Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Olympics and Paralympics
Merrit Kennedy, NPR and Russell Lewis, NPR
Tokyo

U.S. women's soccer loses to Canada in the Olympic semifinal

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
U.S. forward Carli Lloyd reacts after a missed chance during the Tokyo Olympic Games women's semifinal soccer match between the U.S. and Canada on Monday in Kashima, Japan.
U.S. forward Carli Lloyd reacts after a missed chance during the Tokyo Olympic Games women's semifinal soccer match between the U.S. and Canada on Monday in Kashima, Japan.
Kazuhiro Nogi | AFP via Getty Images

In an upset, the top-ranked U.S. women's soccer team lost its semifinal game to Canada 1-0 at the Tokyo Olympics, pushing it out of contention for a gold medal.

The World Cup champs could still take bronze if they win their next game.

The game was scoreless at the half. The U.S. team's goalie, Alyssa Naeher, had to come out of the game in the 30th minute after colliding with U.S. defender Julie Ertz. Team USA said she "landed awkwardly on her right leg."

They were both trying to stop a Canada ball right in front of the U.S. goal. Naeher was down on the turf for at least four minutes as trainers worked on her. She stayed in the game, but only for the next few minutes. Naeher winced the next time she kicked the ball and raised her hand. She was replaced by back-up goalkeeper Adrianna Franch, who played the rest of the game.

In the second half of Monday's game, U.S. defender Tierna Davidson was called for a foul after video review showed she took down a Canadian player in the U.S. penalty area. Canada's Jessie Fleming scored on the ensuing penalty kick in the 74 minutes into the game.

The U.S. had several opportunities but were not able to make a goal.

In group play, the U.S. had an uneven performance — an opening loss to Sweden, a strong win over New Zealand and a scoreless draw against Australia.

In the quarterfinals, the U.S. took on the Netherlands, the reigning European champion and a team the Americans beat in the 2019 World Cup final.

It was a back-and-forth match that ended in a 2-2 tie and was ultimately decided by a penalty kick shootout, with Megan Rapinoe's decisive final kick. At that game, Naeher emerged a hero with two key saves during penalty kicks.

Canada, which is ranked eighth and led by Christine Sinclair, is the opponent the U.S. has played more than any other. Sinclair has scored the most international goals by any woman.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.