LYON: Sophia Smith lifted the United States back on course for a record-extending fifth Olympic women’s football gold medal by scoring an extra-time to defeat Germany 1-0 in Lyon.

The US, chasing a first success since 2012, will face Brazil in the Parc des Princes on Saturday. 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. Smith struck 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.

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