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Sam Borden, ESPN Senior Writer
PARIS — After a long, hot, ponderous afternoon of frustration, Trinity Rodman took the ball down, shimmied to her left and delivered a brilliant laser of light when the United States women’s national team needed it most.
Rodman’s blistering shot from a tight angle rippled the net in extra time, simultaneously sending the crowd into hysterics and Rodman’s teammates into a pile-up on top of her. It was a magnificent goal, and one that proved to be the difference in a 1-0 U.S. victory over Japan in a tense quarterfinal match at Parc des Princes on Saturday.
The Americans will now face either Canada or Germany in the semifinals on Tuesday in Lyon.
For much of the match on Saturday, it seemed as if the Americans might not get there at all, as they struggled to unlock the Japanese defensive stance which was disciplined, regimented and stifling. Just before halftime in extra time, however, Crystal Dunn sent a searching cross-field pass and Rodman broke down the flank.
She cut her way into the box and unleashed a vicious shot with her left foot that whizzed past Ayaka Yamashita’s helpless dive. It was the latest goal scored by the U.S. in an Olympic knockout game since Alex Morgan’s late winner at Old Trafford in the semifinals of the 2012 Games, and it allowed them to avoid the lottery of what had felt, at times, like an inevitable penalty shootout.
Playing their match in the same venue where the U.S. men’s team crashed out of the Olympic tournament to Morocco a day earlier, the atmosphere — which had been so heavily against the U.S. on Friday — was very much behind the Americans for this match. “U-S-A!” chants came from all sides as the teams warmed up, and the U.S. national anthem became more of a group song session.
Through the first 45 minutes, though, the were long passages of play where the stadium grew almost silent as the Japanese set up a low block and the U.S. probed. The biggest cheer might actually have come when several sections of fans noticed the ubiquitous Snoop Dogg making an appearance in the broadcast tribune behind them and shouted out their love for the rap legend.
Otherwise, the mood was sluggish and the chances few. Japan held their defensive shape and clogged the passing lanes that the U.S. wanted to use once they got into the attacking half. The Americans tried one way, were rebuffed and tried another. Little worked; the U.S. had nearly 80% possession in the opening half but recorded just a single shot on target.
In truth, the best of the early chances fell to Japan. After a pretty passing sequence, Mina Tanaka found space past Lindsey Horan in the 35th minute but hit her shot straight at Alyssa Naeher, and the U.S. goalkeeper smothered the ball.
The game opened slightly — slightly — after the break, and the Japanese tried to push the U.S. in places where the absence of defensive midfielder Sam Coffey — missing because of a yellow card suspension — was most noticeable. The Americans were grateful when Dunn cleared off the line and Aoba Fujini shot wide just five minutes in, with Rodman and Sophia Smith each making deep runs of their own at the other end only to have the ball roll out of play.
After pressing forward for much of the second half, Japan bunkered deeper late, and the U.S. pushed for a winner before the extra periods. After a free-kick scramble, Rodman had a blast from straight in front of the goal blocked. Seconds later, she also had a weak shout for a penalty turned down just before the referee blew her whistle for full time.
Each team had half-chances in extra time, with Hinata Miyazawa shooting into the side-netting for Japan before Rodman and Smith each had runs toward goal snuffed out.
Penalties loomed. But then came Rodman’s moment of clarity and the U.S. — held out for so long — was finally through.