Sports

See the Amazing Moment the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Beat Canada in Extra Time to Reach Gold-Medal Game

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The U.S. women’s soccer team has another come-from-behind, last-minute thriller to add to its legacy. The Americans won’t have much time to celebrate it: It’s time to focus on winning it all.

This is the moment the U.S. players have been eyeing for more than a year, a rematch with Japan on Thursday at Wembley Stadium with gold on the line. The top-ranked Americans lost to Japan on penalty kicks in the World Cup final last summer, a stunning blow that became a source of motivation as the players prepared for the Olympics.

“This is redemption for us,” midfielder Carli Lloyd said. “We know how hard it was for us after that game. It hurt us for a really long time.”

U.S. Womens Soccer Team Wins on Header by Alex Morgan

The United States' Alex Morgan, far right, scores past Canada's goalkeeper Erin Mcleod, second from left, in the final minutes of extra time in the semi-final women's soccer match between the USA and Canada in the 2012 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 6, 2012, at Old Trafford in Manchester, England. Credit: AP

The U.S. team was ten minutes away from another devastating loss in the Olympic semifinals Monday night when it caught a break. Canada goalkeeper Erin McLeod was whistled for holding the ball too long, a violation often committed but rarely enforced. The dominoes fell in quick succession: an indirect kick, a hand ball, a penalty kick. Score tied.

“We feel like it was taken away from us,” Canada forward Christine Sinclair said. “It’s a shame in a game like that, which is so important, that the ref decided the result before the game started.”

U.S. Womens Soccer Team Wins on Header by Alex Morgan

Canada's goalkeeper Erin Mcleod, left, reacts after her team lost the semifinal women's soccer match to the United States at the 2012 London Summer Olympics, in Manchester, England, Monday, Aug. 6, 2012. Credit: AP

The Americans then put together a final winning surge. In the third and final minute of injury time that had been added on to extra time – with goalkeeper Hope Solo mentally preparing for a penalty kick shootout – Alex Morgan looped in a 6-yard header on a long cross from Heather O’Reilly, giving the U.S. a 4-3 win in the Olympic semifinals at Old Trafford.

“I don’t have much to say because I need to wrap my head around what just happened,” Solo said. “And that’s the truth of the matter. We tend to keep things interesting.”

Canada, seeking the country’s first Summer Games medal in a traditional team sport since 1936, will play France for the bronze on Thursday at Coventry, but it will take a while to get over this one. Canada’s coach felt cheated, and lashed out with criticism of Norwegian referee Christiana Pedersen.

“The ref, she will have to sleep in bed tonight after watching the replays,” said Canada coach John Herdman, who also felt that Pedersen missed a hand ball in front of the U.S. goal. “She’s gonna have to live with that. We will move on from this. I wonder if she will be able to.”

Pedersen cited McLeod was for holding the ball more than six seconds. McLeod said she did not receive the customary warning from the referee beforehand, although she did say the linesman had told her at the start of the second half not to slow down play.

The violation gave the Americans an indirect free kick inside the area. Rapinoe took the kick and rammed it into the Canadian wall, the ball glancing off the arm of Marie-Eve Nault. Pedersen then awarded the U.S. a penalty kick, which co-captain Abby Wambach converted off the left post.

U.S. Womens Soccer Team Wins on Header by Alex Morgan

The United States' Abby Wambach, right, scores a penalty past Canada's goalkeeper Erin Mcleod, left, during the semifinal women's soccer match between the USA and Canada in the 2012 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 6, 2012, at Old Trafford in Manchester, England. Credit: AP

“I think the referee was very one-sided,” McLeod said. “It was an interesting sequence of events. I think we outplayed the Americans the entire game. I think it’s unfortunate the calls went the way that they did. Of course, the Americans are a great soccer team, and today we were better, and the luck went their way.”

The Americans had little sympathy for McLeod’s complaints.

“There were a few other times throughout the game that she held it for 18 seconds, for 10 seconds,” Wambach said. “You can’t blame something on the referee.”

The Americans overcame three one-goal deficits, all due to goals from Sinclair in the 22nd, 67th and 73rd minutes. Megan Rapinoe scored in the 54th and 70th minutes, and Wambach converted the penalty kick in the 80th for the U.S.

