Just under a year after winning World Cup gold, Spain's women footballers can continue to dream of winning the Olympic Games. However, the top favorites almost tripped up Colombia in the quarter-finals.
The Iberians were 2-0 down against the underdogs until the 79th minute, but in the seventh minute of stoppage time, captain and world champion Irene Paredes saved Spain from going into extra time with a 2-2 equalizer. After a goalless 30 minutes of overtime, the Spaniards pulled their heads out of the noose with a 4-2 victory in the penalty shoot-out.
In the semi-final on Tuesday, the Spaniards will face Brazil, who eliminated the hosts France 1-0. The French team missed a penalty in the first half. The winning goal was not scored until the 82nd minute.
The other finalists will be decided between the USA (1:0 n.V. against Japan) and Germany. The Germans eliminated the Tokyo 2021 Olympic champions in the quarter-finals in a nerve-wracking game of patience with Canada. They prevailed 4:2 on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes. German goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger emerged as the big hero with two shots saved from the spot and a penalty converted.
