The US Women’s National Team (USWNT) has secured a spot in the Olympic gold medal match after a nail-biting 1-0 victory over Germany in extra time. Sophia Smith emerged as the hero, scoring the winning goal in the 95th minute by outmaneuvering defender Felicitas Rauch and goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger. The victory marks a significant turnaround for the team, which was eliminated from the World Cup last year.Under the leadership of new coach Emma Hayes, the USWNT remains undefeated in France and will now face either Brazil or Spain in Saturday’s final at the Parc des Princes in Paris. This will be the team’s sixth appearance in an Olympic final, as they seek their fifth gold medal, having last won in 2012.The match was closely contested, with both teams struggling to find the back of the net during regular time. US goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher made several crucial saves, including one in the final minutes of extra time to preserve the lead. The German team, missing key players Alexandra Popp and Lea SchĂĽller due to illness and injury, put up a strong defense but ultimately fell short.Germany, which has won bronze three times before (in 2000, 2004, and 2008), will now play for the bronze medal against either Brazil or Spain on Friday in Lyon. As Laura Freigang of the German team stated, ‘It is crap. I think we have hardly let anything in today. That one chance for the opponent to score the decisive goal is extremely bitter.’ However, she also emphasized the team’s resilience, saying, ‘The best thing is that in three days, there is the game for bronze. Of course, we are all down tonight. But we can still win something.’
Key points
- The USWNT defeated Germany 1-0 in extra time to advance to the Olympic final.
- Sophia Smith scored the winning goal in the 95th minute.
- The US team will face either Brazil or Spain in the final on Saturday.
- Germany will play for the bronze medal on Friday.
Contradictionsđź‘ľSome sources reported the match ended in a penalty shootout, while most others stated it was decided by a goal in extra time.
