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Brazil stun Spain to reach Olympic women's football final

olympics06 August 2024 21:16| © AFP
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Brazil stunned World Cup holders Spain in their Olympic women's football semifinal on Tuesday, winning 4-2 to set up a showdown with the United States in the gold medal match.

An Irene Paredes own goal gave Brazil an early lead in Marseille and Gabi Portilho doubled their advantage in first-half stoppage time.

Adriana made it 3-0 in the second half before a frantic finish saw Spain pull goals back via a Duda Sampaio own goal and a Salma Paralluelo effort, while Kerolin got Brazil's fourth.

Brazil are now guaranteed to at worst match their previous best showing in the Olympic women's football, when they won the silver medal in 2004 and 2008.

On both occasions they lost to the United States, who they meet again in Saturday's final at the Parc des Princes in Paris.

Meanwhile Spain, who are making their debut at the Games a year on from winning the World Cup for the first time, face Germany on Friday in Lyon in a play-off for bronze.

Brazil had scraped through their group as a best third-placed team, despite losing their last pool match to Spain, a game in which their legendary captain Marta was sent off.

She missed the quarterfinal win over hosts France as a result and was again suspended here, but Brazil ultimately did not need her in either game.

The sixth-minute opening goal was farcical, with Spain goalkeeper Cata Coll blasting a clearance off Paredes and looking on as the ball ricocheted into the net.

Portilho, who scored the only goal against France in the last round, converted a cross from the left to make it 2-0 to Brazil right at the end of the first half.

Adriana came off the bench to seemingly put the game to bed on 71 minutes, scoring moments after her first attempt struck the crossbar.

Duda Sampaio deflected a Paralluelo header into her own net as Spain reduced the deficit late on, but Kerolin slotted a fourth for Brazil through the legs of Coll to end any doubt about the outcome as the match headed into a lengthy spell of injury time.

Paralluelo made it 4-2, but it was a night to forget for Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati and her teammates, even if they could still leave the Olympics with a medal.

USA EDGE GERMANY IN EXTRA TIME 

Earlier, Sophia Smith scored the winning goal in extra time as the United States beat Germany 1-0 to advance to the final.

Smith settled a close-fought but generally poor semifinal in Lyon by firing past Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger to finally break the deadlock five minutes into extra time.

The USA, record four-time gold medallists, were also grateful to goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher for a crucial late save from Laura Freigang and now head to the French capital for the final on Saturday.

"I saw a little opening of net and I thought I've just got to put it there. It was a good feeling," Smith said of her goal.

"I had a few other chances in this game that I should have put away but sometimes one is all it takes."

Germany, who won gold in 2016, can still claim a bronze medal as they stay in Lyon for the third-place play-off on Friday.

The Germans had been the more accomplished side in normal time although quality was desperately lacking in the final third from both teams on a stiflingly hot day.

Emma Hayes's USA played at a level far removed from their clinical display in beating Germany 4-1 in the group stage in Marseille.

However, once again the quality of their attack made the difference.

"There were lots of things I didn't like in the game. I tried every situation to try to influence and affect that, but it's not about that. It's about heart and head," Hayes said.

"You have to dig something out. Our group want to create new history for themselves. They did enough to get us in the final, and that is just the next step."

NAEHER HEROICS

In Saturday's quarterfinal win over Japan, winger Trinity Rodman scored the only goal of the game in extra time.

This time it was Smith who was the match-winner, firing past Berger after being picked out by a Mallory Swanson through ball.

It was a third goal at the tournament for the Colorado-born forward who turns 24 on the day of the final -- her other two strikes came against Germany in the group stage.

Contrast that cutting edge with Germany, who were dealt a serious double blow ahead of the game when ill captain Alexandra Popp and the injured Lea Schueller, the two most prolific and experienced goal-scorers in their squad, were ruled out.

The Americans had chances in the 90 minutes, including from a late Lindsey Horan header that was kept out by Berger.

Swanson even had the ball in the net, although she was well offside and the flag was raised early.

But they found a way through in extra time, and Smith was then only denied a second goal by a good Berger save.

There was drama right at the death, with Naeher somehow saving at close range to deny Freigang an equaliser before Smith almost got a second.

The USA won the last of their four women's football gold medals at London 2012.

They claimed bronze three years ago in Tokyo and were also silver medallists in 2000.

Germany, whose coach Horst Hrubesch was in charge of the men's team that won silver in Rio in 2016, will now hope to leave with Olympic bronze for the fourth time.

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