Sinclair and Wambach are now tied for second all-time with 143 international goals apiece, both chasing Mia Hamm’s world record of 158.

In many ways this match was reminiscent of the comeback against Brazil in last year’s World Cup, when Wambach scored in the waning seconds of extra time in a shootout win in the quarterfinals.

The result maintains the Americans’ dominance of their neighbor to the north, extending their unbeaten streak against Canada to 27 games (23-0-4). The U.S. leads the series 44-3-5, the last loss coming at the Algarve Cup in 2001.

Herdman said before the game that the run of futility against the Americans was on the minds of his players, and he addressed it with them in the run-up to the match. He also injected some pregame intrigue by accusing the Americans of using “highly illegal,” overly physical tactics on free kicks and corner kicks.

U.S. Womens Soccer Team Wins on Header by Alex Morgan

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 06: Alex Morgan #13 of the United States celebrates with her team-mates after scoring the winning goal in extra time during the Women's Football Semi Final match between Canada and USA, on Day 10 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Old Trafford on August 6, 2012 in Manchester, England. Credit: Getty Images

“Their coach prepared them very well,” Wambach said. “He had a very good tactic yesterday, by making it a media (event) to say that we do illegal stuff. I give him credit for that because it’s something that he was trying to do to rally his team around him.”

But the Americans had the final word, with Morgan’s goal avoiding the penalty kick shootout no one wanted to see.

“The team refuses to lose,” U.S. coach Pia Sundhage said. “There is something where they have an extra gear.”

Comments (58)

  • Antares
    Posted on August 11, 2012 at 5:13pm

    Whatever you think of the calls for the US, the Canadian side was playing like thugs. There could’ve been more fouls, more cards, and they could’ve easily been playing with 10.

    Also, I’m a conservative who believes governments should be so small they cannot discriminate. If you‘re a social conservative who enjoys women’s soccer, you should examine your stance on gays and lesbians. Some of the players you were cheering for may not mesh with your social views. Take the opportunity to search your mind on the values of hard work and dedication, not on drawing lines on who the hard working and dedicated decide to love.

    Report Post »  
  • blair152
    Posted on August 8, 2012 at 4:42pm

    Now Canada’s behaving like a sore loser.

    Report Post »  
  • Eastinfection
    Posted on August 8, 2012 at 8:08am

    Dear USA womens soccer team. I beg you, for the love of God, please- no more breakdancing. Herbie Hancock is still laughing at you.

    Report Post » Eastinfection  
  • Rumrunner3
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:00pm

    Go USA

    Report Post » Rumrunner3  
    • dugbru
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 11:54pm

      Enjoy your tainted medal… Even you know on some level just how corupted that win was.. In any event enjoy the silver…

      Report Post »  
    • JuanP
      Posted on August 8, 2012 at 2:19am

      Canadians were a disgrace. The USA was robbed of two clear penalties and Tancredi should have been ejected for her cowardly head stomp of a totally vulnerable US player on the ground. And then to complain after the game that THEY were robbed? Unbelievable. What a bunch of losers.

      Report Post »  
  • LittleSmidge
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 8:54pm

    This was a sham and a shame. Too bad.

    Report Post »  
  • potvin
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 6:53pm

    The US team didn’t beat anyone. They were handed the game by a corrupt official.

    Report Post »  
  • Larry E
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 2:17pm

    Watched the whole game and Ms McLeod was hanging onto the ball before she put back into play like it was hers to keep. Yes the ref usually issues a warning, but it’s not necessary to issue a warning before calling a foul for time wasting (unsportsmanlike conduct). The ref was as far as I could see pretty even handed throughout the game, and although Sinclair scored some very nice goals, it was a pretty much even game throughout. The US women scored the needed goal and Canada didn’t. End of story.

    That being said I certainly hope that Canada cleans up on France Thursday, and that we do the same to Japan.

    Report Post »  
    • Guerrino_P
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 3:30pm

      Larry,

      The USA had it all: Great talent. Great team. And a BS call by the ref. Go Japan!

      Report Post »  
    • LibertyOrDeath12
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 5:48pm

      All sports are rigged. Entertainment for the Sheeple.

