With a beauty from Trinity Rodman, U.S. women move on to Olympic soccer semis

PARIS – For more than two tense hours, the Olympic women’s soccer quarterfinal between the United States and Japan on Saturday was a match of strategy and resolve rather than skill and speed, a test of patience and a demand for courage as frustration swelled and opportunities failed to materialize.

And then almost halfway through extra time, as exhaustion took hold and a defensive mistake seemed like the only way someone would score, Trinity Rodman offered a moment of artistic brilliance.

Thanks to Rodman’s third goal in four games on a breathtaking sequence, the United States defeated Japan 1-0 to earn a semifinal meeting against Germany on Tuesday in Lyon.

Off her game much of the afternoon, the Washington Spirit’s 22-year-old forward settled Crystal Dunn’s long pass with a soft touch before cutting the ball back on a defender to set herself up for a curling left-footed shot from 10 yards into the far side of the net.

“The last thing I remember is Crystal playing it, and then I was just like, ‘Ahhhhh,’ ” said Rodman, who enrolled at Washington State, but never played a game due to the canceled 2020 season. “Reminiscing on it when I was walking back, I was like, ‘What … just … happened?’ ”

What just happened?

“A world-class finish,” U.S. coach Emma Hayes said.

“I took a touch inside, and I see ‘Trin’ wide,” Dunn said. “I was like, ‘You know what? If Trin can go one (versus) one in this situation, I trust and believe.’ ”

Rodman said she blacked out for a moment. Sophia Smith said the same thing.

“I just remember feeling so relieved when that went in,” Smith said.

“Of course, Trin’s going to do that,” Mallory Swanson said,

Korbin Albert added: “It’s insane. When I saw it go in, I thought, ‘(oh) yeah.’ ”

The laborious victory kept alive U.S. hopes of winning its first gold medal since 2012 and reclaiming global supremacy after a series of shortfalls on the global stage. Since winning the 2015 World Cup, the Americans have won one of four major tournaments.

After the U.S. team was bounced from the 2023 World Cup in the round of 16 – its earliest exit in a major competition – Hayes’ mission has been to reshape the program ahead of the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.

Although medal expectations here were initially not as high as at previous Olympics, especially with Hayes new to the team and several young players in important roles, there is growing belief this squad could win gold.

It took a nervy 120 minutes to advance, capped by Rodman’s goal in a match with few genuine scoring opportunities.

“Was it a game that was most likely to head to penalties?” Hayes said. “Yeah, absolutely. So we’ve prepared for that. (Japan) brought out our best patience, which was the most-needed skill today.”

To avoid the shootout, Hayes and the players said they recognized the need to change up their possession-oriented approach.

“That was the only way we were going to find a goal in that game,” Rodman said of Dunn’s long ball that put her in a one-on-one situation. “We had tried all game long to get in the seams and get in between them, and it wasn’t working.”

“Did I think she was actually going to do the cut and the moves and the shot?” Dunn asked. “No, but knowing Trin, you know she makes anything happen, so this game needed a little bit of something different and I was able to see that opportunity.”

“We kind of knew it was going to come down to something brilliant like that, if it came from me or anybody else on the field,” Rodman said.

The match played out in what, for the first time for the United States at these Olympics, looked and sounded like a big deal. The three group matches were played in the south of France, hundreds of miles from Paris, in front of small crowds. Though there was much at stake, the games had a preliminary vibe.

Saturday felt different, even before play began. Fans representing both teams flowed toward sold-out Parc des Princes – located in southwest Paris, steps from Roland Garros – sporting national colors and flags. The last time the Americans played there was an epic World Cup quarterfinal against France in 2019.

Although the U.S. team has lost only once to Japan (not including shootouts) in 41 meetings, the games are almost always tight. With Japan’s organizational assets and technical ability, the Americans were in for a difficult afternoon.

Asked if she expected such a challenge, Hayes said, “A million percent, and anyone who thought otherwise is naive. They work their socks off, and when they hit you in the transition, they are so dynamic.”

Japan was content to sit back, concede possession and look to force giveaways that could lead to transitional opportunities. The Americans ran into resistance beyond the penalty area and labored to create any serious opportunities. Everything hit a dead end.

Rodman had a promising opportunity in the open field in the 69th minute, but her first touch betrayed her.

In extra time, Smith raced in alone, but goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita reduced the angle and blocked the unimaginative bid. The first half of the 30-minute extra time was about to expire when Rodman struck.

“Ultimately, games like this sometimes just takes a little bit of magic, a little bit of individual brilliance,” Swanson said, “and that’s what ‘Trin’ gave you.”

“That’s the best moment in my career,” Rodman said, “and I hope that gets topped.”