Soccer News: U.S. Women's National Soccer Team at the Olympics

USA Beats Japan for a Wonderful Victory. Japan was unwilling to go down without a Fight. Carli Lloyd Scores Big for her team.  Hope Solo Performs Amazingly in Goal. The Men's team may have never made it to the Olymics but the Women brought home the gold.

Was this redemption from the World Cup where the USA suffered a severe loss to the same team?  Yes, in many ways, the summer blockbuster soccer match in London was a sequel the the Women's World Cup.  

Even President Obama has offered a "special shout-out" to the women's team, which avenged its loss to Japan in last year's World Cup.

U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM EARNS FOURTH OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL WITH 2-1 VICTORY AGAINST JAPAN IN FRONT OF 80,203 AT WEMBLEY STADIUM 

• Carli Lloyd Scores Both Goals for USA, Including Second Straight Olympic Gold Medal Game-Winner; Earns Bud Light Woman of the Match Honors
• U.S. Soccer Takes Gold Medal Lead for Combined Women's and Men's Olympic Competition
• U.S. WNT Kicks Off Victory Tour with Sept. 1 Match Against Costa Rica in Rochester, N.Y., and Sept. 16 Game Against Australia at The Home Depot Center; Both Games will be Televised on NBC

LONDON, England (Aug. 9, 2012) - The U.S. Women's National Team captured the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics with a 2-1 victory against Japan in front of a crowd of 80,203 at the famed Wembley Stadium.

U.S. midfielder Carli Lloyd, the gold medal hero of the 2008 Olympics, led the way once again with both goals for the United States as they upended 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup champion Japan and captured their third-consecutive Olympic championship.

The USA won its fourth gold medal in the five Olympic competitions featuring women's soccer. The U.S. has also taken the overall soccer gold medal lead for combined women's and men's Olympic Games. Both the men's soccer teams from Great Britain and Hungary have earned three gold medals.

The attendance at Wembley was an Olympic record crowd for women's soccer and the largest crowd the U.S. WNT has played in front of outside of the United States.

The U.S. WNT will savor the moment of Olympic gold and participate in the Closing Ceremonies in London before returning to the home front for matches starting in September. The team kicks off their victory tour when they host Costa Rica on Sept. 1 at 2:30 p.m. ET at Sahlen's Stadium in Rochester, N.Y., the hometown of U.S. forward Abby Wambach. The U.S. will then face Australia on Sept. 16 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. (12:30 p.m. PT). Both matches will be broadcast live on NBC.

"This was a year's worth of work and the sacrifices all of us have had to make for our friends and families, for the players that didn't make the roster, this goes out to all of our fans that cheered us on last summer and were equally as heartbroken as we were," said U.S. forward Abby Wambach. "This year has been trials and tribulations, we lost to Japan a few times, and this win feels like everything has come full circle. I'm so proud of this team for never giving up. It was a team effort for this entire tournament and it shows what it takes to win championships -- it's teamwork and loyalty and trusting in each other." 

On Thursday, the USA got off to a flying start in the gold medal match when Lloyd gave her side an early lead in the eighth minute. Shannon Boxx worked the ball from right to left to Kelley O'Hara and then Tobin Heath. Heath slipped a low cross into the box for Alex Morgan, whose first touch took her to the end line left of the goal. She deftly crossed the ball across the front of the goalmouth with her next touch towards Wambach who had crashed towards the net. While it appeared Wambach was poised to get a goal in her sixth straight game London, she remained tightly marked and Lloyd darted into the scene from her midfield run and headed the ball into the right side of the net. Morgan's assist was her team-leading fifth of the Olympics.

Japan found a long spell of possession after the USA goal and ultimately an array of scoring chances. In the 17^th minute, Homare Sawa slipped Nahomi Kawasumi through into the left side of the penalty area and the defender took a shot toward the far right post that got past U.S goalkeeper Hope Solo, but team captain Christie Rampone hustled to get a body on the ball and prevent a goal. The rebound deflected off Solo's back and bounced in the six-yard box where Yuki Ogimi came rushing in to try and finish the opportunity, but Solo did well to get back into position and made a point-blank save.

The American 'keeper came up with a huge save on Ogimi again one minute later, when the Japanese forward snapped a high-header on goal. Solo leapt to get her left glove on the shot and push the ball off the crossbar. U.S. defender Rachel Buehler's headed clearance fell back to Ogimi for another sniff, but her strike from close range went wide right and high.

The U.S. avoided a potential game-changing moment in the 26^th minute when Miyama's free kick from just outside the box struck the left arm of U.S. midfielder Tobin Heath, who was positioned near the wall inside the penalty area. Japan's appeals for a penalty were denied as referee Bibiana Steinhaus signaled for play to continue.

Maintaining a one-goal lead to start the second half, the USA gave itself a bit more breathing room in the 54^th minute with Lloyd's second goal of the game. Rapinoe dished to Lloyd just inside the Japanese half and she did the rest, dribbling for more than 25 yards through the center of the park and slicing towards goal before unleashing a wicked right-footed blast from 20 yards out that streamed into the left side netting, giving Japan's diving goalkeeper Miho Fukumoto no chance. The strike would prove to be the game-winner, her second straight in Olympic gold medal matches as she scored the deciding goal in the USA's 1-0 overtime victory against Brazil in Beijing in 2008.