      Report Post »  
    • chevy65
      Posted on August 8, 2012 at 2:51am

      Larry, I can understand your bias. Most people will naturally cheer for their own. You did mention that NORMALLY a ref gives the player a yellow warning card well before they call a penalty. In a case such as this, in a game that is in the closing minutes you don’t go calling a foul like that against the goalkeeper. And you most definitely don’t do it before giving a warning. The next call that was made was against the Canadian player for the ball hitting her arm was also a questionable call. She had made no attempt to “use” her arm. She couldn’t have had the time to intentionally do it. I am told that that is also a ref’s decision as to whether to call a foul or not. So, you can say what you want about the USA being the better team that day or not, but I do know that the ref did play a very important roll in the US win.

      Report Post »  
  • TYM
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 1:47pm

    Interesting comments from the losing side. Canada did not dominate the run of the game by any stretch, but had an absolutely incredible perfomance from Ms. Sinclair. As for the refereeing……….now the Canadian folks know how we fet when the Canadian referee interfered with the play resulting in Sidney Crosby’s winning goal in the last Winter Olympics. It sucks to lose. I think the countries are now even.

    Report Post »  
    • LittleSmidge
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 8:45pm

      I don’t know about the Crosby thing, but Canada got royally jobbed in England.

      Report Post »  
  • saranda
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 12:22pm

    I watched the BBC coverage of the game. They agreed with the Canadian assessment of both false. The six second rule was ridiculous and the handball call needs to be called as “hand to ball, not ball to hand”.

    We did not deserve that win, but good teams find a way to win and we did that.

    Report Post »  
    • The_Eye
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 5:33pm

      With all due respect you are wrong on both counts. She was holding the ball all game and was warned by a linesmen AT HALFTIME and continued to hold the ball. A linesman warning you is the same as the head referee warning you. In fact they probably got the instruction from the head referee.
      So calling her for delay was in no way a bogus call especially considering she had the ball 11 seconds before the ref even called it. (it’s supposed to be 6 seconds max)
      Finally, it was not ball to hand. She was in the wall and raised her arm up to protect her chest from getting hit. I ‘get’ a person having that reflex, however, that reflex happens to be a penalty. Had she just let the ball hit her chest Canada is maybe in the Gold medal game.
      All in all they didn’t deserve to win in any event. Alex Morgan is a start and showed it all game by torching Canada at will.
      It was a fair call on both counts and Canada needs to stop with the ‘we were cheated’ BS every time their men‘s and women’s soccer teams lose to the US.

      Report Post »  
    • dugbru
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 11:56pm

      Thank you for the honest assessment ..

      Report Post »  
    • chevy65
      Posted on August 8, 2012 at 3:04am

      How would you feel if your favorite basketball team got a 3 seconds in the key penalty with about 30 seconds left in the 7th game of the NBA finals.? That penalty was obviously the difference in your teams lose. you don’t think you would be a little pissed?

      Report Post »  
  • lonewolf
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 11:30am

    This is why Canada isnt the USA…………………

    Report Post »  
    • saranda
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 6:17pm

      No, this why Canada is not the US……..Canada puts the ball out of bounds so an injured US defender can receive help, despite Canada having an offensive advantage at that moment (twitter lights up with comments of great sportsmanship). US Wambach stands beside ref and counts the seconds out loud to attempt to draw a penalty (not exactly sportsman like, but certainly good gamesmanship). Real difference is most Americans see the Canadian move as weak and Wambach as smart.

      personally, i prefer my daughters learn from the Canadian example.

      Report Post »  
    • Quagmir
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 7:10pm

      Canada is or isnt the USA has nothing to do with soccer.

      And you really want your kid to learn that just because the other side is hurt, we should call a timeout? aint winning many wars that way…A side you may again be with Canada on….

      Report Post » Quagmir  
    • saranda
      Posted on August 8, 2012 at 7:23pm

      @quagmkr – good analogy…….comparing sportsmanship to winning a war. What a moron. Yes, I do want my kids to respect the game first.

      Report Post »  
  • svan71
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:09am

    Im so glad she didnt rip her shirt off and flex…

    Report Post » svan71  
  • 4xeverything
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:08am

    I woke up the the rerun of this game late last night. AWESOME!!!!

