PARIS, August 7, 2024 – Brazil again defied the odds to reach the Olympic women’s football gold medal decider by defeating world champions Spain 4-2 in Marseille despite still missing suspended superstar Marta.
They will face the United States on Saturday in Paris in a repeat of the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games finals, both of which they lost. The US beat Germany 1-0 after extra time in the other semi-final, in Lyon.
Brazil were upset hours before their semi-final when the CBF failed to have Marta’s two-game suspension reduced. The 38-year-old had been penalised by FIFA after being sent off for a dangerous high kick in their last group game against Spain. Brazil wanted the ban cut to one game but it was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport so Marta was again a mere spectator.
Spain were let down by a series of defensive mistakes, starting in the sixth minute when an attempted clearance by keeper Cata Coll deflected back into goal off captain Irene Paredes. Brazil extended their lead in the closing moments of the first half through Gabi Portilho.
Stand-in captain Adriana made it 3-0 with a close-range header on a counter attack in the 72nd minute. A flurry of goals in the last minutes and stoppage time saw Brazil’s Duda Sampaio score an own goal, substitute Kerolin reclaim the three-goal advantage and then Salma Paralluelo score a further Spanish consolation.
In Lyon the United States remained on course for a record-extending fifth Olympic women’s football gold medal by scoring an extra-time winner to defeat Germany 1-0. Germany, who dominated the closing stages of extra time in vain, will contest the bronze medal in Lyon on Friday.
This was a seventh Olympic semi-final for the US who had already beaten Germany 4-1 in the group stage. Sophia Smith struck decisively five minutes into extra time by chipping keeper Ann-Katrin Berger on a through ball from Mallory Swanson.
Smith said: “I just saw an open net in front of me and knew I had to step up in the big moment because we’ve been working so hard. We had a hard year last year, things didn’t go how we wanted. We knew we were better than that, we have so much potential.”
US were knocked out of the 2023 Women’s World Cup at the Round of 16 and responded by appointing former Chelsea coach Emma Hayes as new boss. So far, so good.
