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"US
rallies to beat Japan 4-2, reach
Olympic final"
BEIJING (AP)—Angela Hucles
scored a goal in each half Monday
to lead the United States to
a 4-2 soccer win over Japan
and another Olympic final against
Brazil. It will be the fourth
straight Olympic final for the
U.S., which beat Brazil 2-1
in extra time four years ago
in Athens. The Americans have
played in the Olympic gold medal
match every time since women’s
soccer debuted at the 1996 Atlanta
Games, missing the title only
in 2000 in Sydney after a loss
to Norway. |
The U.S. had to rally from an early
deficit Monday after Japan’s
Shinobu Ohno opened the scoring in
the 16th minute, but Hucles netted
the equalizer from the six-meter (yard)
line in the 41st and Lori Chalupny
put the Americans ahead just three
minutes later after beating two defenders
inside the area in the 44th.
Heather O’Reilly added to the
lead with a long-range shot in the
70th, and Hucles closed the scoring
for the U.S. in the 80th with a crossing
shot that caught Japan goalkeeper
Miho Fukumoto by surprise.
Japan got on the board again with
Eriko Arakawa in second-half injury
time.
The teams played an open match in
front of more than 50,000 fans at
the Workers’ Stadium, with both
sides creating several scoring chances
from the beginning.
Japan was the first to take advantage
of its opportunities, however, and
Ohno opened the scoring from close
range. Ohno was by herself in front
of the goal when she collected a crossing
shot by defender Yukari Kinga and
easily hit the net past U.S. goalkeeper
Hope Solo.
The U.S. had a hard time trying to
penetrate the Japanese defense after
the goal, but Hucles and Chalupny
dug the Americans out of the hole
with their goals three minutes apart
just before halftime.
Hucles scored after a low cross by
O’Reilly from the right side,
and Chalupny got on the board after
getting past two defenders just inside
the area and firing a right-footed
shot into the left-upper corner of
the net.
Japan tried to control possession
and get back in the match, but the
U.S. kept threatening on counterattacks
and had several good chances to increase
the lead.
O’Reilly capitalized on one
of those chances with a long-range
left-footed shot from near the sideline.
Her rainbow shot went over Fukumoto
and found the far corner of the goal.
Hucles’ second goal came from
just inside the penalty area on the
right side. She struck the top of
the net as Fukumoto apparently expected
a cross into the area.
It was the second match between the
teams in this year’s Olympics.
The U.S. had beaten Japan 1-0 on Aug.
9 in the group stage.
Monday’s result keeps the Americans
unbeaten against the Japanese in all
22 matches played between the nations.
It was the team’s sixth straight
victory against Japan, and 19th overall.
The Americans beat Brazil to win the
gold in Athens, but lost to them 4-0
in the semifinals of last year’s
World Cup, which also was played in
China.
Led by two-time FIFA Player of the
Year Marta, Brazil reached Friday’s
final by beating world champion Germany
4-1 in Shanghai.
The U.S. got off to a slow start at
this year’s Olympics, losing
2-0 to Norway before recovering to
advance in first place in its group.
Japan also had problems, reaching
the second round only as one of the
best two third-place finishers.
Japan’s best Olympic showing
so far had been a quarterfinal appearance
in Athens, when it lost 2-1 to the
United States. It didn’t make
it past the group stage of last year’s
World Cup, however, in a group which
saw Germany and England advance.
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