    Report Post » 4xeverything  
  • RobbieTLHughie
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:04am

    Two years ago y’all hated soccer…

    Report Post » RobbieTLHughie  
  • CPT_GCF
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:56am

    Canada needs to learn how to accept defeat. Even before the game the coach said that the USA wins through “highly illegal tactics.” What does that even mean? Then, after the game, we are accused of getting help from the referee. It’s clear that when Rapinoe was hit in the arm by the ball, her arm was hanging naturally by her side. However, when TWO Canadian players lifted their arms when the ball was coming at them, and it hit both their arms, it was a handball in the box. There were bad calls made on both sides and no calls made on both sides, but that’s just part of the game. Canada just wants to whine about something.

    Report Post »  
    • leyland
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 12:54pm

      THANK YOU for describing what ACTUALLY happened! and if one watches the replay, one can clearly see the ref already calling the handball as it passes the FIRST Canadian who turned sideways and thought she could sneak that elbow in to move the ball towards the sideline – however, the ball was hammered thru her ‘handball’ to the next Canadian who also tried to sneak in the lower arm… All players know after they ‘corner’ the ref when they make a call (she had been warned about holding the ball too long), be very careful the next few minutes.

      Report Post »  
    • DesdemonasCrew
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 3:08pm

      Canada: America’s hat.

      Report Post » DesdemonasCrew  
    • dugbru
      Posted on August 8, 2012 at 12:01am

      LOL maybe Canada needs to learn to accept defeat, BUT they have done that several times against the USA.. What Canada does not accept is the USA being aided by the refereeing. Fifa got what they wanted which was a Japan USA rematch.. Hence the ****** calls. BTW maybe you could spend some time teaching the Americans how to be gracefull winners, especialy Wambach and Solo.. give it a try and good luck with that.

      Report Post »  
    • JuanP
      Posted on August 8, 2012 at 2:26am

      What Canada did was NOT play soccer. Right from her first possession, McLeod was holding the ball for 15 seconds at a time. Abby Wambach saidi that the ref warned McLeod repeatedly and McLeod acknowledged the warning. And then, for the coach, McLeod, and Sinclair to deny this after the game just shows the kind of people they are. Not to mention the two clear penalties in the box that weren’t called against the Canadians. And if you have not seen Tancredi’s stomp. Go watch it and then try to complain about how the ref screwed you. Next time try to play soccer not rather than turn the game into an exercise in time wasting Mixed Martial Arts. Your team is a disgrace and your fans are ridiculous. The US got hosed by the refs in this game and still prevailed. We win we don’t whine.

      Report Post »  
  • TROONORTH
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:55am

    The Olympics are a total waste of time and should be closed down with the billions of dollars saved, invested in something that really matters. The best players of every nation are already playing their sports professionally and should never be allowed to play on Olympic teams ( NHL, NBA etc). The fact that those in charge bend the rules to allow professionals to play against amateurs reduces the Olympics to a joke. A bad joke.

    Report Post » TROONORTH  
    • Deepizzaguy
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 8:50pm

      I agree with you Troonorth. As Jesse Ventura would say when he worked alongside Vince Mc Mahon on the W W F pay per view Wrestlemania VII when Hulk Hogan won the W W F heavyweight title against Ted DiBiase with help from the late Macho Man Randy Savage hit Ted with a chair shot. ” A tainted victor McMahon.” The Olympics today are a joke. Too many sports very little television coverage.

      Report Post » Deepizzaguy  
  • stumc
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:07am

    There were also a couple of late fouls inside the box against US players that were not called, so it could have been won in regulation. Canada was very tired and started mking late challeges.

    Report Post »  
    • The_Eye
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 5:35pm

      Another good point. Alex Morgan was fouled in the box on at least two occasions. If Canada wants that penalty back, OK then we‘ll take the two that weren’t called in favor of Alex.

      Report Post »  
    • LittleSmidge
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 8:50pm

      Bad officiating throughout much of the match. Doesn’t change the fact that bad officiating gave us the win in the end. Not a very groovy feeling. Not a victory I can celebrate.

      Report Post »  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 8:11am

    Soccer is pretty exciting…when you condense a game down to a 50 second video.

    Report Post » Gonzo  
    • circleDwagons
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 8:20am

      You could say the same for basketball, tennis, golf … rowing… long distance running…car racing…

      Report Post » circleDwagons  
    • Gonzo
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:27am

      I would disagree on tennis.

      Report Post » Gonzo  
    • oinia
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 11:54am

      Golf would only be mildly exciting if you condensed it, then played it back at twice the speed. In reverse. That might be make a minute of quality entertainment.