Japan's continual possession and pressure eventually paid off with Ogimi's rebound goal in the 63rd minute. Japan strung together a bevy of passes before a slicing ball was put into the right side of the penalty area for the streaking Shinobu Ohnu. She took a quick touch before cutting the ball back to Sawa who was wide open at the penalty spot. Sawa hit a first-time shot that got past Solo, and once again Rampone blocked the goal-bound shot off the line. The ball fell back to Sawa, and this time she touched it to her left for Ogimi and the forward buried the easy finish from two yards out.

Japan's offense had another similar scramble in the 74th minute after Lloyd was called for a handball outside of the box on the right side. Miyama took the free kick and the delivery was deflected to Azusa Iwashimizu who hit a volley on target that seemed destined for goal, but U.S. defender Amy LePeilbet stood resolute and blocked the shot while on her knees. The ball remained loose, but Japan's Saki Kumagai was eventually called for a foul and the USA maintained their slim advantage.

Lloyd searched for a hat trick and she came close with a screaming shot in the 82nd minute that rose just inches over the crossbar.

In the final 10 minutes, Japan nearly equalized when Mana Iwabuchi stole the ball from Rampone near the top of the box and closed in one-on-one with Solo. Coming in from the left side, Iwabuchi tried to curl a shot towards the back post but Solo was up to the challenge and made a monster diving save to keep the U.S. in the lead.

Solo made six saves on the night, and after two minutes of added time the U.S. were once again crowned Olympic champions.

Additional Notes: 

• Midfielder Shannon Boxx returned to the starting lineup for the first time since injuring a hamstring during the USA's Olympic-opening 4-2 win against France on July 25. She replaced Lauren Cheney, who injured her ankle during the USA's semifinal victory against Canada on Aug. 6.
• Cheney entered as a 56th-minute sub for Megan Rapinoe.
• Defender and team captain Christie Rampone played in her 22nd career Olympic match.
• Though she did not find the back of the net Thursday, Abby Wambach's five goals in the first five games of the Olympics led the USA. She has nine career Olympic goals.
• The U.S. currently is on an 11-game winning streak and 13 games unbeaten overall. The last time the U.S. settled for less than three points was April 1 against Japan, a 1-1 draw in the Kirin Challenge Cup.
• The USA improves to 24-1-5 all-time against Japan.
• Canada defeated France 1-0 in Thursday's bronze medal game after Diana Matheson's 92^nd minute tally. Canada, which was defeated in the semifinal round by the USA, earned its first medal in women's soccer.

 U.S. Women's National Team Match Report 

Match: U.S. Women's National Team vs. Japan 
Date: Aug. 9, 2012 
Competition: 2012 Olympic Games; Final 
Venue: Wembley Stadium; London, England 
Kickoff: 7:45 p.m. local (2:45 p.m. ET) 
Attendance: 80,203 
Weather: 75 degrees, warm

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F 
USA                         1 1 2 
JPN                          0 1 1

USA - Carli Lloyd (Alex Morgan)        8^th minute
USA - Carli Lloyd (Megan Rapinoe)  54
JPN - Yuki Ogimi (Homare Sawa)      63

Lineups: 
USA: 1-Hope Solo; 6-Amy LePeilbet, 3-Christie Rampone (capt.), 16-Rachel Buehler (4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 80), 5-Kelley O'Hara; 15-Megan Rapinoe (12-Lauren Cheney, 57), 7-Shannon Boxx, 10-Carli Lloyd, 17-Tobin Heath; 13-Alex Morgan, 14-Abby Wambach 
Subs not used: 2-Heather Mitts, 8-Amy Rodriguez, 9-Heather O'Reilly, 11-Sydney Leroux, 18-Nicole Barnhart 
Head coach: Pia Sundhage

JPN: 1-Miho Fukimoto; 2-Yukari Kinga, 3-Azusa Iwashimizu, 4-Saki Kumagai, 5-Aya Sameshima (16-Mana Iwabuchi, 77); 6-Mizuho Sakaguchi (14-Asuna Tanaka, 59), Aya Miyama (capt.), 9-Nahomi Kawasumi, 10-Homare Sawa; 11-Shinobu Ohno (13-Karina Maruyama, 86), 17-Yuki Ogimi
Subs not used: 18-Ayumi Kaihori, 12-Kyoko Yano, 7-Kozue Ando, 15-Megumi Takase 
Head coach: Norio Sasaki

Statistical Summary: USA / JPN 
Shots: 15 / 12 
Shots on Goal: 8 / 7 
Saves: 6 / 6 
Corner Kicks: 4 / 3 
Fouls: 16 / 8 
Offside: 1 / 3

Misconduct Summary: 
USA - Abby Wambach (caution)    90^th minute

Officials: 
Referee: Bibiana Steinhaus (GER) 
Assistant Referee 1: Marina Wozniak (GER) 
Assistant Referee 2: Katrin Rafalski (GER) 
Fourth Official: Jesica Di Iorio (ARG)

Bud Light Woman of the Match:
Carli Lloyd

Whether it was devout team loyalty or strong nationalism, there was no tolerance of negative comments on the USA’s women’s soccer team. Even when NBC commentator and prior Olympic player Brandi Chastain criticized team USA, USA Goalkeeper Hope Solo quickly jumped on her twitter account to bash the derogatory comment and squelch any possible the trend.  This is the moment where women’s soccer around the world can once again look America as the champions.

