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Carli Lloyd, United States beats Germany in Women's World Cup

 
Carli Lloyd celebrates after her penalty kick in the 69th minute gives the United States a 1-0 lead over Germany.
Carli Lloyd celebrates after her penalty kick in the 69th minute gives the United States a 1-0 lead over Germany.
Published July 1, 2015

MONTREAL — Carli Lloyd buried a penalty kick, Hope Solo got another shutout and the United States beat top-ranked Germany 2-0 Tuesday night to advance to the title match at the Women's World Cup.

Lloyd's penalty kick in the 69th minute went into the right side of the goal less than 10 minutes after Celia Sasic shot wide on her penalty kick for Germany.

"Just slotted it home. I knew what I had to do," Lloyd said.

Solo has posted five straight shutouts for the United States in the tournament. Kelley O'Hara came in off the bench and scored in the 85th minute, delighting the pro-American crowd.

The second-ranked United States plays the winner of tonight's match in Edmonton between defending champion Japan, ranked No. 4, and sixth-ranked England. The final is Sunday at Vancouver's BC Place.

"It's a dream come true," Lloyd said. "This is what we trained for."

It was the fourth World Cup meeting between Germany and the United States. In each of the first three games, the winner went on to win the title.

The marquee matchup led to lines of fans waiting to get in about three hours before the game. The line for the main souvenir stand snaked up a half-dozen ramps to the building's third level at one point.

The stadium built for the 1976 Olympics, where the East German men won the gold medal, was filled nearly to its blue fabric roof, mostly with fans cheering for the United States. The crowd was announced at 51,176.

Previous games in Montreal had the stadium less than half full, with the upper bowl completely empty.

The United States had several good chances from the start. Julie Johnston missed on a header off a corner kick from Megan Rapinoe, and Alex Morgan's breakaway in the 15th minute was stopped by goaltender Nadine Angerer.

Sasic picked a bad time for Germany's first-ever missed penalty kick in the Women's World Cup.

The forward shot it wide to her left, as Solo dove the other way, on a penalty kick after a foul in the box in the 59th minute.

Germany had been 17-for-17 on World Cup penalty kicks, including all five in a tiebreaker to beat France in the quarterfinal. Sasic converted twice in that match — once in regulation and again for the winner.

"Of course, today, she missed," Germany coach Silvia Neid said. "There's always ups and downs in sport."

Sasic is the leading scorer in the tournament, with six goals in Germany's first five games. That's why Neid picked Sasic to take the shot after Johnston pulled Alexandra Popp down from behind in the penalty box.

After missing, Sasic buried her face in her hands while the U.S.-favoring crowd burst into cheers.

"We will support her," Neid said.

Germany got the penalty kick when Johnston, who has played an impeccable tournament, grappled Alexandra Popp to the turf after failing to handle an awkward bounding ball in the box.

The game, entertaining and skillful as it was, frequently turned coarse. Play was halted momentarily in the 29th minute, when Morgan Brian and Popp knocked heads in midair while contending for a lofted cross. Popp needed to wash out the blood that had soaked through her blond hair before returning to the field. Brian returned after a trainer administered a brief examination.

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Lloyd put the final stamp on the game in the 85th minute, when she dribbled past a defender and swerved a stellar cross for O'Hara, who hit a flying volley into the net.