LYON, France — It took extra work yet again, but the U.S. women’s national team will play for the gold medal after outlasting a resilient Germany 1-0 in a semifinal Tuesday night.
Sophia Smith burst into the spotlight just in time for the Americans, scoring the game winner in the 96th minute to send the U.S. to the ultimate match of this Olympic tournament Saturday in Paris. It will face either Brazil or Spain, who were to play later Tuesday in the other semifinal.
Smith’s goal came at the end of a sluggish, stilted match played in steamy conditions, and if that recipe for U.S. success sounds familiar, that’s because it is. Just three days ago in the quarterfinals, it was one of Smith’s front-line partners, Trinity Rodman, who scored in extra time to break a scoreless tie and send the U.S. through over Japan.
Rodman’s strike was a rocket, a blast from distance that rippled the upper corner of the goal. This one was more precise, as Mallory Swanson played a ball in behind and Smith capitalized on a moment of hesitation from Germany’s goalkeeper, Ann-Katrin Berger, and defender Felicitas Rauch.
With the ball rolling between the two Germans, Smith lunged in and sent the ball over…
