Rematches in the knockout stage of a tournament rarely play out the same way as the earlier group stage match. The United States Women’s National Team understands that axiom all too well, as they had faced a group stage opponent in a knockout or medal match five previous times at the Olympics, losing only once (2000, versus Norway in the gold medal match).
For the USA, this time around, there would be no dominant victory against their group stage opponent, Germany. But, there would be a victory, thanks to an extra-time heroine, just as there was in the quarterfinal match against Japan.
Reigning Women’s World Cup champions Spain, who were debutantes at this year’s Summer Olympics, got a harsh lesson in that reality when a makeshift and spirited Brazil, buoyed by an early own goal, got their second straight upset win.
USWNT 1, Germany 0 (a.e.t.)
Given the significantly higher stakes of a semifinal compared to a group stage match (especially when a third-place team can also advance), it was not a surprise that this match was tighter.
The early minutes of the match promised a more open match, but that did not materialize. During the first five minutes, the USA had two solid scoring opportunities, but the ensuing attempts at goals did not trouble Germany’s goalkeeper, Ann-Katrin Berger. In the 2nd minute, a long free kick from Mallory Swanson found Tierna Davidson, who weakly headed the ball straight at Berger. About a minute later, Naomi Girma started a fast break by feeding a long pass down the right side to Sophia Smith, who sent the ball up the flank, where Trinity Rodman collected the ball and dribbled into the box. Rodman’s cross went past Swanson, but found Rose Lavelle, whose shot was easily saved by Berger.
Overall, the USA’s attacking trio of Rodman, Swanson, and Smith, was limited in their scoring opportunities by both Germany’s defense and, at least to an extent, their own fatigue, especially during regular time. Two of their best chances in the second forty-five never officially happened due to the offside flag being raised.
While the USWNT had their core 18 players available for the first time all tournament, Germany were without two of their scoring threats: Alexandra Popp, who had an unspecified “infection”(dfb.de), and Lea Schüller, who was the only German player to score multiple goals (3) at this Olympics, due to an inflammation of the patellar tendon in her left knee (dfb.de).
In place of Popp, Germany’s head coach, Horst Hrubesch, started 24-year-old Nicole Anyomi. An alternate, Anyomi was relatively inexperienced, with just 25 caps and only 2 goals scored in her international career, and never really threatened the USA’s backline.
Before extra-time, Germany’s best chance came about halfway through the first half on a transition. After a short sequence of passes, Jule Brand dribbled over forty yards into Alyssa Naeher’s penalty area and sent a sliding shot toward the far corner, but Naeher parried the ball safely away, avoiding Crystal Dunn and a potential own goal, and beyond the goalmouth. No German players were crashing the 18-yard box, so Dunn easily cleared the ball.
In the 79th minute, Lindsey Horan, who has had a relatively quiet and lackluster tournament, almost headed home a goal on a corner kick, but Germany disrupted the initial kick and other USWNT players were only able to head the ball closer to the goal where Horan could not apply sufficient power and placement on the ball, allowing a fairly routine save by Berger.
Just before the end of second-half stoppage time, Germany had one last chance to win the game in regulation on a long free kick that was headed on goal. The header went straight to Naeher, who in a rare miscue, bobbled the ball, allowing it to bounce off her chest and up into the air just as a German attacker was charging for the ball, but luckily for the USWNT, Naeher secured the ball with both hands over her head.
The USA’s breakthrough goal came in the 5th minute of extra-time when Naomi Girma sent a pass to Sam Coffey who took a few quick dribbles in the center circle and found Mallory Swanson straight ahead. Swanson turned and delivered a somewhat hopeful pass into the path of Sophia Smith, who ran behind her defender and one-timed a low looping shot into the far corner over a sliding goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who charged toward the ball rather than staying in a more defensive position.
With Germany now needing an equalizer, more opportunities opened up for the USWNT, but a combination of tired bodies and tired minds likely played a role in the USA not capitalizing on those chances.
