Canada vs. USA Women's Soccer: London 2012 Olympics Live Blog

After taking their quarterfinal matches against New Zealand and Great Britain respectively, Team USA and Team Canada will face off in today's semifinal soccer match.

It isn't expected to be an easy match for Canada, as the US hasn't lost to them since 2001. In an earlier match, Japan defeated France 2-1 in their semifinals and will play today's winner in the gold medal finals on Aug. 9.

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Heads Held High

@ SteveNash : MAJOR respect to the Canadian woman's soccer team! Didn't deserve to lose. Played some beautiful stuff and fought like crazy. Heads up.

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What a game! Thanks for tuning in everyone! Finals will be on Thursday—USA vs. Japan.—KP

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Bronze Is Our Gold

It's a little joke that's been going around the HuffPost Canada office. It just hurts today. Go for the Bronze ladies, we're behind you all the way. -RN

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That Just Hurts

@ MySecondEmpire : That Canadian loss was really expressly designed to be heartbreaking. Everything about it: the worst possible.

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Congratulations Team USA

Good luck against Japan. Canada faces France on Thursday. -RN

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USA WINS! Absolutely incredible game by all involved! —KP

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30 seconds to go with an amazing score by Alex Morgan scores! 4-3 USA! —KP

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GOAL! USA

Alex Morgan with 30 seconds or so left in extra time. She just heads it past McLeod's hand. HEART. BREAK. -RN

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GOAAAALLLLL USA!!! —KP

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Just Seconds Left

Both teams want this winning goal. Then penalties. Not much time left.-RN

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A US Injury

Tancredi clips a US player and takes her down. But she's walking it off. -RN

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Looking like it'll be penalty kicks to determine the winner unless something crazy happens soon. Still 3-3. —KP

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Wambach Off The Bar

Morgan with a pass to Wambach and the header hits the cross bar and out. Just a few minutes left, now. - RN

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USA flirting with the idea of scoring a goal, yet not quite. —KP

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Canada Weathers Another US Storm

A couple of close calls. US crosses and passes in just missed. - RN

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Canada With Pressure Late

A long free kick played perfectly by Solo. US counters.

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No Diving

There's been a refreshing lack of diving in this game. Are you listening gents? -RN

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Another Injury For Canada

Desiree Scott takes a knee to the leg. OW. She's going to need the stretcher. Nope, she's limping off the field. Guts. -RN

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A High Ball

Picked off by McLeod. But the US is back at it. Canada needs the ball. -RN

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Players are (understandably) beginning to look a little exhausted—announcers wondering if this short break before the final minutes of play will hurt or help. —KP

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Pressure From The US

A few corners but nothing so far. Ooh, Schmidt went down with an ankle injury. We're going to have some injury time at the end of this. -RN

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Agree!

@ mirtle : What this game really needs is a shootout. #thingsnooneisthinking

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Nope, that wasn't it. Great defense by Canada, US using its final substitution. —KP

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Corner For The US

Rapinoe Takes. Punched out by McLeod. Well played. -RN

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This could be it! Corner kick by the US! —KP

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Ooh US Injury On The Field

Rachel Buehler on the field. Looks like she may have landed funny. But she's back up and walking it off. -RN

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Rapinoe quite literally throwing herself on the ball. C'mon USA! —KP

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15 Minutes...

And then. DUN DUN DUN. Penalty kicks. -RN

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One minute of stoppage

In the 1st period of extra time. Then another 15 minutes. Late close call there for Canada. McLeod missed a ball. -RN

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@ erika_xox : All these empty seats in the stadium and I would kill to be at this game #USAvCAN

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Comments

[new to soccer]

03:29 PM on 08/07/2012

I am new to soccer but after watching the USA women play Canada I could not believe how one sided the referee was. It looked like the game was fixed. I don't think I will watch any more womens soccer. It was as bad as boxing.

[dpcemker]

06:03 PM on 08/07/2012

Huh, the loosers always have an excuse as to why they suck so bad.