At the Olympics today, it was a shining moment and test to American dedication and determination as our women’s national team brought home the gold to the stars and stripes. 

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The Road to Gold @ the 2012 Olympics:

USA SEEKS FOURTH GOLD WHEN IT FACES JAPAN IN OLYMPIC FINALE: The U.S. Women's National Team is shooting for its fourth gold medal and third straight when it takes on 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup champion Japan at 2:45 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 9, at Wembley Stadium in London.

The match will be broadcast live on the NBC Sports Network, NBC Olympic Soccer Channel and streamed on NBC Live Extra. NBC Sports will begin its pre-game coverage at 2 p.m. ET. 

The USA is coming off a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory against Canada on Monday, while Japan defeated France 2-1 in the other semifinal match.

On the Air: Dial Global Radio Network will air live play-by-play coverage of the gold medal game between the U.S. Women's National Team and Japan, with coverage starting at 2:30 p.m. ET and carried on affiliate stations across the country, as well as Sirius/XM satellite radio (Sirius 93/XM 209). For a list of Dial Global affiliates, visit dialglobalsports.com.

GOLD MEDAL MATCH PRE-GAME QUOTES:
U.S. Women's National Team head coach PIA SUNDHAGE
On getting another chance at Japan:
"It's a game and it's a final. It's against an opponent that we've played a couple of times this year. I'm not looking back to 2011 when we played against Japan and tied the game but lost in penalty kicks. I look at it as: we're playing against a technical team and we're playing a team that struggled quite a bit against France in the last 20 minutes. I look at the way the coach took out [Mizuho] Sakaguchi. That's interesting to me. That's intriguing, and the name of the country doesn't matter." 

U.S. forward ALEX MORGAN
On how much interest the team has gained in the United States:
"I think interest has definitely been high in the last couple of days. I think everyone was watching the game (against Canada) and we turned peoples' heads and we made people pay attention to us in a positive way. With the unfortunate folding of the (women's professional) league, it kind of made people realize what had just happened in the last year with us getting the silver medal (at the World Cup) and now being in the gold medal match of the Olympics and not even having a league to support the U.S. players. There will hopefully be a change in the next couple months."

U.S. forward ABBY WAMBACH 
On going up against her friend and former club teammate Homare Sawa against Japan:
"I think that Homare Sawa has proven herself to be one of the best players in the world. She led her team to a world championship. I have the greatest respect for her. She came to play in the United States a couple of times and took what she learned back to her country and they've done an extraordinary job over the last couple of years putting it together. I do think that we also have a great team. We're at a place that I think is solid. I think the fact that we lost the World Cup and the way that we did gives us even more passion and desire to go out and perform tomorrow. We saw each other in the Village. We told each other that we're both glad that the other had won because we believe that we're the top two teams in the world and our fans deserve to see a great final. This gold medal match is going to be nothing short of that."

U.S. midfielder MEGAN RAPINOE
On the feelings between Japan and the U.S. WNT:
"I think that both teams have the utmost respect for one another on a lot of different levels. We've played with quite a few of the players and we've played against them quite a few times. We definitely respect the way that they play and they respect the way that we play. We just know that it's going to be a good game. There is no animosity. They snatched our dream last year and still we have that respect for them. There's nothing off the field, there's no antics. All that matters is that we play an entertaining style of game tomorrow."

For more Olympic gold medal pre-game comments from the U.S. WNT, visit ussoccer.com.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION 

GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Hope Solo, 18-Nicole Barnhart
DEFENDERS (6): 2-Heather Mitts, 3-Christie Rampone, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 5-Kelley O'Hara, 6-Amy LePeilbet, 16-Rachel Buehler
MIDFIELDERS (6): 7-Shannon Boxx, 8-Amy Rodriguez, 9-Heather O'Reilly, 10-Carli Lloyd, 15-Megan Rapinoe, 17-Tobin Heath
FORWARDS (4): 11-Sydney Leroux, 12-Lauren Cheney, 13-Alex Morgan, 14-Abby Wambach

2012 Olympic Schedule

Date	Match	Time (ET)	Stage	Venue
Aug. 3	France 2, Sweden 1	7 a.m.	Quarterfinals	Hampden Park; Glasgow, Scotland
Aug. 3	USA 2, New Zealand 0	9:30 a.m.	Quarterfinals	St. James' Park; Newcastle, England
Aug. 3	Japan 2, Brazil 0	12 p.m.	Quarterfinals	Millennium Stadium; Cardiff, Wales
Aug. 3	Canada 2, Great Britain 0	2:30 p.m.	Quarterfinals	City of Coventry Stadium; Coventry, England
Aug. 6	Japan 2, France 1	12 p.m.	Semifinals	BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Aug. 6	USA 4, Canada 3 (OT)	2:45 p.m.	Semifinals	Old Trafford Stadium; Manchester, England
Aug. 9	Canada vs. France	8 a.m.	Bronze Medal	City of Coventry Stadium; Coventry, England
Aug. 9	USA vs. Japan	2:45 p.m.	Gold Medal	Wembley Stadium; London, England

USA OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL GAME REWIND:
The USA has advanced to its fifth Olympic gold medal game. Here is a look back at the team's four previous appearances at this stage:

