After suffering quarterfinal elimination on penalty kicks at the 2016 Olympics, the U.S. women's national team tasted quarterfinal victory by the shootout, knocking off No. 4-ranked Netherlands after a 2-2 draw.
Goalkeeper Aly sa Naeher was the star of the game. She stopped a potential game-winning penalty kick with 10 minutes to go in regulation and then saved another two Dutchpenalty attempts in the shootout to help the USWNT advance to face Canada in the Olympic soccer semifinals on Monday at 4 a.m. ET.
Lynn Williams was the attacking standout for the USA in a surprise Olympic start, her first of this tournament. She delivered thecro s on the USA's opening goal and then scored the second, which gave the USA a momentary 2-1 lead. But Olympic top scorerVivianne Miedema scored her second of the match to equalize for the Netherlands, taking her tournament total to a record 10 goals.
DECOURCY:
But Miedema could not convert in the penalty kick shootout, watching Naeher save her attempt onthe very first kick. Naeher also stopped the Dutch's fourth kick byAniek Nouwen to set up Dre Kirkpatrick Jersey Megan Rapinoe for the clinching strike.
USWNT vs. Netherlands final score (4-2 on PKs)1H 2H ET1 ET2 Final USA 20002Netherlands 11002Goal: NED: Vivianne Miedema - 18th minUSA: Sam Mewis (Lynn Williams) - 28th minUSA: Lynn Williams - 31st minNED: Vivianne Miedema - 54th min
(All times Eastern)
Penalty-Kick Shootout (USWNT wins 4-2 on PKs)PK Shootout: That's it! The USWNT makes all four penalty kicks and goalkeeper Aly sa Naeher stops two attempts in the shootout to send the USA into the semis against Canada.
Megan Rapinoe wins it for the ! Theyre on to the semifinals.
NBC Sports (@NBCSports)Round 4: Megan Rapinoe buries it and the USA advances!! - NED 2, USA 4
Round 4: Naeher saves another! Aniek Nouwen's shot is stopped - NED 2, USA 3
Round 3: Christen Pre s is clinical with her attempt- NED 2, USA 3
Round 3: Stefanie van der Gragt clangs it off the post and in - NED 2, USA 2
Round 2: Alex Morgan scores on the Jay Ajayi Women Jersey short run-up- NED 1, USA 2
Round 2: Dominique Jan sen scores - NED 1, USA 1
Round 1: Rose Lavelle nets her kick - NED 0, USA 1
Round 1: Vivianne Miedema's first kick is saved by USA's Naeher! - NED 0, USA 0
End of 2nd Extra Time period: USWNT 2, Netherlands 2End of Extra Time: The USWNT pushed hard toward the end of the extra time period, but it could not find a goal. We're heading to a penalty-kick shootout.
119th min: Lindsey Horan with a great recovery tackle in midfield and it leads to a chance for Pre s in the box, but Noah Fant Women Jersey it's cleared for a corner. Nothing comes of it.
118th min: Rapinoe makes a run down the left and she has no help so she fires toward goal, but it's slightly off target.
113th min: Another offside goal by the USA! This time it's Alex Morgan who's offside after she looked to capitalize on a defensive mix-up by the Dutch, who left Morgan with an empty net. Still 2-2.
109th min: Christen Pre s scores, but it's ruled offside! Again! Megan Rapinoe sends the ball into her between two defenders and Pre s Andre Reed Jersey megged the 'keeper on the shot, but she was narrowly offside.
107th min: Miedema is still lurking in the U.S. box for the Dutch. Her header goes high.
106th min: There are 15 minutes left before we head to a PK shootout. The Netherlands looked the better team in the first extra time period. What's concerning for USWNT fans is that the Dutch pre sing is leading to turnovers, but the Americans can't seem to exert the same type of pre sure. They have to be careful in po se sion.
End of 1st Extra Time period: USWNT 2, Netherlands 2106th min: Pre s promptly gives it away in midfield and Dutch forward Beerensteyn gets a shot off that's just high. And we switch sides for the second extra time period.
105th min: Christen Pre s with a header that mi ses the target, but it's a great look on a cro s from the left.
103rd min: The Dutch are combining well in the attack and Miedema gets a header on goal which Naeher parries away for a corner. Nothing comes of it.
101st min: The USWNT gives the ball away and Vivianne Miedema almost got a shot off, but Julie Ertz comes up with the fantastic defensive play in the box to thwart her.
99th min: Best play of the extra time by the USWNT. Lavelle feeds Rapinoe on the left and the winger weaves her way into the box and fires into the side netting.
95th min: Melvin Ingram Youth Jersey Incredible. The Dutch put the ball in the net on the corner! But it's called back for offside. Unbelievable double bounce on the cro sbar and the Dutch push it over the line, but the players were offside.
94th min: Fantastic sliding challenge in the box by Crystal Dunn to foil another Dutch opportunity, giving up the corner.
91st min: Miedema fires the first warning shot in the extra period and it's high. Then she follows it up with another shot that's right at the goalkeeper.
Regulation: USWNT 2, Netherlands 2End of Regulation: Not a good second half from the USWNT. The Dutch were better and had the chance to win it on the penalty kick. The Americans can't seem to get into an Tom Rathman Jersey attacking flow despite the subs. It's almost as if they're waiting on someone to make a play and no one has shown the magic touch so far.
95th min: USWNT can't capitalize on one last free kick into the box from Megan Rapinoe and we're headed to extra time.
90th min: Extra time looms after a U.S. corner kick goes to waste. There will be five minutes of stoppage time.
87th min: Great goalkeeping by Aly sa Naeher, who comes off her line to snag the ball off the feet of Lineth Beerensteyn, who's been dangerous since coming on.
86th min: And now Danielle van de Donk with a header that just mi ses the right post. The Dutch are more dangerous than the USA even though the Americans have the fresher legs up top.
83rd min: The Dutch are not discouraged and just mi sed the USA's right post with a shot from outside the box.
81st min: Goalkeeper Aly sa Naeher with the penalty-kick save! Martens goes low right and Naeher read it the whole way. Still 2-2.