      Report Post » oinia  
  • Mapache
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 8:10am

    Like the way that Canada is handling the call with grace and sportsmanship.

    Report Post » Mapache  
    • HuskerDave
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:17am

      Except for the comments by their forward suggesting that the referee had decided the game before it was played. That’s sour grapes. I watched this match, and I thought for a while that Canada was getting away with a lot of fouls that should have been called. Overall, I think the referee called a very fair game. If I were a Canadian player I would be upset with the result – but not with the game overall. Both sides played an exciting game.

      Report Post »  
  • circleDwagons
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 8:02am

    I’m not sure i like the hand ball call. Must watch rerun again.

    Report Post » circleDwagons  
  • wjbtms
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 7:59am

    We have a home town girl on the team, Abby and we love her to death….a fantastic lady and athlete.

    Report Post »  
    • FlagWavingPatriot
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 8:19am

      She is a tremendous warrior, physically and mentally!

      USA! USA! USA! GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

      Report Post »  
  • Johann
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 7:59am

    The big American media corporations own the olympics games. There would be no surprise to find out that the officials are in their pay. After all these games are all about television audience and the Americans are the biggest tv watchers in the world with the most money to spend; it is necessary for Americans to play in the big games. Did you ever wonder why American professional basketball players all of them multi millionaires are allowed to play in these games? It is all for the bucks. Think about poor Jim Thorpe who lost his medals because he accepted five hundred dollars to play in a professional game. Today the New American World State controls everythng and has corrupted everything it touches.

    Report Post »  
    • circleDwagons
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 8:15am

      I agree about basketball. And you can add tennis. These games should be about the younger non pro players.

      Report Post » circleDwagons  
    • FlagWavingPatriot
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 8:21am

      If it’s all about money, how come the US men’s team failed to even qualify for the Olympics?

      Report Post »  
    • Cashpipe
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 9:22am

      We have NBA players playing because we used to put up college athletes against pro’s from other nations.

      Report Post »  
    • fatman6502002
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 3:20pm

      Yes the game was terribly refereed but it was bad both ways and the bad calls and no calls evened out in the end. There were two obvious canadian fouls in the box, each of which should have ended up in US penalty kicks, that ended up no calls and there were several fouls on brute that Tancredi (dont get me wrong, I love her she’s hot and a really good player but she is an absolute bully on the pitch and the ref let her get away with a lot of nasty stuff). Anyway Tancredi got called for 7 fouls and she could have been called for 12 or more. The bad calls went both ways so suck it up Canada your team is now nearly an elite level team, in fact it is talent wise, but before you learn how to win the big ones with grace your team first has to learn to accept their losses with grace. That is the most important lesson to learn before you can get to the level the US is at. You’re almost there you just lean to learn a few more lessons. Either way the US vs Canada may shortly become the best rivalry in women’s soccer.

      Report Post »  
    • chevy65
      Posted on August 8, 2012 at 3:16am

      Fat man, your a joke. You don’t need to go spouting off about how the Canadians need to learn some grace. The Americans are the worst examples in the world at not showing enough grace. They generally think they have a God given right to the top spot. Canadians are probably one of the kindest people in the world. If you think otherwise, you are thinking in ignorance.

      Report Post »  
  • MotoMofo
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 7:52am

    You didn’t win that – Obama

    Report Post » MotoMofo  
    • drbage
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 8:11am

      That must have been NBC(No Brains Channel)’s reasoning for showing little known sports during what many have said was one of the best soccer matches ever. Just like a couple of days ago when we got to see sculling and whitewater (where there were NO Americans in the competition) instead of the judo match where there was an American in the gold medal match for the first time in history and she was a woman with quite a backstory. When I called my local NBC affiliate to complain about the coverage or non-coverage of important events, I got the answer I expected…”We offered a subscription package, but you must have chosen not to pay.”

      Report Post »  
    • HuskerDave
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 10:28am

      Motomofo.. LOL!

      Report Post »  
  • MotoMofo
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 7:52am

    w00t!

    Report Post » MotoMofo  
  • KingCanon
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 7:39am

    I love these kind of endings… don’t you?

    Report Post » KingCanon  
  • jas0707
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 7:30am

    u s a u s a u s a !!

    Report Post »  

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