• Aug. 24, 2008: USA 1, Brazil 0 (OT): The U.S. held Brazil scoreless for 120 minutes and Carli Lloyd took the spotlight with a game-winning goal in the sixth minute of overtime in front of 51,612 at Worker's Stadium in Beijing. Lloyd's left-footed strike from just outside the box was the finishing touch for the USA's third gold medal in four Olympic Games. Goalkeeper Hope Solo made six saves for the clean sheet. - Carli Lloyd: "It was definitely the finest moment of my career. It was the biggest goal I had scored in my life, besides the other goal in the Olympics against Japan. It was a surreal moment."
• Aug. 26, 2004: USA 2, Brazil 1 (OT): Abby Wambach's snap header from about 12 yards out in the 112th minute flew past Brazil goalkeeper Andreia for the winner as the young Wambach capitalized on Kristine Lilly's corner kick. Lindsay Tarpley gave the USA a first-half lead in the 39th minute and Brazil's Pretinha equalized in the 73rd minute. The Athens Olympics served as the final international championship for retiring players such as Joy Fawcett, Julie Foudy and Mia Hamm. - Abby Wambach: "This is for them. It is for these players going through their last world championship: Brandi Chastain, Kristine Lilly, Joy Fawcett, Julie Foudy, Briana Scurry, Mia Hamm ... all these players that have done so much for this team. This is for them."
• Sept. 28, 2000: Norway 3, USA 2 (OT): Tiffeny Milbrett scored the game's first goal and forced overtime with a clutch tally two minutes into second-half stoppage time. But Norway had the final say with Dagny Mellgren's winner in the 102nd minute, albeit a goal that had some controversy attached to it as replays showed that Mellgren knocked the ball down with a portion of her arm before striking the golden goal. It marked the only time the USA has not captured gold in the Olympics. - Head coach April Heinrichs: We may have won the silver medal, but their game was golden tonight. I'm incredibly proud of each one and incredibly proud of their achievements. ... We couldn't have started better and it was a coach's dream to push the ball around the way we did and have as much possession as we did."
• Aug. 1, 1996: USA 2, China PR 1: Tiffeny Milbrett scored off of a strong run and pass from Joy Fawcett in the 68th minute to give the USA its first gold medal in front of 76,481 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. Fawcett attacked down the right side into the penalty area, drew a China defender and slid the ball to a wide open Milbrett. Shannon MacMillan scored the first goal in the 19th minute, rebounding Mia Hamm's initial shot that was saved by China goalkeeper Hong Gao and deflected off the post. China's Lihong Zhao tied the score at 1-1 in the 32nd minute.

U.S. ROSTER NOTES: 

• Five players on the U.S. roster have scored in this Olympics and seven total players have scored in an Olympics: Abby Wambach (4 goals in 2004; 5 goals in 2012), Carli Lloyd (2 goals in 2008; 2 goals in 2012), Heather O'Reilly (1 goal in 2004; 2 goals in 2008), Shannon Boxx (1 goal in 2004), Amy Rodriguez (1 goal in 2008), Alex Morgan (3 goals in 2012), Megan Rapinoe (3 goals in 2012) and Sydney Leroux (1 goal in 2012).
• Heath earned her 50th career international cap during Monday's win against Canada. There are now 14 players on the USA's 2012 Olympic roster who have played in 50 or more career matches.

USA vs. JAPAN SERIES

• The U.S. is 1-1-1 against Japan this year, most recently coming off a 4-1 victory on June 18 in the Volvo Winners Cup in Halmstad, Sweden. Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan each scored twice during the team's second-to-last tune-up match for the 2012 Olympics.
• The USA and Japan have faced each other three times in Olympic competition, with the U.S. winning all three meetings.

IN THE RECORD BOOKS

• Abby Wambach scored her ninth career Olympic goal during the USA's 4-3 overtime win against Canada on Aug. 6. She is atop the U.S. leaderboard in career Olympic goals, having surpassed the previous record of five held by Mia Hamm and Tiffeny Milbrett. Wambach has five goals in the 2012 Olympics alone, and her five goals in five consecutive games in this year's Summer Games is an Olympic record.
• Wambach is one goal away from matching the career Olympic goals record set by Germany's Birgit Prinz (10).

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Recap from Earlier:

U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM DEFEATS CANADA 4-3 IN DRAMA-FILLED OVERTIME MATCH TO QUALIFY FOR GOLD MEDAL GAME AT 2012 OLYMPICS

• Alex Morgan Scores Game-Winner in 123rd Minute
• Abby Wambach Equalizes at 3-3 with a Penalty Kick, Her Fifth Goal in Five Games
• Megan Rapinoe Tallies First Two U.S. Goals, the First Directly Off a Corner Kick
• USA Faces 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Champion Japan in Olympic Gold Medal Game on Thursday, Aug. 9, Live on NBC Sports Network

Alex Morgan scored the game-winning goal in the 123rd minute of the Olympic semifinal match as the U.S. Women's National Team overcame three deficits during regulation to defeat Canada 4-3 in overtime in one of the most exciting and dramatic matches in Olympic history.

The USA advances to its fifth straight gold medal game where it will face Japan in a rematch of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Final. Japan defeated France 2-1 in the other semifinal.

The gold medal match between the U.S. and Japan kicks off at 2:45 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 9, at Wembley Stadium in London. The match will be televised on the NBC Sports Network.

Midfielder Megan Rapinoe scored the first two goals for the USA and Abby Wambach scored her fifth goal in five Olympic matches to force overtime in what was the 500th international match in U.S. Women's National Team history.

