US beats Brazil 1-0 for gold medal
By NANCY ARMOUR,
AP
BEIJING -They came to the Beijing Olympics as a team trying to find its way, still adjusting to a new coach and each other, still smarting from a loss that brought humiliation on and off the field.
They dropped their first game, hardly an auspicious start for a country that had lost only one other in three Olympics. But bit by bit, game by game, they came together, figuring out what it would take to win.
On Thursday night, the U.S. women’s soccer team stood as one, Olympic gold medals around their necks, champions once again.
“Vindicated? I feel great, I feel amazing. I just won a gold medal,” said goalkeeper Hope Solo, whose banishment at last year’s World Cup symbolizes the struggles these Americans have had and without whom they wouldn’t have won this game.
Solo made save after save to keep the United States in the game, and Carli Lloyd scored in the sixth minute of extra time to give the United States a 1-0 victory over Brazil and the gold medal for a third time in four Olympics.
It was the first victory in a major tournament for new coach Pia Sundhage, who took over less than nine months ago.
“It was hard, and this win wasn’t just down to my goal,” Lloyd said. “It was only achievable with the team we have and that we played for each other.”
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Where is Mia Hamm?
woman soccer?
It was a great game. Woman soccer not bad at all!
I like women’s soccer! Lots of bouncing! Just like womens vollyball! My favorite is women’s arctic vollyball!