Olympics: Alyssa Naeher leads U.S. past the Netherlands in soccer quarterfinal

July 30 (UPI) — Goalie Alyssa Naeher provided clutch saves in extra time and a penalty shootout to spark a win over the Netherlands and send the U.S. women’s soccer team to the 2020 Summer Games semifinals Friday in Yokohama, Japan.

The Americans will battle Canada in the semifinals Monday at Ibaraki Kashima Stadium in Kashima, Japan. The game airs at 4 a.m. EDT Monday on USA.

Canada beat Brazil in another women’s soccer quarterfinal, which also went to penalties, Friday at Miyagi Stadium in Rifu, Japan. Canada or the U.S. women will play Australia or Sweden in the 2020 Summer Games gold medal game Aug. 6 at Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium.

Naeher denied the Netherlands of several chances late in regulation time, which ended in a 2-2 draw. She continued her blockade in extra time and saved two of the Netherlands’ four penalty shot attempts.

Forward Megan Rapinoe iced the victory when she made the Americans’ final penalty kick.

Christen Press, Rose Lavelle and Alex Morgan converted on the Americans’ first three attempts from the penalty spot. The game featured four offside calls that disallowed goals for the Americans.

Netherlands striker Vivianne Miedema scored twice in the loss. U.S. forward Lynn Williams registered a goal and an assist in the first half of the victory.

The Netherlands outshot the Americans 21-16 and put seven shots on target. Naeher totaled five saves.

Miedema put the Netherlands ahead in the 18th minute of regulation. American defenders blocked several shots from the Netherlands during the sequence.

Miedema collected one of the deflections inside the box. She tapped the ball away from defenders, turned and ripped a right-footed shot just inside the left post past Naeher.

Williams helped the U.S. women answer about 10 minutes later. She sent a cross in from the right side to spark the sequence.

The ball fell into left wing Sam Mewis, who ran into the box and flicked a diving header into the right side of the net to beat Netherlands keeper Sari van Veenedaal.

Williams struck again less than three minutes later. The Americans and the Netherlands headed a corner kick around the box a few times at the start of that play. The ball then fell into Williams in the middle of the box.

Williams let the ball bounce before she ripped a half-volley into the far-post netting. The Americans led 2-1 at halftime.

Miedema responded with an equalizer in the 54th minute. The star striker held off defenders as she dribbled at the top of the box. She then curled the ball back with her heel and ripped a 20-yard shot inside the left post to beat Naeher.

Naeher and van Veenedaal kept the game tied for the remainder of regulation.

Naeher saved Lieke Martens’ penalty attempt in the 81st minute to deny the Netherlands of a late go-ahead score. She also took the ball off the foot of Netherlands winger Lineth Beerensteyn with an aggressive stop in the final 10 minutes of regulation.

Morgan and Press each found the net in extra time, but both goals were disallowed due to offside calls.

Naeher proceeded to save the first Netherlands attempt of the penalty session, taken by Miedema. Lavelle beat van Veenedaal on the next attempt to put the Americans ahead.

The Netherlands’ Dominique Janssen beat Naeher on the third penalty attempt. Morgan answered with a shot into the bottom right corner. The Netherlands’ Stefanie van der Gragt leveled the shootout with another shot into the net on the next attempt.

Press followed with the third successful penalty for the Americans. Naeher then saved Aniek Nouwen’s attempt, to send Rapinoe to the penalty spot for the game-winner.

Rapinoe ran up to the line and ripped her shot into the upper right corner to beat van Veenedaal and send the U.S. women to the semifinals.

