Tokyo Olympics: Carli Lloyd, Team USA suffer devastating loss to Canada to end gold-medal hopes in soccer

Carli Lloyd stayed down on the pitch, one knee on the ground and her left hand covering her face, for a full minute after the final whistle had blown.

Ten minutes earlier, she had sent a header streaming toward the Canadian goal. But, like just about everything else for this U.S. women’s soccer team, the shot was just a little bit off. It hit the crossbar, the best chance at redemption denied.

Canada defeated Lloyd and Team USA, 1-0, in the semifinals on Monday morning of the Tokyo Olympics to advance to the gold-medal game. The Americans, shut out for the third time in five games, will try to salvage a bronze.

“It sucks, obviously,” U.S. star Megan Rapinoe said. “Never want to lose. Never want to lose to Canada and playing the way we did.”

It was a devastating loss a U.S. team that brought a 44-game unbeaten streak to Tokyo. But, from the start of this tournament, this veteran-heavy team struggled to find its groove, and now there will be lingering questions about the decision to build a roster with an average age of 32.

That includes the 39-year-old Lloyd, who likely is playing in her final international tournament after a brilliant career. The former Rutgers star has yet to score a goal in Tokyo, but she is hardly alone in her inability to put the ball into the net.

The loss to Canada was decided on a controversial penalty. Canadian star Jessie Fleming sent the shot past U.S. goalie Adrianna Franch, who was pressed into service after starter Alyssa Naeher left in the first half with a knee injury.

That made it 1-0 in the 75th minute, and in the frantic 19 minutes that followed, Team USA could only muster a couple of decent chances. The Americans will face the loser of the other semifinal, either Sweden or Australia, in the bronze-medal game on Thursday morning.

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Steve Politi may be reached at spoliti@njadvancemedia.com.

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