[Jordan Philip Longstaff]

09:22 PM on 08/07/2012

Easy for you to say! You're obviously from the US! Of course you're gonna defend that ref! If she had any competence, there wouldn't even have been an extended period for you to score in!!

[Stanton Lore]

12:37 PM on 08/07/2012

Headline: Christina Pederson wins semi final game for US women's soccer team.
Hint - she was on the field but was not a player on either team.

[Jamhawk4]

10:51 AM on 08/08/2012

Hint: the game was played well and Canada lost it on basic soccer rules. It sucks, but it is part of the game.

[baobelgravialondon84]

02:11 AM on 08/07/2012

If the US women's team wins the Gold medal, there should be a petition to to the Olympic Committee to rename that particular Gold medal the "G.W.Bush2000" medal. I look forward the ref's second act/career as a US supreme court judge.

[dpcemker]

06:03 PM on 08/07/2012

you delirious

[baobelgravialondon84]

03:44 AM on 08/08/2012

ROFLOL! Your mother is delirious.

[Robert Pywell]

10:39 PM on 08/06/2012

Amazing game by both teams. Neither team deserved to lose. Canada you rock, ladies. You represented the maple leaf like no other event in the Olympics. Congrats to USA. I am proud to be a Canadian by the effort these ladies showed on the field.

[Gatorhoya]

10:29 PM on 08/06/2012

It was a couple of tough (and questionable) calls against Canada, but to suggest that the US would not have scored the equalizer during the last minutes of regulation is not only ignoring the game, but also ignoring reality. Great game for both teams!

[lukelea]

02:20 PM on 08/07/2012

Sorry but the calls were not questionable. The first one was inexcusable, the second one beyond inexcusable. I would sign a petition protesting this game. And if I were the US team I would refuse the win.

[Jamhawk4]

11:09 AM on 08/08/2012

Quit smoking that crack! The first one was spot on! The keeper had already held the ball for 15+ seconds twice, and the referee warned her at halftime to get rid of it. Rules are that a goalkeeper has 6 seconds to put the ball back into play. She didn't follow the rules and got called on it. Completely fair.

The handball (or should I say double handball) is up to the discretion of the referee. The second player that the ball hit turned her arm into the ball. She mistimed her turn, making it so that her arm would get hit and not her back, which is what she intended.

Some referees go by the guidelines of "if the hand deflects a shot or misdirects a ball." I have seen this time and again in both competitive and recreational soccer. It all comes down to the referees judgement. You don't have to like it, but think of it this way: had the roles been reversed, how would you feel about it?

[dpcemker]

06:03 PM on 08/07/2012

Canada should feel happy to even have a good game. They usually suck anyhow

[Debbie Lea]

09:55 PM on 08/06/2012

I would like to know how much the USA paid the one ref in this game/ It was quite obvious that the one ref made some extremely bad calls against Canada favoring the USA. It just shows that the USA cant win fairly on their own.

[dpcemker]

06:05 PM on 08/07/2012

if we were to pay for every win we have over you there would be no money left to support Canada oil refineries we we do.

[Jamhawk4]

11:13 AM on 08/08/2012

Seriously, don't demean the comments section with this cr ap. You want to talk about favorable calls. Your precious Tancredi had over 7 fouls called against her, several of them looking flagrant, and still only got a yellow card. She even stomped on Carli Lloyd's head and got off scott-free. So instead of complaining about paying off, try seeing it as what the referee saw.

[Bam Bam2]

06:10 PM on 08/06/2012

Dear Haters:

Don't be mad cuz we own you in your own sport....haha...What a bunch of whiners!? USA! USA! USA!!!

[baobelgravialondon84]

01:54 AM on 08/07/2012

Actually the British invented the sport. Clearly you represent the epic ignorance of the USA which is why I left that willfully ignorant racist dump.

