USA vs Germany preview: American women two wins away from gold

The US Women’s National Team (USWNT) is just two wins away from a gold medal. With an extra-time win over Japan on Saturday, they advanced to the semifinals for the second straight Olympics. The team standing in the way of a gold medal game appearance is a team they have already beaten at these Olympics: Germany. Here’s our USA vs Germany preview ahead of the semifinal match.

Japan recap

To get to a point where they are only two wins away from bringing home the gold, the US first had to get past Japan. The game was a slog. Both teams were playing their fourth game in nine days. The number of games, combined with the small roster size, meant that fatigue was undoubtedly a factor.

The game went 0-0 into extra time. It wasn’t until the first half of extra time that Emma Hayes made a substitution (Hayes has repeatedly preached the value of continuity). In any event, it was one of the starters that made the difference. In the 105th minute, Trinity Rodman (daughter of former NBA great Dennis Rodman) scored a scintillating goal to give the US a lead they would not relinquish.

Germany’s quarterfinal

Like the US, Germany is just two wins away from a gold medal. And like the US, they had to put in extra work to win their quarterfinal match-up.

Their game against Canada, however, went all the way to penalty kicks. Canada, of course, has been at the center of controversy during these Olympics for the use of drones to observe the training sessions of teams they were facing.

But in the end, Germans have historically always been tough to beat on penalties. It proved to be true for the Canadians as they made just two of their four kicks, while four of the five Germans made theirs to advance to the semifinals.

USA vs Germany preview: Rematch against the Germans

These two teams have already played at the Olympics. During the second group game, the US played their best game of the tournament. Sophia Smith scored twice and both Mallory Swanson and Lynn Williams got goals to see the US through to a 4-1 victory. Giulia Gwinn scored for Germany.

With these teams having already played each other, it leads some to wonder what they will do differently for this game. Emma Hayes has so far proven reluctant to alter her lineup or make frequent substitutions, with an eye on continuity. And what changes, if any, will Horst Hrubesch make for the Germans? Surely, some changes would have to be made given the demolition during the last meeting. It sets up to be a fascinating chess match with a spot in the gold medal game on the line.

And of course, the winner of this game will be taking on the winner of the other semifinal between Brazil and Spain.

Where to watch

Tuesday’s game between the US and Germany is set for a 12 pm ET kickoff. Viewers can watch in English on the USA network and Peacock, and in Spanish on Telemundo.

Photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire