LYON, France — Sophia Smith’s decisive goal in extra time secured the United States a place in the gold medal match at the Paris Olympics, as they defeated Germany 1-0 in the semifinal on Tuesday.
Under new coach Emma Hayes, the U.S. women’s soccer team remains unbeaten in the tournament and will be chasing their fifth gold medal in six Olympic finals. They will face Brazil in the championship match after Brazil’s 4-2 victory over Spain in the other semifinal. Germany will compete against Spain for the bronze medal on Friday in Lyon.
Smith broke the deadlock just five minutes into extra time, skillfully evading defender Felicitas Rauch and German goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger. This marked her third goal of the tournament, and she celebrated by falling to the ground before embracing teammate Mallory Swanson. “I saw a little opening in the net and thought, ‘I’ve got to put it there. Just put it there,’” Smith said. “It was a good feeling. Sometimes one is all it takes.”
After the final whistle, U.S. players rushed to celebrate with goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who made a crucial save in the final moments of the second extra period. “The goal is closer but the job’s not done yet,” Swanson stated. “We’re on a high right now, but it’s important to stay steady.”
Earlier in the tournament, the U.S. had defeated Germany 4-1. The American team did not reach the finals in the last two Olympic tournaments, having been eliminated in the quarterfinals in 2016 and facing a bronze medal finish at the Tokyo Games.
Germany missed experienced captain Alexandra Popp, who was ill, while Lea Schuller was absent due to a knee injury. The U.S. included defender Tierna Davidson in the game-day roster after she missed the last two matches due to injury, and midfielder Sam Coffey returned after missing the quarterfinals on yellow card accumulation.
The first half saw few chances from both sides, with Klara Buehl forcing a diving save from Naeher in the 29th minute, only for the effort to be ruled offside. Germany focused on defense throughout the match due to the absence of key players.
In the second half, the game opened up, yet neither team could capitalize on their opportunities until Smith’s late goal. U.S. coach Hayes reflected on the match, stating, “This is top level; you’re only going to get one shot. I’m really proud of our ability to just hang in, even though it was tough.”
The U.S. reached the semifinals following a narrow 1-0 victory over Japan, while Germany advanced after a penalty shootout win against Canada. Historically, the U.S. has had the upper hand against Germany, boasting 27 wins in their 38 encounters. Their last Olympic semifinal clash took place in 2004, where the U.S. triumphed 2-1 on their way to gold.