USSoccer.com I
CanadaSoccer.com
Former Portland Pilots women’s soccer standouts Christine Sinclair and Megan Rapinoe combined to score five goals as the United States defeated Canada 4-3 in extra time in a dramatic Olympics Semifinal match at Old Trafford in Manchester, England on Monday. The Americans advance to play Japan for the gold medal, while Team Canada will face France for the bronze.
The two former UP teammates, who were both on Portland’s National Championship Team in 2005, exchanged goals during the game’s first 73 minutes as Sinclair gave Canada the lead three different times. Rapinoe responded twice with equalizers, with the first coming off of a corner kick to tie the score at 1-1. Rapinoe curled in a ball in from the left corner that somehow snuck inside the near post.
Rapinoe’s second game-tying goal came on a rocket from the top of the box in the 70th minute that skimmed the inside of the left post before going in. It’s the first two-goal game in Rapinoe’s international career.
Sinclair wasted little time to respond giving the Canadian’s the lead once again with her third goal only three minutes later. Sinclair now has 143 international goals.
Abby Wambach then became the first non-Pilot to score a goal when she converted a PK in the 80th minute. And then with the score still tied and the game most likely heading to a penalty kick shootout, Alex Morgan tallied the game-winner for the Americans with a goal in the 123rd minute.
Team USA advances to its fifth straight gold medal game, setting up a rematch of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Defending World Cup champion Japan defeated France 2-1 in Monday’s other semifinal. Japan and the U.S. kick off their gold medal match at 11:45 a.m. (Pacific) on Thursday, Aug. 9, at Wembley Stadium in London. The match will be televised on the NBC Sports Network.
The USA is vying for its fourth Olympic gold medal and third in a row.
The Canada-France bronze medal match will take place on Aug. 9 at the City of Coventry Stadium in Coventry, England. Kick-off is slated for 5 a.m., and Canada is looking for its first ever Olympics medal in women’s soccer.
