The U.S. women's national team is a game away from playing for a fifth gold medal but first must get by a regional foe that it's dominated but won't take lightly.
The U.S. and Canada meet in Kashima for the right to face either Sweden or Australia in the gold-medal game at the Tokyo Olympics. Both teams advanced to the semifinals of the 12-team tournament on penalty kicks, with Canada outlasting Brazil thanks to Stephanie Labbé's consecutive saves that sent Marta & Co. back home empty-handed. Labbé's U.S. counterpart, Alyssa Naeher, also made two saves in a penalty shootout, lifting the USWNT by the Netherlands in what was a 2019 Women's World Cup final rematch.