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U.S. women's soccer beats Brazil 1-0, wins gold
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It was a defensive gold, a gold driven by some sloppy moments and about 15 minutes worth of hang-on-for-your-life.” It was a gold that took a perfect strike, gutty defending, and a keeper battling demons of the past right up until the final whistle. But all that mattered at the end of 120 minutes was that they had the medal in hand, and the joyous on-field celebration from the U.S. women’s soccer team, combined with the uncontrollable tears of Brazil’s Cristiane, told it all.
Revenge is sweet, and gold is downright euphoric.
There can be no doubt after the game that Brazil’s Marta is the world’s best player. She sees and does things others can only dream about, but the Americans committed from the opening whistle to keeping both defenders and midfielders back to help. That didn’t stop Marta from getting opportunities, but it did limit them greatly.
However, the U.S. offense struggled for much of regulation to hold onto possession – instead choosing to play low-percentage long balls. But then at around the 75th minute, you could see Brazil become visibly exhausted.
Suddenly the U.S. got their chances, and could have ended it in regulation had Amy Rodriguez not tried to chip the keeper rather than take the ball further in. But they would not be denied in extra time, using a beautiful build-up play (which was missing earlier) to set up Carli Lloyd for a gorgeously memorable strike into the right corner of the net. Lloyd could even have finished the Brazilians off in the second period of extra time, but was unlucky to hit the post.
It seems like most people still assume the dominance of the USA in women’s soccer. It most likely has to do with the 1999 World Cup, when the squad took the nation by storm and become of the story of the summer.
But the world has caught up, and the U.S. hasn’t won either of the last two World Cups. And after losing 4-0 to Brazil in last year’s World Cup, this was a statement game that the Americans were still a great team and capable of winning the big tournaments.
They did it despite the doubts that came after a 2-0 loss to Norway in the first game of the Olympic tournament. They did it without star forward Abby Wambach, who broke her leg before the Olympics. They did it against the world’s scariest player, holding on for the final period of extra-time despite constant assaults by the Brazilians on their goal.
And they did it with Hope Solo in goal, who backed up every one of her claims and exorcised every demon.
She denied a rocket from Marta in the 72nd minute. She dove to deflect a Marta cross in extra time and desperately leaped to punch out a corner kick despite being fouled near the end of the game. And she got some help, with Brazil hitting the side netting and missing a few opportunities.
After that 4-0 loss in September and the goalie controversy that followed it, it had been a rough, pressurized 11 months for both Solo and her team.
But after 120 exhausting minutes across the ocean in China, the cure-all solution was draped around their necks.
