DÊCINES-CHARPIEU, France — Another U.S. women’s soccer match dragged into extra time here Tuesday, scoreless and seemingly going nowhere until the cruelty of a shootout would have to decide it.
And then it happened again: a lightning-bolt moment incongruous with a gridlocked Olympic semifinal at Stade de Lyon.
This time, Sophia Smith stepped into the hero’s role, using her speed and cunning when such traits mostly had faded amid deepening fatigue. The goal came in the 95th minute, lifting the United States to a 1-0 victory over Germany and a place in the gold medal match for the first time in 12 years.