In a rollicking match that saw Canada take the lead three times - all scored by star forward Christine Sinclair - the Americans battled back to tie each time and that set the stage for Morgan's dramatic game-winning goal. The USA out-shot Canada 27-7 for the match but Sinclair showed why she is one of the best goal scorers in women's soccer history.

Morgan had not scored since her two-goal performance in the USA's 4-2 victory against France in the Group G opener on July 25, but she had caused all kinds of problems for every U.S. opponent with her tremendous speed, fight and strength. She was due for a goal and it came at the most dramatic of times.

The speedy U.S. forward has shown a knack for scoring huge goals at opportune moments in her young career and this goal may have been the biggest. With just 30 seconds left in the third and final minute of stoppage time, Morgan rose over defender Chelsea Stewart to meet a cross from Heather O'Reilly and loop her header over Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod to seal an historic victory. O'Reilly had entered the game in 101^st minute for Lauren Cheney and picked up her first assist of the 2012 Olympics.

Despite the USA's strong first 20 minutes and multiple set piece opportunities, Canada broke through for the game's first tally as Canada worked the ball from the left side through Marie-Eve Nault and then Melissa Tancredi's nice touch found Sinclair running into the middle. Sinclair quickly dribbled to her right to get around Kelley O'Hara and fired into the lower left corner for the early lead in the 22^nd minute.

It took the USA until the 55th minute to tie the game and it came on the USA's fifth corner kick of the match. Taking the corner kick from the left side, Rapinoe curled her right-footed in-swinger just inside the near post for an unassisted goal. Canada had several players in the vicinity, but the ball snuck through several defenders and the goalkeeper.

The match then saw three goals in a six-minute span starting in the 67th when Tancredi's cross from the left wing found the head of Sinclair, who made a great run before powering her header into the lower left corner for the 2-1 lead.

Rapinoe brought the USA level again in the 70th minute on a world class strike from distance. O'Hara crossed all the way from the left side of the field over to Rapinoe just above the right side of the penalty box. She took a settling touch in front of Canada defender Nault and then unleashed a thrilling long-distance strike that deflected off the left post and ricocheted into the right netting.

Three minutes later, however, Canada scored off a set piece chance. Midfielder Kaylyn Kyle took the corner kick from the left and Sinclair completed her hat trick with another header, rising over her mark to place the ball inside the left over leaping U.S. defender Amy LePeilbet. The strike gave Sinclair 143 career goals and briefly moved her past Wambach for second on the all-time women's goal-scoring list behind only Mia Hamm (158 career goals).

Like everything else during Monday's game, things changed on a dime as Wambach would tie Sinclair with her 143rd career international goal by burying a penalty kick in the 80th minute.

Referee Christina Pedersen had warned McLeod for time wasting earlier in the match and finally penalized her with a whistle for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving the USA an indirect free-kick a couple yards inside the penalty area. Tobin Heath tapped the free kick to the right and Carli Lloyd took a right-footed shot that hit Nault's arm. Pederson did not hesitate to point to the spot.

Wambach calmly placed the penalty kick to the left side of the net past the diving McLeod.

The USA had a great chance to gain the lead in regulation when Morgan eluded her defender and forced McLeod to commit toward her at the near post in the 85th minute. Morgan crossed the ball toward the right side of the box where Wambach was crashing, but she pushed her sliding shot wide right of the net.

The match then went into two 15-minute overtime periods and both sides had chances. In the 100th minute, Wambach had a snap header that she directed toward the near right post but McLeod pounced on the shot.

In the 102nd minute, Canada earned a dangerous free kick just a few feet outside the right side of the penalty area, but Diana Matheson's service went over everyone and wide left of the goal. In the 104th minute, Matheson made a strong run down the right side and saw Sinclair in the middle of the box, but Rachel Buehler broke up the attack for a corner kick.

In the second overtime, O'Reilly darted into the box and was just a shade out of reach on Morgan's cross from the left that got past McLeod in the 117th minute. Two minutes later, Morgan set up Wambach for a looping header that hit the crossbar.

With the match looking destined for penalty kicks, Morgan had her moment of brilliance and the USA team now prepares for Japan in the gold medal game. The two sides battled in the championship of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, where the U.S. had two different leads but Japan eventually triumphed in the penalty kick shootout.

Additional Notes: 

• Alex Morgan scored the 30th goal of her young career, moving into a third-place tie with Brandi Chastain for 15th place in career U.S. WNT tallies.
• Morgan has a team-high 20 goals this year, moving into a tie for fourth place on the all-time list for goals during a calendar year with Mia Hamm (1998), Kristine Lilly (1999) and Abby Wambach (2007), who all had 20 goals in their respective campaigns.
• The USA improved to 93-2-5 all-time when Wambach scores a goal.
• In games where Morgan and Wambach have both contributed at least one goal, the team is now 9-0-0 this year.
• The U.S. improved to 389-57-54 all-time in its 500th international match on Monday.
• Defender Christie Rampone played in her 21st career Olympic match.
• The USA has won gold in three out of the four Olympic women's soccer tournaments that have been contested previously while also taking a silver medal in 2000.
• Becky Sauerbrunn entered the game in the 110^th minute - seeing action in her second game of the tournament - and played an excellent 10 minutes to help the USA to victory.

U.S. Women's National Team Match Report from US Soccer

Match: U.S. Women's National Team vs. Canada 
Date: Aug. 6, 2012 
Competition: 2012 Olympic Games; Semifinal 
Venue: Old Trafford; Manchester, England 
Kickoff: 7:45 p.m. local (2:45 p.m. ET) 
Attendance: 26,640 
Weather: 66 degrees, mostly cloudy 

Scoring Summary: 1  2 ET1 ET2 F 
USA                          0  3   0     1   4 
CAN                          1  2   0     0   3

CAN - Christine Sinclair (Melissa Tancredi) 22nd minute 
USA - Megan Rapinoe                                 54 
CAN - Christine Sinclair (Melissa Tancredi) 67 
USA - Megan Rapinoe (Kelley O'Hara)        70 
CAN - Christine Sinclair (Kaylyn Kyle)          73 
USA - Abby Wambach (penalty kick)            80 
USA - Alex Morgan (Heather O'Reilly)          120+3

Lineups: 
USA: 1-Hope Solo; 6-Amy LePeilbet (11-Sydney Leroux, 76), 3-Christie Rampone (capt.), 16-Rachel Buehler (4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 110), 5-Kelley O'Hara; 15-Megan Rapinoe, 10-Carli Lloyd, 12-Lauren Cheney (9-Heather O'Reilly, 101), 17-Tobin Heath; 13-Alex Morgan, 14-Abby Wambach 
Subs not used: 2-Heather Mitts, 7-Shannon Boxx, 8-Amy Rodriguez, 18-Nicole Barnhart 
Head coach: Pia Sundhage

CAN: 18-Erin McLeod; 7-Rhian Wilkinson, 4-Carmelina Moscato, 10-Lauren Sesselmann, 20-Marie-Eve Nault (3-Chelsea Stewart, 101); 8-Diana Matheson, 11-Desiree Scott, 13-Sophie Schmidt; 12-Christine Sinclair, 14-Melissa Tancredi, 16-Jonelle Filigno (6-Kaylyn Kyle, 67) 
Subs not used: 1-Karina LeBlanc, 2-Emily Zurrer, 5-Robyn Gayle, 9-Candace Chapman, 15-Kelly Parker, 17-Brittany Timko 
Head coach: John Herdman

Statistical Summary: USA / CAN 
Shots: 24 / 7 
Shots on Goal: 11 / 7 
Saves: 4 / 7 
Corner Kicks: 13 / 5 
Fouls: 20 / 22 
Offside: 2 / 0

Misconduct Summary: 
CAN - Desiree Scott (caution)         60th minute 
CAN - Melissa Tancredi (caution)   79

Officials: 
Referee: Christina Pedersen (NOR) 
Assistant Referee 1: Hege Steinlund (NOR) 
Assistant Referee 2: Lada Rojc (CRO) 
Fourth Official: Hong Eun Ah (KOR)

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USA DOWNS NEW ZEALAND IN OLYMPIC QUARTERFINALS - ADVANCES TO SEMIFINALS

The U.S. Women's National Team downed New Zealand 2-0 on Friday morning in the 2012 Olympics at St. James' Park as Abby Wambach scored her fourth goal in four matches and second-half substitute Sydney Leroux tallied her first Olympic goal late in the second half to seal the semifinal berth.

• Abby Wambach Scores Fourth Goal in Four Olympic Games to Lead USA
• Sydney Leroux Tallies First Olympic Goal to Seal Quarterfinal Win in Second Half
• USA Advances to Its Fifth Consecutive Olympic Semifinal Where it will Face Great Britain or Canada on Aug. 6 at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, Live on NBC Sports Network at 2:45 p.m. ET

The U.S. Women’s National Team downed New Zealand 2-0 on Friday in the 2012 Olympics at St. James’ Park as Abby Wambach scored her fourth goal in four matches and second-half sub Sydney Leroux tallied her first Olympic goal late in the second half to seal the semifinal berth.

The USA will face either Canada or Great Britain in the semifinals at 2:45 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 6, at Old Trafford in Manchester, England. The USA, vying for its fourth gold medal and third in a row, will also be playing in its 500th international match on Monday. Following the victory against New Zealand, the U.S. WNT improved to 388-57-54 in 499 games.

Wambach’s game-winning goal in the 27th minute gives her eight career Olympic goals and 142 for her international career. Leroux, making her third Olympic appearance, scored an insurance goal in the 87th minute. Alex Morgan notched her third assist in this year’s Olympic Games with the cross to Wambach in the 27th minute.

The win kept the USA's record intact of advancing to the semifinals of all five Olympic Games in which women's soccer has been contested. The USA has also advanced to the semifinals of all six FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments. 

"It's a winning team, so they've been living with the pressure," said U.S. WNT head coach Pia Sundhage. "I just look at the team and it feels like they perform under pressure. They like the pressure. The harder it is, the more you get out of the team." 

USA vs NEW ZEALND RECAP:

Wambach's game-winning goal in the 27th minute marked her fourth in as many matches and gave her eight career Olympic goals. Wambach now has 142 goals in her international career. Leroux, making just her third Olympic appearance off the bench, tallied her first career goal in a senior world championship and the eighth of her international career. Alex Morgan notched her third assist in this year's Olympic Games, providing the service on Wambach's goal in the 27th minute. 

Morgan sprinted to the left corner to run down a long ball from Rachel Buehler and then beat New Zealand captain Rebecca Smith to the inside before smacking her shot towards the net. Wambach stayed just onside and snuck behind Abby Erceg to redirect a right-footed shot into the net from close range. 

Morgan had her fair share of chances throughout the match, including the game's first big opportunity in the 10th minute when she found herself one-on-one against New Zealand goalkeeper Jenny Bindon. U.S. left back Kelley O'Hara sent the ball forward and Erceg had a poor touch on the ball allowing it to skip through. Morgan easily eluded the on-rushing Bindon with a dribble to the left, but had a sharp angle to shoot. She rolled her left-footed shot across the face of the open net but it skidded just wide of the right post. 

The USA was back in the attack six minutes later when an excellent U.S. build-up got midfielder Megan Rapinoe behind the defense down the right wing. Her driven cross on the ground just eluded the sliding Morgan at the near post, but rolled to the far post where Wambach smacked it wide left of the goal from close range. 

Morgan was equally as dangerous in the second half and just three minutes after the restart she got past Erceg down the right side only to slice her shot into the side netting at the right post. Seconds later, Tobin Heath sent the ball into the box where Morgan and Smith collided, sending Morgan to the ground, but no penalty was awarded. 

The oddest point in a strangely officiated match came in the 73^rd minute when Morgan got free behind the New Zealand defense on a Carli Lloyd pass straight up the middle. Bindon came out of the penalty area to challenge as Morgan touched the ball around her. The two collided with Morgan's knee smacking Bindon in the face, causing Morgan to go sprawling to the turf. Amazingly no foul was called on the play even though Bindon was the last defender, and instead, after a brief delay when both Bindon and Morgan were treated for the knocks, Argentinean referee Jesica Di Iorio restarted play with a drop-ball. 

Leroux came into the match with 10 minutes remaining and certainly made the most of her limited action, running at the New Zealand defense with speed and power, both which helped create the clinching goal. The goal came when Heath sent a pass down the left wing to Leroux, who fought off New Zealand's Smith on the left side of the box and then cut hard toward goal. She shot hard and low from a stiff angle on the left, sending her shot through Bindon's legs and into the net. Leroux soaked in the thrill of the moment with a memorable celebration and the look on her face was equal parts excitement and disbelief as her teammates embraced her. 

New Zealand's offense relied mostly on long-range attempts, putting four shots on goal compared to the USA's eight. Solo was solid in the nets, cleanly and securely holding any of New Zealand's shots from distance that were put on frame. Solo posted her 10th shutout of 2012 and the 65th clean sheet of her international career. 

Additional Notes: 

• The U.S. is 4-0-0 in this year's Olympics and has posted three consecutive shutouts.
• The USA improved to 92-2-5 all-time when Abby Wambach scores a goal.
• Midfielder Tobin Heath made her second start of the 2012 Olympics. She started in the first match of the Olympics, a 4-2 win against France on July 25, and then was a second-half sub for Heather O'Reilly against Colombia and halftime sub for Megan Rapinoe against Korea DPR.
• Defender Christie Rampone moved into sole possession of fourth place all-time on the WNT list with her 235th career international start. Rampone passed former U.S. defender Joy Fawcett, who had 234 career starts in 17 years.
• Rampone made her 20th career Olympic appearance, a USA record previously held by Joy Fawcett, Julie Foudy, Kristine Lilly and Kate Markgraf, who all played 16 Olympic matches.
• Four a fourth straight game, Amy Rodriguez came off the bench, replacing Lauren Cheney in the 90th minute.
• The USA picked up two yellow cards in the game - one to Abby Wambach and one to Carli Lloyd - but as yellow cards are wiped away after the quarterfinals, the USA will have no danger of suspensions for the rest of the tournament. Cheney came into the match with a yellow card, but as she did not receive one vs. New Zealand, she is also free and clear for the semifinal.

The U.S. is 4-0-0 in this year’s Olympics and has posted three straight shutouts. 

U.S. Women’s National Team Match Report from US SOCCER

Bud Light Woman of the Match: 

Sydney Leroux

Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. New Zealand
Date: Aug. 3, 2012
Competition: 2012 Olympic Games; Quarterfinal
Venue: St. James’ Park; Newcastle, England
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. local (9:30 a.m. ET)
Attendance: n/a
Weather: 65 degrees, sunny

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 1 1 2
NZL 0 0 0

USA – Abby Wambach (Alex Morgan) 27th minute
USA – Sydney Leroux (Tobin Heath) 87

Lineups:
USA: 1-Hope Solo; 6-Amy LePeilbet, 3-Christie Rampone (capt.), 16-Rachel Buehler, 5-Kelley O’Hara; 15-Megan Rapinoe (9-Heather O’Reilly, 71), 10-Carli Lloyd, 12-Lauren Cheney (8-Amy Rodriguez, 90+1), 17-Tobin Heath; 13-Alex Morgan (11-Sydney Leroux, 80), 14-Abby Wambach
Subs not used: 2-Heather Mitts, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 7-Shannon Boxx, 18-Nicole Barnhart
Head coach: Pia Sundhage

