Paris (AFP)
The German women’s team stripped its Canadian counterpart of its football title at the Paris Olympic Games, by winning 4-2 on penalties, after a goalless draw in regular and extra time, and reached the semi-finals.
Canada’s women qualified from the group stage through suffering, after having six points deducted from their tally due to a spying case against the New Zealand team. Ashley Lawrence and Adriana Leon missed two attempts in the penalty shootout scenario.
Canada, which has been without its coach due to suspension and expulsion since the drone scandal, which resulted in FIFA deducting six points from its tally, managed to exit the group in second place behind France thanks to three wins in three matches.
Germany, the 2016 Olympic gold medallist, will face the United States in Lyon on Tuesday, after they beat Japan 1-0 after extra time at the Parc des Princes in the capital.
The meeting between the two teams will be renewed, as Germany lost to the United States 1-4 in the group stage.
In the first match in Marseille, the two teams failed to decide the match in regular and extra time despite multiple chances for both sides, so Germany emerged victorious thanks to the last penalty kick by its goalkeeper Ann-Kathrin Berger, who had saved the kicks of Lawrence and Leon.
Trinity Rodman scored the only goal of the game in the second minute of stoppage time in the first half of extra time.
The United States has won four of the seven editions of the competition at the Olympic Games (1996, 2004, 2008 and 2012), and has finished runner-up once, at Sydney 2000.
World champions Spain had a tough time against Colombia, needing penalties to reach the last four in Lyon.
Colombia were on their way to pulling off a major upset when they took the lead with two goals scored by Mayra Ramirez (12) and Leicy Santos (52), but Mexican Tigres player Jennifer Hermoso reduced the deficit in the 79th minute, before Barcelona defender Irene Paredes saved the world champions from being eliminated by equalising in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
The result remained the same in the extra time, so the two teams resorted to penalty kicks, which smiled on Spain, which scored its first four kicks, and secured its qualification without taking the fifth, as Colombia missed two and scored the same number.
Spain will meet Brazil in the next round, which eliminated host France 1-0, with a goal scored by Gabi Portillo in the 82nd minute.
#Germany #strips #Canada #womens #football #title