U.S. edge Canada on penalties after extra-time thriller in women's soccer
After coming back from a goal down to level in the 82nd minute, Canada thought they had won it in the 127th minute when Adriana Leon scored her penalty. But the U.S. also scored with their last penalty in the fourth round, forcing the dramatic showdown.
American goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher saved the first two Canadian penalties, from Jordyn Huitema and Jessie Fleming, and scored the next one herself from the spot. Saving or scoring from the penalty spot is uncommon for a goalkeeper, let alone doing both in the same shootout. Naeher's decisive save and score propelled the U.S. to a 3-1 shootout victory.
The U.S. will face Brazil in the final Sunday after the Brazilians defeated Mexico 4-0 in the other semifinal. This will be the first matchup between the U.S. and Brazil women's teams since the 1999 FIFA World Cup Final, which the U.S. won on a penalty shootout.
The match was a soggy affair, with precipitation coming down throughout the 90 minutes and extending into extra time. The wet conditions played a role in the U.S. opening the scoring in the 20th minute. A sloppy pass from Canadian defender Vanessa Gilles was chased down by American forward Jaedyn Shaw, who scored her first international goal.
Though Shaw's goal would stand as the game-winner, it was not without drama. In the 82nd minute, Huitema evened the score with a header from a cross from the left side. With the score still 1-1 after 90 minutes, the match went to extra time.
The Americans nearly ended the match early in the second extra-time period on a shot from Sophia Smith, but an impressive save from Canadian goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan forced the shootout. After the first eight penalties were scored, Naeher's crucial save capped the emotional victory for the Americans.
This was the first time the U.S. women's team has advanced past the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup. They will look to become the first country since the United States in 1991 to win the FIFA Women's World Cup and the CONCACAF Gold Cup in the same year.