August 03, (THEWILL) – The United States women’s football team advanced to the Olympic semi-finals with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Japan in Paris. Trinity Rodman, daughter of former NBA player, Dennis Rodman, scored the decisive goal in extra time at the Parc des Princes.
The match remained deadlocked until Rodman’s breakthrough in the first half of extra time. She skillfully controlled a long pass from Crystal Dunn, outmaneuvered defender Hikaru Kitagawa, and fired a powerful shot into the far corner of the net. This marked Rodman’s third goal of the tournament, tying her with Mallory Swanson as the USA’s top scorer.
The win keeps the USA’s quest for a record-extending fifth gold medal alive under new English coach Emma Hayes. Their last Olympic triumph came in 2012, when they defeated Japan in the London final. The USA will face either Canada or Germany in the semifinal match scheduled for Tuesday in Lyon.
Japan, whose only Olympic medal in women’s football remains the silver from 2012, defended resolutely for most of the match. They allowed the USA to dominate possession but limited clear scoring opportunities. The Japanese team created a few chances on counterattacks but failed to capitalise.
The remaining quarterfinal matches feature Spain against Colombia, Canada versus Germany, and hosts France taking on Brazil. The winners will join the USA in the semi-finals, as the tournament moves closer to determining the 2024 Olympic champions in women’s football.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
