The USA won the bronze medal in the Olympic Football Tournament against Australia 4:3 (3:1). Megan Rapinoe (8 min / 21) and Carli Lloyd (45 + 1 / 51) scored the two goals of the two semi-finalists against Canada. For the Australians, Sam Kerr (17), now Matildas’ record scorer with 48 international goals, met Caitlin Forward (54th) and Emily Jelnick (90th).
For Rapinoe, who achieved worldwide fame through her political engagements, the games until this one were similar to those of the entire American team: mixed. In the group stage, the United States clearly lost to Sweden and played 0-0 against Australia, winning only on penalties in the quarter-final against the Netherlands and losing to Canada despite the field advantage. Rapinoe only started twice, and the 36-year-old had to get used to the role of a substitute.
In the first half against Australia, Rapinoe opened the scoring with a consecutive corner kick. From the left, she ran the ball with a big cut in the six-yard area, stunned Australian goalkeeper Teejan Mika and didn’t look good. After a mistake from the US defense, Foord put the ball in Kerr’s direction and hit the Chelsea striker into the near corner.
Lloyd remains a woman for important goals
But it was only four minutes before Rapinoe fired for the second time. Alanna Kennedy attempted to clear the ward, but struck a candle in the process. Rapinoe hit the rebound and hit the ball in the left corner of the goal. Shortly before the break was striker Lloyd, who moved into the starting line-up for Alex Morgan, who used a pass from Lindsey Horan. Another error by Kennedy awarded Lloyd the second goal in the second half.
The 39-year-old scored American football players with one goal in the 2008 Olympics final, two goals in the 2012 Olympics final and three goals in the 2015 World Cup final to three titles. It remains unclear whether Lloyd and Rapinoe will continue with the squad after the games. In the next event, the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, the two attacking stars will be 41 and 38 years old.
After 2:4 by Foord, who headed in, Kerr had a good chance of hitting the post and then the match could have turned. Both teams were completely offensive and allowed a lot in their defensive ranks. However, only Australia managed to short it in the 90th minute, and it was too late. So the United States did not allow the bronze medal to be withdrawn. Canada will meet Sweden in the final on Friday night (4 a.m. CET).
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