When Megan Rapinoe stepped as much as take her penalty, she was simply making an attempt to remain as calm as doable within the second.”You’ll be able to both take one and lose it, or take one and win it,” she mentioned. “It’s going to go certainly one of two methods.”This one was a winner.Rapinoe transformed the deciding penalty in a shootout and the US superior to the semifinals of the ladies’s Olympic soccer match 4-2 following a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands on Friday.U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher stopped Vivianne Miedema’s opening try within the shootout after which saved a shot from Aniek Nouwen earlier than Rapinoe put her penalty away.After Rapinoe transformed, she turned to her teammates, folded her arms and grinned in triumph.Afterward, she joked concerning the strain.”I simply attempt to keep calm. I all the time say to myself, ‘The worst that is going to occur is you are going to lose the entire thing,'” she smiled.Miedema scored a pair of targets in regulation time for the Netherlands, giving her 10 targets for the match — an Olympic document. However the Dutch are headed house.Miedema put the Netherlands forward within the 18th minute however the People equalized when Sam Mewis headed in a objective off a feed from Lynn Williams within the twenty eighth. Williams then gave the People the lead within the thirty first.Miedema, who was enjoying in her one centesimal sport for the Netherlands, made it 2-2 within the 54th. Naeher stopped Lieke Martens’ penalty within the 81st minute and the sport went to additional time.”I felt wonderful. I ought to have taken the penalty within the sport,” Miedema mentioned. “I ought to have simply caught with my plan and go from there. However it’s life. It’s soccer and I simply want to maneuver on.”Naeher was as cool following the sport as she was throughout it, enjoying down her personal efficiency whereas lauding her teammates.”This staff simply stored pushing for 90 minutes, 120 minutes, and we simply stored believing that we had been going to discover a strategy to get it accomplished,” Naeher mentioned. “Very happy with the 4 gamers to step up and rating their 4 penalties to go 4 for 4. That’s big.”The USA will subsequent face acquainted foe Canada in Kashima on Monday. The Canadians superior to the semifinals 4-3 on penalties after a scoreless draw with Brazil in Rifu.The People went to a shootout for the fifth time in a serious match. The earlier time was on the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics when the U.S. was bounced by Sweden within the quarterfinals.”It is such a merciless strategy to finish a sport,” Rapinoe mentioned. “It sucks to overlook one, it sucks to be on the shedding finish of that. However that was not us at this time.”Friday’s sport on the Worldwide Stadium introduced collectively the 2 groups that performed within the World Cup last two years in the past in France. The U.S. ladies received that 2-0 and afterward the group chanted “Equal Pay!” in assist of the staff’s authorized battle for fairness with the boys’s nationwide staff.United States coach Vlatko Andonovski tinkered along with his lineup for Friday’s match, with Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Christen Press and Rose Lavelle on the bench initially.The grueling sport was the newest hurdle in what has been a very uncharacteristic match for the US. The usually stalwart People misplaced to Sweden 3-0 in its opener earlier than beating New Zealand 6-1. They then superior to the knockout spherical following a 0-0 draw with Australia.The USA hadn’t been shut out since 2017.The Netherlands, in the meantime, poured on the offense within the group stage with an Olympic document 21 targets — smashing the earlier document of 16 set by the US in 2012.Miedema, who performs for English membership Arsenal, is just 25 and is already the all-time scoring chief for the Netherlands with 84 targets in 100 appearances. She can also be the main scorer within the Girls’s Tremendous League in England.The USA additionally performed the Netherlands in Breda in November, successful 2-0. The People had been unbeaten in 44 straight matches earlier than the loss to Sweden on the Tokyo Video games.In Rifu, Canada goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe stopped Rafaelle’s try and was rushed by her teammates. Canada has received bronze medals on the previous two Olympics.Australia earned its first journey to the semifinals by beating Britain 4-3 in further time in Kashima. The Matildas will face Sweden, who beat host Japan 3-1 in Saitama.
