistled wide by mere inches.

Up 1-0 at the half, the U.S. realized that they would need more to hold off the Japanese who are such a tough matchup for them. Lloyd answered the bell again, in the 58th minute, as she finished off a great individual effort by placing her shot in the opposite side netting from outside the box. Truly a remarkable shot that no goalkeeper could ever dream to stop.

Japan would not be deterred though and Rampone cleared another shot off the line but this time, Ogimi was there to clean it up in the 63rd minute. Game on. The U.S. didn't look like a team with a lead as Rachel Buehler went forward and should have done better on a one-timer off a cross. Still, what do you expect from a defender?

Wambach didn't have her normal stellar offensive game but her effort was there. That was her tracking back on a free kick and heading out the ball for a Japan corner kick. The same could be said for Morgan: it wasn't her best day but it turns out the U.S. had more depth than anyone could have imagined. Whether it was nerves or fatigue, Morgan uncharacteristically wasted a few shots in ways you don't normally see from her.

Lloyd had a chance to end it and cap off a hat trick but her blast went over in the 83rd minute. That was followed by Solo making a game-saving stop after Rampone coughed up the ball in her own end. Outside of the assist, Morgan's best play was her hustle late in the match which earned a corner for the U.S.-wasting precious time for Japan.

The final whistle sounded and the U.S. coaches led by Pia Sundhage and players went crazy. They all seemed to receive American flags which they draped themselves and then ran around the historic stadium. It was a remarkable win and the best moment for this proud group which had come so close to a World Cup title last summer against this same formidable opponent.

Before we speculate, who will be out of the mix soon (Heather Mitts already said this was her last game for the U.S.), let's enjoy what will be one of the signature moments of the London Olympics for the United States. This team is outstanding, very talented but with great chemistry that allows them to put their egos aside and achieve special results like this. Overall, they are so much fun to root for since they play the game the right way and seem to enjoy doing it in the process. Once again, the U.S. women are back on top in soccer worldwide.

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Alex Morgan Scores In 122nd Minute As U.S. Women Defeat Canada 4-3; Face Japan For Gold

I'm not sure what it is about them but the U.S. women's national team seems to love drama, in a good way of course. There have never been penalty kicks in the Olympics (for a women's game) but the U.S. (5-0-0) and Canada (2-2-1) looked set for that ultimate crapshoot as they were tied 3-3 this afternoon at Old Trafford (home of Manchester United) in the semifinals.

A moment of brilliance from substitute Heather O'Reilly (who entered in the 101st minute) and Alex Morgan saved the Americans from the format that haunted them last summer (see: 2011 Women's World Cup Final vs. Japan). The U.S. survived 4-3 and move on to the Gold Medal game on Thursday afternoon (2:45 p.m. ET, NBC Sports) at Wembley Stadium and a rematch vs. Japan. It is the fifth straight Olympics Final for the Red, White and Blue and they are the two-time defending champions.

In the 122nd minute, O'Reilly whipped a cross into the box and Morgan-who's not tall or particularly deadly in the air-was still able to rise up over her defender and head it over Canada's goalkeeper Erin McLeod. It was an incredible strike in literally the last seconds that was eerily reminiscent of Abby Wambach's goal vs. Brazil last summer in the World Cup quarterfinals.

By far their most dangerous player for the U.S. was midfielder Megan Rapinoe, who had a pair of goals in the second half. Wambach scored on a penalty kick that followed a handball by Canada on a shot by Rapinoe. Wherever she was on the field, she made things happen and that included being a wizard on the ball.

Canada probably deserved better as Christine Sinclair scored a hat trick (1st against the U.S. in 11 years) but her team managed to blow a halftime lead of 1-0, not to mention 2-1 and 3-2 advantages in the second half. The first 45 minutes weren't particularly thrilling but the second half plus extra time made this truly one of the craziest soccer matches (men's or women's, any level) that I've ever witnessed.

The U.S. defense which couldn't mark Sinclair all day had a collectively terrible performance yet they still found a win to get by Canada. Her first goal was the result of a wonderful buildup from her teammates. Marie-Eve Nault's through ball hit Melissa Tancredi who found Sinclair. She twisted Kelley O'Hara around before finishing past Hope Solo in the 22nd minute.