[PatriotForever]

02:22 AM on 08/07/2012

baobel,it's just a game. I agree the ref favored the US with her calls and the penalty was a bad call. Both teams played their hearts out.
Did you move to Canada from the US? Racism is alive and well in all countries.

[dpcemker]

06:05 PM on 08/07/2012

Go cry to your mama.. drink some tea and enjoy our epic kick in the butt

[dmainswo]

05:48 PM on 08/06/2012

Canada decided yesterday that they were robbed and that the U.S. plays dirty. I used to respect Canada. No more.

[TreeHuggingLiberal]

05:55 PM on 08/06/2012

It was hard to believe what the Canadian coach said yesterday. Poor sportsmanship and whining before the game even started.

[baobelgravialondon84]

01:56 AM on 08/07/2012

You're right, everyone was just imaging those bad calls. I guess we shouldn't believe our lying eyes and just be lapdogs and accept the usual sense of entitlement by the USA. GO JAPAN!!!!!

[Jamhawk4]

11:16 AM on 08/08/2012

Lying eyes? Like Tancredi getting away with a flagrant foul on multiple occasions?

[SangZe]

05:44 PM on 08/06/2012

Love you, Canadians!

[BCavendish]

05:44 PM on 08/06/2012

Awesome job everyone! Congratulations, Team USA! Well played, Canada. Why doesn't women's soccer get the coverage men's soccer does?? This was a display of magnificent endurance, technique, grit on both sides. Hope some investors are also inspired and can revive women's professional soccer in the U.S.

[Canadian1969]

05:34 PM on 08/06/2012

Great job Canadians! You played a fantastic game! Christine Peterson, you should retiree from Reffing, cuz you really sucked at it! Seriously? on some of the calls you made were quite obvious who you wanted to win this game. Congrats USA on this win. I am cheering for Japan for the Gold!

[Haiyu Hou]

05:42 PM on 08/06/2012

Chinese here, usually don't like Japan, but I am rooting for Japan in the final.

[sylsfield]

05:31 PM on 08/06/2012

Neither team deserved to lose that game! They both played out of their minds, and left everything on the pitch! Poor props though to the Canadian coach for disparaging comments prior to the match.

[baobelgravialondon84]

01:57 AM on 08/07/2012

GO JAPAN!!!!!!

[yorkton91]

05:30 PM on 08/06/2012

Wat the hell. That ref in the game is mentally stupid. Did USA pay her?

[Ann Omaly]

05:35 PM on 08/06/2012

It wasn't the cheating that makes her so stupid; she could have been a little less obvious. But, I guess the USA couldn't win on their own merit so they need the extra help. Oh, well. Better luck next time, USA. Congratulations on a fantastic and well played game, Canada.

[baobelgravialondon84]

01:58 AM on 08/07/2012

I know right? And the badminton players were sent home. What was the difference between them and the cheating ref?

[sylsfield]

05:45 PM on 08/06/2012

Every Soccer match will to someone somewhere have elements of what they believe to be unfair, or ref bias. It has always been that way, and will always be that way. Canada deserves huge props for playing as well as they did. They are a great team, that got beat by a great team. C'est la vie.

[LiberalJo]

05:27 PM on 08/06/2012

The USWNT freaking ROCKS!! Love those ladies!!
Thank you for showing the world how great soccer is and how freaking awesome you women are!

[aidapoulin]

05:33 PM on 08/06/2012

Don't forget to thank the referee as well! Nice gift!

[LiberalJo]

05:53 PM on 08/06/2012

Yes, if we would've lost, we would probably be saying that same thing......

[baobelgravialondon84]

02:00 AM on 08/07/2012

Sorry, theft is theft, and that's what the referee did. At least admit it. I would ordinarily never root for Japan, but GO JAPAN!!!! Whoooo!!!!

[Ann Omaly]

05:26 PM on 08/06/2012

The ref needs to be investigated and she should NEVER officiate another game. The USA's star player. Canada won that game and she couldn't handle it. Pathetic.