In a thrilling day of Olympic women’s soccer quarterfinals, both the United States and Spain secured their spots in the semifinals with dramatic victories.The United States edged out Japan 1-0 in extra time, thanks to a stunning goal from Trinity Rodman in the 105th minute. Rodman, daughter of former basketball star Dennis Rodman, described the moment as ‘the best in my career’. The US team, under new coach Emma Hayes, had gone into the knockout stage undefeated, outscoring opponents 9-2 in the group stage.Meanwhile, Spain, the reigning world champions, survived a major scare against Colombia. After falling behind 2-0, with goals from Mayra Ramírez and Leicy Santos, Spain mounted a remarkable comeback. Jenni Hermoso sparked the revival with a goal in the 79th minute, and Irene Paredes forced extra time with an equalizer in the seventh minute of stoppage time. The match eventually went to penalties, where Spain prevailed 4-2, with Aitana Bonmati scoring the decisive spot kick.’It was a great day,’ said Bonmati, reflecting on Spain’s resilience. The dramatic victories set up intriguing semifinal matchups. The United States will face either Canada or Germany on Tuesday in Marseille, while Spain will take on either France or Brazil. Both teams remain on course for Olympic gold, with the US aiming for a record-extending fifth title in women’s soccer.
Key points
- The United States defeated Japan 1-0 in extra time, with Trinity Rodman scoring the winning goal.
- Spain came back from a 2-0 deficit to beat Colombia 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in extra time.
- Both the US and Spain advance to the semifinals, facing the winners of Canada/Germany and France/Brazil respectively.
Contradictions👾There are slight discrepancies in the reported time of Rodman’s goal, with some sources stating the 105th minute and others the 107th minute.
👾The exact timing of Spain’s equalizer against Colombia varies slightly between reports, with some stating the 90+7 minute and others the 97th minute.