Gold medalist Emma McKeon (R) of Australia is hugged by teammate bronze medalist Cate Campbell, after setting a new Olympic record, 51.96, during the women’s 100-meter freestyle final on July 30. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

McKeon holds her gold medal. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker reacts to setting a new world record of 2:18.95 in the 200-meter breaststroke final. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Schoenmaker (second from right) is hugged, from left to right, by U.S. silver medalist Lilly King, bronze medalist Annie Lazor and teammate Kaylene Corbett after setting a new world record. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Schoenmaker competes in the 200-meter breaststroke. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Lazor (L) and King pose for photographers following the 200-meter breaststroke final. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

China’s Yufel Zhang (L) celebrates winning the gold medal with teammate Liyan Yu in the women’s 200-meter butterfly with a time of 2:03.86 on July 29. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Zhang competes in the 200-meter butterfly. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Team China celebrates winning the 200-meter freestyle for the gold. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI. | License Photo

From left to right, the United States’ Allison Schmitt, Paige Madden, Kathryn McLaughlin and Katie Ledecky celebrate winning silver in the 200-meter freestyle relay. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI. | License Photo

Ledecky won gold in the 1500-meter freestyle final with a time of 15:37.34. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Ledecky (L) and teammate Erica Sullivan, who won silver, hug after the women’s 1500-meter freestyle final. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Japan’s Yui Ohashi celebrates winning gold in 200-meter individual medley final with a time of 2:08.52. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Australia’s Ariarne Titmus (L) reacts to winning gold in the 200-meter freestyle. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

The United States’ Hall Flickinger competes in the 200-meter butterfly. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Titmus celebrates her win in the 200-meter freestyle final. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI.. | License Photo

Ledecky competes in the 200-meter freestyle finals. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

U.S. gold medalist Lydia Jacoby, the first Olympic swimmer born in Alaska, celebrates on the podium after winning the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:04.95 at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 27. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

From left to right, U.S. bronze medalist Lilly King, gold medalist Jacoby and South Africa’s silver medalist Tatjana Schoenmaker pose for media after the 100-meter breaststroke. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Jacoby reacts after winning the women’s 100-meter breaststroke. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

King (front) finishes third to Schoenmaker in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

From left to right, Canada’s silver medalist Kylie Masse, U.S. bronze medalist Regan Smith and Australia’s gold medalist Kaylee McKeown, with an Olympic record 57.47, pose with their medals from the 100-meter backstroke final. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

McKeown (L) celebrates her Olympic record win in the 100-meter backstroke. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

The United States’ Kate Douglass competes in the 200-meter individual medley semifinal, which she won to go on to the final. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Katie Ledecky looks at results after winning the 200-meter freestyle semifinal two with a time of 1:55.34. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Ledecky competes in the 200-meter freestyle semifinal, where she advanced to the final. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Ariarne Titmus of Australia holds her gold medal at the women’s 400-meter freestyle, beating Ledecky, on July 26. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Titmus (L) hugs Ledecky (R) after the win. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Titmus swam the 400-meter freestyle with a time of 3:56.69. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Ledecky holds up off her silver medal. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Ledecky competes in the 400-meter freestyle. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Margaret Macneil of Canada won gold in the 100-meter butterfly, with a time of 55:59. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Yufei Zhang of China celebrates her silver medal in the women’s 100-meter butterfly, with a time of 55:64. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Tatjana Schoenmaker of South Africa celebrates her win in the 100-meter breaststroke heat two. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Zhang competes in the 100-meter butterfly. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI.. | License Photo

Taylor Ruck of Canada competes in the women’s 100m backstroke at the Tokyo Aquatics Center, during the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, on Monday July 26, 2021. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI. | License Photo

Team Australia celebrates winning the 4×100-meter freestyle relay on July 25. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Cate Campbell of Australia competes in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Yui Ohashi of Japan reacts to winning the women’s 400-meter individual medley with a time of 4:32.08. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Ohashi (R) leads the women’s 400-meter individual medley. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Ohashi reacts to winning the women’s 400-meter individual medley. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Claire Curzan of the United States competes in the women’s 100-meter butterfly heat three event. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI.. | License Photo

Macneil (L) and Curzan take off in the women’s 100-meter butterfly heat three. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo