Olympic Women’s Football: Spain And The USA Advances To Semifinals

The quarter-finals of the women’s football tournament delivered drama and excitement, with Spain overcoming a daunting challenge from Colombia and the United States edging past Japan in tightly contested matches.

As the tournament progresses, the stakes are higher than ever, both teams are now one step closer to the coveted gold medal.

Spain Survives a Scare Against Colombia

Spain, the reigning World Cup champions, faced a major scare before ultimately triumphing over Colombia in a penalty shoot-out at Lyon.

The match, which ended 2-2 after extra time, displayed Spain’s resilience and fighting spirit as they battled back from a two-goal deficit to secure their place in the semi-finals.

Colombia took an early lead with a stunning goal from Mayra Ramirez, who found the back of the net in the first half. The South American side doubled their advantage shortly after the break when Leicy Santos capitalized on a saved shot from Linda Caicedo, making it 2-0 and leaving Spain on the brink of elimination.

However, the Spanish team, known for their technical qualities and determination, refused to back down. In the 79th minute, Jennifer Hermoso pulled one back for Spain, giving them a glimmer of hope.

The match reached a dramatic climax when captain, Irene Paredes scored in the seventh minute of injury time, converting a cross from Salma Paralluelo to level the score at 2-2 and force extra time.

Irene Paredes celebrating her equalizing goal against Colombia with her teammates

With neither team able to find the net in the additional 30 minutes, the match proceeded to penalties.

Spain displayed composure under pressure, scoring all four of their penalty attempts. In contrast, Colombia’s Catalina Usme had her first kick saved, and Liana Salazar also missed, resulting in a 4-2 victory for Spain in the shoot-out.

Ballon d’Or winner, Aitana Bonmati converted the decisive kick, sending Spain through to the semi-finals, where they will face either host France or Brazil.

Cata Coll saved a penalty and Aitana Bonmati scored the wining penalty against Colombia

This marks a historic moment for Spain, as they aim for gold in their first Olympic women’s football appearance.

USA Edges Past Japan in Tense Quarter-Final

United States women’s national soccer team forward Trinity Rodman

In another thrilling quarter-final, the United States narrowly defeated Japan 1-0, thanks to a stunning extra-time goal from Trinity Rodman. The match, held at the Parc des Princes in Paris, was a tactical battle, with Japan employing a defensive strategy that frustrated the American offense for much of the game.

Trinity Rodman scored a beautiful goal against Japan

The USA, under new English head coach Emma Hayes, dominated possession but struggled to break down Japan’s five-player backline. Despite several attempts, the American front three of Rodman, Mallory Swanson, and Sophia Smith found it challenging to convert their chances into goals.

As the match went on, it appeared that the game might end in a draw, forcing penalties.

However, Rodman had other ideas. In stoppage time at the end of the first half of extra time, she received a long diagonal ball from Crystal Dunn, controlled it beautifully, and turned Japanese defender, Hikaru Kitagawa inside out before unleashing a powerful shot into the far corner of the net.

This moment of brilliance secured the USA’s place in the semi-finals.

Rodman’s goal marked her third of the tournament, making her one of the joint-top scorers for the USA alongside Swanson.

The victory maintains the USA’s quest for a record-extending fifth Olympic gold medal, and their first since they last triumphed in London in 2012.

Looking Ahead

With both Spain and the USA advancing to the semi-finals, the stage is set for two exciting matchups. Spain will face the winner of the clash between France and Brazil, while the USA will meet either reigning Olympic champions Canada or 2016 gold medallists Germany.