The match almost went to a penalty shootout, but a fortunate save off the shin of a jumping Alyssa Naeher prevented a German equalizer. In the 119th minute, Germany had a free kick from just a few yards outside the penalty area which hit the USA’s wall. The rebound was sent into the six-yard box, where it was headed down, but, once again, luck favored the USA and the ball hit Naeher’s shin instead of the back of the net.
Right after that save, Smith had a breakaway down the middle, but she was closed down by Berger and Smith’s shot went out of abounds for a corner. For the final minute of extra time and the one minute of added time, the USA killed the clock by keeping the ball near the corner flag.
Stat of the match: The first half had zero stoppage time added.
Additional Links: Match report (PDF), FIFA match page, NBC Sports highlights
Brazil 4, Spain 2
Going into the match, it was clear that, based on the results of the quarterfinals, Brazil had a good chance of advancing: But, no one expected this good of a chance.
For those who did not see the match, the final scoreline of 4:2 is somewhat deceptive. Brazil led the reigning Women’s World Cup champions 3-nil going into the 85th minute. Two late consolation goals, both apparently scored by Salma Paralluelo on corner kicks, spoiled the party for Brazil. (According to the FIFA match page and the broadcast’s lower third, the first Spain goal, which was scored in the 85th minute, was originally credited to Paralluelo. However on the PDF match report, it was recorded as own goal by Duda, which seems harsh as their was no clear replay showing that the ball touched her head.)
Regardless of the specific margin of victory, this was a historic victory for Brazil. While perhaps not quite on the same level of their 4-nil win over the USWNT in the 2007 WWC, it definitely ranks up there.
On the other side, yes, this was a historic loss for Spain and one that should raise many questions about Montse Tome’s future as the team’s head coach. That said, the Spanish players are not faultless. At times their defending was disorganized and uninspired, most notably, on Brazil’s second and third goals. Even Ballon d’Or winner and FIFA Woman’s Player of the Year Aitana Bonmatí had a poor match. It was her mistake — an attempted pass in the 71st minute that was kicked straight at a Brazil defender — which immediately led to a fast counter that would give Brazil its game-winning goal.
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Whatever game plan Spain had the match, that went out the window after five minutes, when goalkeeper Cata Coll’s attempted pass was slightly deflected by Brazil’s Priscila and onto defender Irene Paredes, causing the ball to ricochet over the line for an own goal.
Going a goal down early doesn’t usually change the overall game plan, but for whatever reason, Spain’s players effectively lost the plot and never got back on track. With the lead, Brazil could play to their strength, attempting to score on a counter, while a rattled Spain, who have not scored more than 2 goals in a match all tournament, had to press and find an equalizer.
For most of the first half, Spain’s primary objective was manageable: Just score an equalizer. However, that objective changed in first-half stoppage time when Brazil was finally able to convert on a transition. Yasmim, on the left flank, sent a curling left-footed cross into the top center of the Spain’s penalty area, bypassing an uneven back-line, allowing Gabi Portilho to one-time a grounder which tucked into the lower right corner of the goal, just beyond a diving Cata Coll.
Within the first ten minutes of the second half, Brazil had two good chances to extend the leave, but the first, a long shot from Ludmila, was pushed over the crossbar by Cata Coll, and the second, a corner kick, was just missed by Jhennifer.
Brazil’s third goal was a combination of luck, perseverance, and a huge mental lapse. In the 71st minute, after Bonmatí’s pass was stopped by a Brazil defender, that player sent the ball up ahead of Priscila on the left flank, who then latched onto the ball and dribbled to the top of Spain’s 18-yard box, where she passed the ball to Adriana. Adriana overpowered her one-time shot onto the crossbar, sending it up high in the air over to Gabi Portilho who headed the ball back across goal, where Adriana headed the ball into the back of the net. The second chance shot by Adriana was potentially preventable as a trailing Spain player, Mariona Caldentey, gave up on the play as the ball hit the crossbar and was at the edge of the 6-yard box when Adriana scored.
Brazil’s final goal was a superb individual effort by Kerolin, who blocked a pass, ran onto the loose ball, dribbled toward goal, and nutmegged Cata Coll just as the match enter the first minute of second-half stoppage time.
Additional Links: Match report (PDF), FIFA match page, NBC Sports highlights
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