NZL: 1-Jenny Bindon; 2-Ria Percival, 5-Abby Erceg, 6-Rebecca Smith (capt.), 7-Ali Riley; 4-Katie Hoyle (16-Annalie Longo, 90+4), 11-Kirsty Yallop (8-Hayley Moorwood, 57), 12-Betsy Hassett, 10-Sarah Gregorius; 9-Amber Hearn, 17-Hannah Wilkinson (13-Rosie White, 77)
Subs not used: 18-Rebecca Rolls, 3-Anna Green, 14-Kristy Hill, 15-Rebekah Stott
Head coach: Tony Readings

Statistical Summary: USA / NZL
Shots: 16 / 8
Shots on Goal: 8 / 4
Saves: 4 / 6
Corner Kicks: 6 / 0
Fouls: 14 / 6
Offside: 2 / 0

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Abby Wambach (caution) 43rd minute
USA – Carli Lloyd (caution) 79

Officials:
Referee: Jesica Di Iorio (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Marina Corbo (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Maria Rocco (SWE)
Fourth Official: Therese Neguel (CMR)

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PRIOR TO THE MATCH NEWS:

The U.S. Women's National Team, which is coming off its first 3-0-0 performance in the group stage, faces New Zealand in the quarterfinals of the 2012 Olympics at 9:30 a.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 3, at St. James' Park in Newcastle, England. The match will be broadcast live on the NBC Sports Network, NBC Olympic Soccer Channel and streamed on NBC Live Extra. Should the U.S. advance past New Zealand, the team would face the winner of the Great Britain-Canada quarterfinal match on Monday, Aug. 6, in the Olympic Semifinals at Old Trafford in Manchester, England.

FOR THE RECORD BOOKS

• Abby Wambach scored her seventh career Olympic goal during the USA's 1-0 win against Korea DPR on July 31, passing the records of Mia Hamm and Tiffeny Milbrett and putting her atop the U.S. leaderboard in career Olympic goals.
• Christie Rampone moved into a tie for fourth place on the all-time WNT list with her 234th career international start on July 31, matching former U.S. defender Joy Fawcett. Fawcett had 234 starts and 239 caps in 17 years of play. Rampone has 234 starts and 263 caps in her 14th year with the U.S. WNT.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION - Detailed Roster on US Soccer
GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Hope Solo, 18-Nicole Barnhart
DEFENDERS (6): 2-Heather Mitts, 3-Christie Rampone, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 5-Kelley O'Hara, 6-Amy LePeilbet, 16-Rachel Buehler
MIDFIELDERS (6): 7-Shannon Boxx, 8-Amy Rodriguez, 9-Heather O'Reilly, 10-Carli Lloyd, 15-Megan Rapinoe, 17-Tobin Heath
FORWARDS (4): 11-Sydney Leroux, 12-Lauren Cheney, 13-Alex Morgan, 14-Abby Wambach 

GROUP G UPDATE:

• USA 1, Korea DPR 0: The U.S. already had a quarterfinal spot locked up, but the team made sure to maintain its momentum heading into the knockout phase. Abby Wambach took care of the scoring with her third goal in three Olympic Games, and the USA posted its first 3-0-0 mark in the group stage of the Olympics. Wambach's tally, the 141st of her career and U.S. WNT-best seventh in Olympic play, came in the 25th minute.
• France 1, Colombia 0: Needing a win to guarantee a place in the quarterfinals, France came through with an Elodie Thomis goal in the fifth minute to seal the deal. France could have run away with the match as Louisa Necib and Thomis also hit the frame. It was a dominant performance for France, which had a 13-2 shots on goal advantage and outshot Colombia 20-5 overall. France finished second in Group G at 2-0-1 and faces Sweden in the quarterfinals. Should France advance to the semifinals, it would face the winner of Friday's Brazil-Japan match.

U.S. ROSTER NOTES: 

• Seven players on the U.S. roster have scored in an Olympics: Abby Wambach (4 goals in 2004; 3 goals in 2012), Carli Lloyd (2 goals in 2008; 2 goals in 2012), Heather O'Reilly (1 goal in 2004; 2 goals in 2008), Shannon Boxx (1 goal in 2004), Amy Rodriguez (1 goal in 2008), Alex Morgan (2 goals in 2012) and Megan Rapinoe (1 goal in 2012), who had the game-winning tally against Colombia on July 28.
• Only three U.S. WNT players have been on the field for all 270 minutes in the 2012 Olympics: goalkeeper Hope Solo, defender and team captain Christie Rampone and defender Kelley O'Hara, who turns 24 years old on Sunday, Aug. 4. 

USA vs. NEW ZEALAND SERIES

• The U.S. is 8-1-0 against New Zealand and heads into Friday's game with eight straight victories in the series.
• The two sides most recently met on Feb. 11, 2012, in a match played in freezing temperatures in Frisco, Texas. Hannah Wilkinson scored in the 49th minute and the Americans had the chase the game for the rest of the way. Alex Morgan then tallied the tying and game-winning goals in the closing minutes to defeat New Zealand 2-1 in front of a sellout crowd of 25,677 at FC Dallas Stadium.

U.S. WNT to Host Australia on Sept. 16: The U.S. will host its second post-2012 London Olympics international friendly against Australia at 12:30 p.m. PT on Sunday, Sept. 16, at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The match will be broadcast live on NBC. The U.S. WNT will kick off its post-Olympics against Costa Rica on Sept. 1 at 2:30 p.m. ET at Sahlen's Stadium in Rochester, N.Y., the hometown of star striker Abby Wambach. That game also will be broadcast live on NBC.