It was the first time Canada had led the U.S. since 2003. That goal didn't really wake up the U.S. until halftime although Morgan had a header go just wide in the 32nd minute off a free kick. Wambach tried a diving header in the 38th minute but that too skipped wide.

Rapinoe-a college teammate of Sinclair at the University of Portland (Oregon)-tied it in the 54th minute on a play that is extremely rare in soccer outside of the youth level. She bent a corner kick past McLeod, a Canadian defender had a slight touch on it but the ball had already crossed the line by then. Little did we know that would start a flurry of five goals in 26 minutes.

Sinclair went to work and answered with a header of her own off a cross in the 67th minute. Canada was up 2-1 for all of three minutes as Rapinoe scored an absolute highlight reel goal (her 3rd of the tournament) in the 70th minute. She was at the top of the box and her right-footed shot hit the far post and bounced into the other side. Unreal.

The U.S. could never figure out a way to stop Sinclair as she got her hat trick in the 73rd minute, off another header but this time from a corner kick. The good news was that the Americans had one more improbable rally left in their cleats.

After a bizarre six second call on McLeod, the refs topped that with a shaky penalty on a handball that appeared to hit a prone arm or hand that was against a Canadian's body. Whatever the case, Wambach stepped up and calmly tied it up in the 80th minute (her 143rd international goal, ironically tying Sinclair).

Both squads had great chances to end it in regulation but Wambach missed a tap-in following a pass from Morgan. Solo stepped up with her biggest save of the Olympics as she stuffed Canada after a terrible giveaway by the frazzled U.S. backline.

Sydney Leroux entered in the 76th minute and she had two decent chances. Her header went over at the end of regulation and in the first overtime, she was first to a 50-50 ball but sent it high of the mark.

The U.S. had never lost in the Olympic semifinals and were 5-1 in Olympic extra-time games. O'Reilly's hustle (thanks to her fresh legs) basically made something out of nothing and I'm not sure how Morgan had that much energy to score her first goal since the opening match vs. France. It was a play that we will be seeing for a long time, particularly if the U.S. captures the Gold Medal.

Japan held on for a 2-1 win vs. France in the first semifinal this afternoon. They were up 2-0 and were able to withstand some serious pressure from the French in the late going. The great thing about this match on Thursday is that it pits without question the top two women's teams in the world. The crazy part is that they have so much recent history which has helped mold this into the best rivalry in the game.

Japan beat the U.S. 1-0 on March 5 in Portugal; the U.S. tied them 1-1 in Japan on April Fool's Day and most impressively, they rolled 4-1 against the Japanese on June 18 in Sweden. I think that final result is an anomaly and I can basically guarantee that the Gold Medal match will be a one-goal game. These teams are so evenly matched, let's just hope that it doesn't go to penalty kicks since Japan would have the mental edge there after they beat the U.S. in them last July.

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See You On Monday: U.S. Women Blank New Zealand 2-0, Head To Olympic Semifinals

History was on the U.S. women's soccer team's side this afternoon as they met New Zealand in the London Olympic quarterfinals. Not only had the Americans reached the semifinals of every major tournament (6 World Cups, 4 Olympics, 7 CONCACAFs) they had ever played in but they were also 8-1-0 all-time against New Zealand.

It wasn't as easy as probably most expected but Pia Sundhage's squad got the job done with a 2-0 victory. Now, they'll meet neighborly rival Canada (2-0 winners vs. Great Britain) in Monday's semifinals (2:45 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network) at Old Trafford, home of Manchester United.

For a team that is so powerful offensively, let it be noted that the U.S. (4-0-0) hasn't allowed a goal since the first 15 minutes against France in their opening London Olympics match. Goalkeeper Hope Solo and her defense deserve credit for their third straight shutout but let's be real: it's hard for opponents to score when they simply can never possess the ball.

Abby Wambach scored in the 27th minute (her 142th all-time, 16 behind Mia Hamm for the No. 1 spot in U.S. history) and the youngest member of the team-Sydney Leroux-picked up her first Olympic goal (5th of her international career) in the 87th minute. Wambach has scored in five straight Olympic games, including all four in London.