When Megan Rapinoe stepped as much as take her penalty, she was simply making an attempt to remain as calm as doable within the second.
“You’ll be able to both take one and lose it, or take one and win it,” she mentioned. “It’s going to go certainly one of two methods.”
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This one was a winner.
Rapinoe transformed the deciding penalty in a shootout and the US superior to the semifinals of the ladies’s Olympic soccer match 4-2 following a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands on Friday.
U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher stopped Vivianne Miedema’s opening try within the shootout after which saved a shot from Aniek Nouwen earlier than Rapinoe put her penalty away.
After Rapinoe transformed, she turned to her teammates, folded her arms and grinned in triumph.
Afterward, she joked concerning the strain.
“I simply attempt to keep calm. I all the time say to myself, ‘The worst that is going to occur is you are going to lose the entire thing,'” she smiled.
Miedema scored a pair of targets in regulation time for the Netherlands, giving her 10 targets for the match — an Olympic document. However the Dutch are headed house.
Miedema put the Netherlands forward within the 18th minute however the People equalized when Sam Mewis headed in a objective off a feed from Lynn Williams within the twenty eighth. Williams then gave the People the lead within the thirty first.
Miedema, who was enjoying in her one centesimal sport for the Netherlands, made it 2-2 within the 54th. Naeher stopped Lieke Martens’ penalty within the 81st minute and the sport went to additional time.
“I felt wonderful. I ought to have taken the penalty within the sport,” Miedema mentioned. “I ought to have simply caught with my plan and go from there. However it’s life. It’s soccer and I simply want to maneuver on.”
Naeher was as cool following the sport as she was throughout it, enjoying down her personal efficiency whereas lauding her teammates.
“This staff simply stored pushing for 90 minutes, 120 minutes, and we simply stored believing that we had been going to discover a strategy to get it accomplished,” Naeher mentioned. “Very happy with the 4 gamers to step up and rating their 4 penalties to go 4 for 4. That’s big.”
The USA will subsequent face acquainted foe Canada in Kashima on Monday. The Canadians superior to the semifinals 4-3 on penalties after a scoreless draw with Brazil in Rifu.
The People went to a shootout for the fifth time in a serious match. The earlier time was on the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics when the U.S. was bounced by Sweden within the quarterfinals.
“It is such a merciless strategy to finish a sport,” Rapinoe mentioned. “It sucks to overlook one, it sucks to be on the shedding finish of that. However that was not us at this time.”
Friday’s sport on the Worldwide Stadium introduced collectively the 2 groups that performed within the World Cup last two years in the past in France. The U.S. ladies received that 2-0 and afterward the group chanted “Equal Pay!” in assist of the staff’s authorized battle for fairness with the boys’s nationwide staff.
United States coach Vlatko Andonovski tinkered along with his lineup for Friday’s match, with Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Christen Press and Rose Lavelle on the bench initially.
The grueling sport was the newest hurdle in what has been a very uncharacteristic match for the US. The usually stalwart People misplaced to Sweden 3-0 in its opener earlier than beating New Zealand 6-1. They then superior to the knockout spherical following a 0-0 draw with Australia.
The USA hadn’t been shut out since 2017.
The Netherlands, in the meantime, poured on the offense within the group stage with an Olympic document 21 targets — smashing the earlier document of 16 set by the US in 2012.
Miedema, who performs for English membership Arsenal, is just 25 and is already the all-time scoring chief for the Netherlands with 84 targets in 100 appearances. She can also be the main scorer within the Girls’s Tremendous League in England.
The USA additionally performed the Netherlands in Breda in November, successful 2-0. The People had been unbeaten in 44 straight matches earlier than the loss to Sweden on the Tokyo Video games.
In Rifu, Canada goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe stopped Rafaelle’s try and was rushed by her teammates. Canada has received bronze medals on the previous two Olympics.
Australia earned its first journey to the semifinals by beating Britain 4-3 in further time in Kashima. The Matildas will face Sweden, who beat host Japan 3-1 in Saitama.
