Kashima (Japan) (AFP)
As in 2016 in Rio, the Americans were stopped in their quest for a fifth Olympic title, eliminated in the semi-finals of the Tokyo Games football tournament by the Canadians (1-0) on Monday in Kashima.
The team of Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan, discarded by Sweden in the quarterfinals of the last Olympics, this time lost in the last four against Canada, bronze medalist in 2012 and 2016, which will play its first Olympic final .
The Canadians won thanks to a penalty transformed into force by Jessie Fleming (74th) after a Tierna Davidson foul on Deanne Rose.
The team led by Christine Sinclair, 38, will face in the final the winner of the other semi-final between Australia and Sweden while the Americans will have to settle for the small final against the loser of this match.
The American selection, double reigning world champion and four times crowned at the Olympics (1996, 2004, 2008, 2012), has never completely convinced in Tokyo.
The Americans had been pushed on penalties by the Dutch in the quarterfinals (2-2, 4 tab to 2).
They had already had a painstaking first round, starting with a 3-0 loss to 2016 Games finalists Sweden, followed by a big win over New Zealand 6-1, but ended in a 0-0 draw. against Australia.
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