When and where: The Olympic women's soccer semifinal kicks-off from Old Trafford, Manchester, at 2.45 p.m. ET. Coverage will be provided by the NBC Sports Network, with a live stream available on NBCOlympics.com.
Reuters
After recovering from a slight injury suffered against New Zealand, Alex Morgan will again be crucial to the United States' hopes as they take on Canada for a place in the final.
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Preview: The United States women' soccer team moved one step close to capturing another Olympic gold medal with a 2-0 quarterfinal victory against New Zealand on Friday. The U.S. team now plays Canada at Old Trafford in Manchester on Monday for a spot in the gold medal match.
Team veteran and tournament standout Abby Wambach continued her impressive play as she slid into a pass to give the U.S. a first-half lead.
It wasn't until late on that the United States' progress was secured. Sydney Leroux, the youngest member of the Olympic team and the only player who wasn't a member of the 2011 World Cup team, scoring just moments after coming onto the field as a substitute.
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Though superstar Alex Morgan failed to score in Friday's match, she assisted Wambach's goal and saw multiple scoring chances, wearing down New Zealand's defense with her speed.
Wambach has scored in every match of in the tournament, totaling four goals thus far. She has also scored eight career Olympic goals and 142 in international play, just 16 behind Mia Hamm's world record.
While Wambach is known as the greatest aerial player in women's soccer thanks in part to her height and athleticism, three of her four goals, including Friday's, have come with her feet. Clearly, she will be a threat to Canada in a variety of ways and it seems there is no stopping her right now.
The U.S. has been mightily impressive defensively too. With Friday's victory, Hope Solo has recorded three consecutive shutouts. Indeed, the U.S. has not allowed a goal since the 14th minute of their opening game against France, giving Solo 346 scoreless minutes. However, after a convincing 2-0 victory over Great Britain, Canada will likely pressure the U.S. backline and challenge Solo more than the U.S.'s previous opponents.
Great Britain conceded their first goal of the tournament as Canadian forward Jonelle Filigno hammered a goal from 10 yards out to give Canada a 1-0 lead. Team captain Christine Sinclair then gave her side a 2-0 advantage before the half-hour mark.
The goal was Sinclair's 140th in international soccer, taking her to third in the all-time scoring charts, just two goals behind Wambach. With her experience, Sinclair will be the biggest threat to the U.S. defense
While Canada defended impressively to restrict Great Britain to few opportunities to mount a comeback, against a quicker and more physical U.S. attack led by Alex Morgan and Wambach, they will struggle to repeat their shutout.
Though the Canadian squad is more experienced than the U.S.'s previous opponents, it is Pia Sundhage's side that is still the quicker and more organized. Solo will likely be challenged more than she has been in the last three games, but she is the best goalkeeper in the world and should rise to the challenge.
Wambach has been the go-to player for the U.S. team this tournament and is expected to continue her scoring run, assisted by the speedy Alex Morgan. Canada will not be an easy opponent, but the U.S. is a favorite to reach the final.
Prediction: USA 2-1 Canada
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