BEIJING — They are barely recognizable, with a style that is hardly understandable, yet this new U.S. women’s soccer team does share one thing with their famous ancestors.
They win Olympic games. They make Olympic finals.
With more fight than finesse, the U.S. team lumbered past Japan in the semifinals at Worker’s Stadium on Monday night, 4-2, to reach the Olympic finals for the fourth time in four Olympics.
“I don’t think many of us even knew that,” said goalkeeper Hope Solo about the American streak. “We’re trying to create our own history.”
That will only happen if they are able to beat Brazil in Wednesday’s final, a tough task considering the Brazilians overwhelmed defending world champion Germany, 4-1, in the other semifinal.
The game will carry the undercurrent of last year’s World Cup semifinals, when the Brazilians beat the Americans after Solo was strangely benched.
Solo complained about the benching and was immediately publicly ostracized by her teammates, banned from sitting on the bench or even traveling with the team.
Bygones have since become bygones, Solo is the star goalie, and, while she may never be best friends with her teammates again, she says it doesn’t matter.
“I’ve never been the kind of player who has been that close to her teammates,” Solo said. “You’re as close as you need to be to get the job done.”
Despite an injury to their only star, Abby Wambach, the Americans have indeed been getting the job done, with three different players scoring against Japan, led by Angela Hucles’ two goals.
Japan led, 1-0, after an easy goal against a shoddy American defense in the first 11 minutes, but then the U.S. team tightened up and scored four consecutive goals.
Only one of those goals came on a play; the other three came from one-on-one moves followed by lengthy booming kicks, acts that might prove troublesome against the quicker Brazilians.
Where Brazil is fast, the U.S. is plodding. Where Brazil is inventive, the U.S. team relies on long passes and lots of those solo acts.
The American team clearly missed the retired core of stars led by Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain. It is clearly still searching for its identity.
“Brazil has a very talented team, but we are showing our talent, too,” countered Heather O’Reilly, who scored on a long shot that appeared to be a pass. “You can’t just stop one person. We don’t have a big star, but we’re all capable of being stars.”
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