Olympics women’s football roundup – quarter-finals

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There was plenty of drama during the quarter-final stage of the women’s football at Tokyo 2020, as four nations progressed to continue their dreams of winning a medal.

The four games produced moments of quality, shocks, and a hell of a lot of tension from which we couldn’t take our eyes away.

Let’s have a look at the results from the women’s quarter-finals.

Despite a strong start from Canada, it was Brazil who seemed the likeliest to notch an opener throughout the course of the match, as Stephanie Labbe produced several stops to keep the Brazilians at bay.

The goalkeeper would go on to produce more heroics as the tie went to a penalty shootout.

Canada’s Christine Sinclair missed her country’s opening spot kick, only for her goalkeeper to produce saves from Andressa Silva and Rafaelle in Brazil’s final two penalties to secure a 4-3 win and progression to the final four of the competition.

Just about every emotion could sum this match up.

Two goals from Ellen White had put Great Britain 2-1 up following Allana Kennedy’s early strike, only for Sam Kerr to clinically tuck away a dramatic 89th minute equaliser to send the tie to extra time.

With the scores poised at 2-2, Nikita Parris won a penalty for Team GB, only for Caroline Weir to see her tame spot kick saved by Teagan Micah.

That moment proved decisive and visibly gave the Matildas a second wind. Substitute Mary Fowler’s deflected effort sailed into the top corner of Ellie Roebuck’s goal, before Kerr notched a second with a towering header to cement Australia’s place in the last four.

The action wasn’t quite over, however. White got herself a consolation strike to secure a hat-trick and make it 4-3 late on, but couldn’t pull the game back in Team GB’s favour.

The dominant Sweden’s quarter-final tie against hosts Japan proved a little more straight forward, as they ran out comfortable 3-1 winners.

There was a little bump in the road as Chelsea defender Magdalena Erikkson’s early goal was cancelled out by Mina Tanaka’s 23rd minute equaliser. However, Sweden resumed control and found second half goals through Emma Blackstenius and Real Madrid’s Kosovare Asllani to register a 3-1 win, knocking the hosts out of the tournament.

The Netherlands and the USA produced another rollercoaster in their quarter-final tie.

Arsenal star Vivianne Miedema put the Netherlands 1-0 up inside 18 minutes, before goals from Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams in the 28th and 31st minutes put the USA ahead before half time.

Miedema came to her nation’s rescue once more as she equalised before the hour mark and, as neither team could find a goal afterwards, the tie proceeded to a penalty shootout.

Ironically, it was Miedema who missed the opening spot kick, before her colleague Aniek Nouwen failed to convert her nation’s fourth, allowing superstar Megan Rapinoe to notch the winning penalty and send USA through to the last four with a 4-2 shootout win.