Wambach's partner in crime up top-Alex Morgan-was also on the scoresheet since she provided the assist on Wambach's strike. Morgan worked down the left side of the box, used quick feet to get her defender wobbly before threading it into the perfect spot where only Wambach could get it. She redirected it in for the 1-0 lead.

Morgan had a great chance to score, before Wambach's goal, as she went in alone on New Zealand's goalkeeper Jenny Bindon but she put it into the side netting.

This was the first knockout round game for New Zealand in any competition and their inexperience finally started to pop up in the second half. They never really put any heat on Solo and Morgan had three good chances to increase the lead to 2-0. She put another shot into the side netting after she stole the ball from a defender. Shortly after that, she was taken down in the box in what could easily have been called a penalty kick. Finally, Bindon stuffed Morgan by going almost out of her 18-yard box.

Bindon showed her toughness when she was kneed right in the face by Morgan but didn't come out of the game. Carli Lloyd picked up a yellow card in the 79th minute for a clumsy challenge. New Zealand kept trying long shots on Solo but I guess they didn't know that those will never be successful. The best they could do was take a shameful dive in the box, attempting to draw a penalty kick.

Leroux subbed in for Morgan in the 81st minute and almost immediately, she made things happen. After making a great run, she crossed it to Heather O'Reilly, who couldn't get a shot off before being surrounded. Her goal was a glimpse of what makes her such a promising talent. Not only did she fight off a defender but then she had the calmness to take her time and get a somewhat powerful shot on goal that trickled through Bindon's legs.

France vs. Japan is the first semifinal on Monday (12 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network) and honestly, after watching Japan dismantle Brazil 2-0 this afternoon and remembering their recent history, I'm glad that the U.S. wouldn't face them until the final. They are clearly their biggest obstacle. Canada (2-1-1) is playing well and they looked good when they met the U.S. right before the World Cup in a friendly. Still, France (3-1-0)-who led 2-0 against the U.S. in the first match-and Japan (2-0-2) who beat them in the 2011 World Cup Final are more formidable as far as I'm concerned.

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U.S. Women's Soccer Completes 3-0-0 Group Play With 1-0 Win Vs. North Korea

The U.S. women's soccer team beat North Korea 1-0 this afternoon at Old Trafford, home of Manchester United, in their third match of the 2012 London Olympics.

Pia Sundhage's squad finished 3-0-0 for the first time in their Olympic history and they'll meet New Zealand on Friday (9:30 a.m. EST) in the quarterfinals at Newcastle.

The final margin should have been much more as the Americans hit the post twice in the first half and also put countless great opportunities either wide of the net or over. Luckily, Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach were on top of their games as they created basically all the U.S. chances.

The moment of brilliance came in the 25th minute as midfielder Lauren Cheney dropped a long pass into the box for Morgan. As two North Korean defenders converged on her, she touched it to Wambach who blasted it in. It was Wambach's 141st career international goal, she is now only 17 behind Mia Hamm for No. 1 all-time in U.S. history.

U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo didn't have to work hard, she only really made one above-average play: intercepting a cross by North Korea in the second half. Her defense looked strong although truth be told, the U.S. dominated possession and North Korea barely ever controlled the ball. Odds are she was probably blasting Brandi Chastain on Twitter some more since she had so much downtime during the match.

The mysterious opponents got increasingly frustrated in the second half which culminated in Choe Mi Gyong picking up her second yellow in the 81st minute. With 11 players, North Korea didn't have much of a chance but that flicker of hope was gone after Gyong's clumsy challenge on Cheney.

Both Morgan and Wambach nearly scored in the first half since each hit the post. Morgan received a pass from Wambach and turned with her favored left foot to strike a low shot that deflected off the far post. The script was flipped from Wambach when she took a ball from Morgan and tried to place a shot past the diving North Korean goalkeeper.

Substitute Tobin Heath almost made it 2-0 early in the second half but she lofted her shot high after she found herself wide open. Likewise, Carli Lloyd had a good chance on a rebound but as she usually does, she couldn't get her body over it and it went harmlessly over the bar.

The best news for the U.S. is that nobody got hurt and other than a yellow card for Cheney, they didn't pick up any cards (not sure how they carry over to the knockout rounds). They will be heavy favorites against New Zealand and assuming that they can start finishing more consistently and at a higher rate, there is no reason they should have much of a problem with them.

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