The 30-year-old Brazilian captain, who plays for Swedish club Rosengard, could be nearing the end of a distinguished career.
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“I am sure the final with Germany will be a great match but it has nothing to do with the past”. At the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, the team won bronze and didn’t even quality in 2012. Granted, that’s true for the Brazilian men, too, but they go overseas to seek their fortunes.
For women’s coach, Silvia Neid, it presents a chance for a dream farewell.
Making the gold medal game this year was the best Germany had ever done in the competition. However, with Sweden having shocked the Americans in the quarter-finals, Brazil’s women looked set to win a major title for the first time in their history.
Track and Field: Women’s high jump (7:30 p.m., NBC) – All three USA women are into the final, and while Chaunte Lowe is the top medal favorite, more eyes likely will be on Vashti Cunningham, the 18-year-old daughter of former NFL QB Randall Cunningham. They too began with a win, draw and a loss in the group phase, but since then they have gone from strength to strength, following up a 1-0 triumph against China PR with their convincing 2-0 defeat of Canada. Lotta Schelin’s blast three minutes later sailed over the goal and the match was scoreless at the break. Back when the first womens Olympic soccer tournament was held in 1996 at the Atlanta Games, they were players: Neid played for Germany and Sundhage for Sweden.
The drama, though, if indeed that’s the right word, has been on the other side of the draw.
Sundhage, who coached the Americans to gold medals at both the Beijing and London Games before returning to her native Sweden, seemed nonchalant following the match that relegated host Brazil to the bronze match.
She can also become the first coach to win three consecutive gold medals in women’s soccer. “They fought until the end, just like we did, and came out on top in the penalties”.
Germany faces Sweden on Friday at Rio’s legendary Maracana Stadium in the Olympic women’s soccer final.
The U.S. was the first to taste the vast frustration of coming up short against that approach, prompting goalkeeper Hope Solo to describe Sweden as “cowards” in the immediate aftermath of its shootout loss.
And she was under fire in the Rio heat as early Brazilian attacks peppered the Sweden goal.
“Times, they are a changin'”, she sang. “It’s all down to the whole team, though”.
“It is one thing for the U.S. to play under such pressure”.
It is now 334 minutes since Lindahl last conceded a goal.
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Germany doubled its lead 14 minutes later off a Sweden own goal. Instead, with England unable to play, Sweden gained a reprieve in a four-team, round-robin playoff that also included the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland. But, while not popular, there is certainly an argument that its tactics have maximized the chances of a fairly limited side. “But the challenge of winning the first Olympic medal is stronger than the spirit of revenge”. Sweden are in the final having scored just three goals in their five games, which emphasises how key their defence has been. Afterward, the players fell to the floor, piling on each other.
