For 106 minutes, the United States and Japan slogged via their 2024 Olympic ladies’s soccer quarterfinal to the purpose of occasional jeers from the gang because of the gradual, passive nature of the sport. To name it a chess match can be beneficiant; tactical wit was offset by technical lapses that prevented a breakthrough.
Then got here the inevitable: Trinity Rodman.
Rodman collected an extended diagonal ball — a tactic the USWNT largely prevented previous to that — from Crystal Dunn, then minimize inside Japan defender Hikaru Kitagawa and smashed a left-footed shot into the far higher nook to clinch a 1-0 victory.
The purpose despatched the People via to the semifinals and ensures they are going to play for a medal subsequent week. It was additionally a reward for USWNT head coach Emma Hayes’ insistence on persistence and steadfast need to stay together with her trusted core of gamers regardless of the three-day turnaround of the Olympic matches. The method produced a efficiency not like some other on report for a U.S. crew recognized to play direct and thrive in transition.
The USWNT completed the match with 1,026 passes tried, probably the most in a recreation by any crew in both of the previous three Olympics or previous 4 World Cups, per ESPN Stats & Info. (Spain set the earlier mark with 925 vs. Japan earlier at these Olympics.) Previous to Saturday, the USWNT’s earlier excessive mark for tried passes in a match over that very same time was 649, in a 13-0 win over Thailand on the 2019 World Cup.
Saturday may very well be seen because the turning level within the People’ id, and it has been solid by acquainted protagonists.
Hayes made only one change to her beginning lineup once more, inserting Korbin Albert — who hit a shocking game-winning purpose towards Australia on Wednesday — into the holding midfield position instead of the suspended Sam Coffey. Emily Sonnett began at center-back once more instead of the injured Tierna Davidson. The USWNT used the least quantity of rotation in an Olympics for the reason that 2000 Video games, a development that continued as Hayes opted to not make a substitution via regulation.
Japan arrange in a compact 5-4-1 defensive form that challenged the People to seek out a person second of brilliance and precision to interrupt via. The duty was just like the one confronted three days earlier towards Australia, besides Japan is a extra proficient and disciplined aspect.
It resulted in a slog of a match.
The USWNT held 70% possess and tried over 1,000 passes, numbers that Japan fortunately conceded because the USWNT probed laterally with out inflicting issues going ahead. The People’ 31 touches contained in the opponent’s field and 0.69 anticipated objectives, per TruMedia, solely marginally bettered Japan, which was comfortable to sit down again and discover particular person moments on the counterattack.
Essentially the most clear-cut alternatives of the primary half got here from Japan 35 minutes into the match, first when Mina Tanaka separated from Lindsey Horan within the field however scuffed a shot, then a minute afterward a counterattack that ended with Miyabi Moriya skying her volley over the bar.
This was exactly the kind of recreation Hayes had warned about, one which examined the USWNT’s new id to its core. For years, the People met low blocks — from proficient and inferior groups alike — with a way of palpable frustration and impatience, typically lumping balls ahead.
Hayes, who had confronted loads of disciplined defensive opponents in her earlier 12 years at Chelsea, has preached restraint. The USWNT was affected person to a fault at instances on Saturday, settling for lateral passes at speeds too gradual to drag Japan out of practice.
USWNT center-back Naomi Girma performed 105 passes within the first half alone, greater than some other participant in a complete knockout recreation of a World Cup or Olympics courting again to 2011, when Opta began measuring.
Saturday was the embodiment of all the pieces Hayes and her gamers have stated they’d do. Nonetheless, it required a second of brilliance from Rodman to safe a end result and forestall the match from being determined in a penalty shootout.
Rodman has been the USWNT’s most dependable attacking participant, contributing a purpose or an help in all 4 Olympic matches (a primary for the USWNT since 2012, per Opta) and persevering with her streak as the one participant to have appeared in each match for the crew for the reason that begin of 2023.
Her purpose on Saturday made her the youngest USWNT participant to attain in a knockout-round recreation of the Olympics since 20-year-old Lindsay Tarpley scored within the 2004 gold medal recreation.
The problem forward is now additionally oddly acquainted to the one which loomed after Wednesday’s ultimate whistle: What are the implications of the USWNT’s scarce rotation come the semifinals towards Germany (a crew the People defeated 4-1 within the group stage) or previous foe Canada? A part of Saturday’s gradual recreation state and heavy touches might undoubtedly be credited to heavy legs from USWNT gamers.
Coffey will return from suspension, whereas Davidson’s well being stays in query. Jaedyn Shaw made the sport day roster (which had solely 17 gamers on account of Coffey’s ban) on Saturday for the primary time this match and will supply recent, artistic legs within the semifinal.
These worries are for Sunday, as Hayes absolutely advised her gamers and anybody who would pay attention after the match. One recreation at a time has been the message from Hayes, and the USWNT is now taking part in for a medal, which was at all times the benchmark to succeed in coming into these Video games for a crew in transition.
The crew slogged via Saturday’s quarterfinal, however in a novel means. As docile because it might need appeared at instances, it was additionally the progress the People have been searching for.
