Rebounding may be in her genes, but Trinity Rodman showed off a skill set of her own with a slick crossover dribble and devastatingly accurate shooting.
Rodman helped the U.S. women’s soccer team avoid early elimination in the quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics by overturning a scoreless draw in the first period of overtime to lead the team to a 1-0 victory over Japan on Saturday.
The 22-year-old daughter of former NBA star Dennis Rodman became the youngest player to score a goal in overtime for the United States since New Jersey’s Heather O’Reilly in the 2004 Olympic semifinals.
The U.S., which cruised through the group stage with ease by winning three matches against Germany, Zambia and Australia, scoring a total of nine points, will face the winner of the quarterfinal match between Canada and Germany on Tuesday afternoon.
2024 Paris Olympics
It was the first Olympic match between the United States and Japan since they played for the gold medal in 2012, and the U.S. won 2-1 thanks to a powerful performance from Carli Lloyd.
A year ago, Japan beat the United States in a penalty shootout to win the World Cup title.
Japan made frequent substitutions on Saturday and appeared fresher throughout the second half, added time and extra time, making the most of their chances.
But you only need one.
Replays showed that Rodman was just barely onside when Crystal Dunn sent a cross-field pass for the corner.
She picked up the ball with her right foot, quickly crossed it to her left and fired a shot that the diving keeper just about missed with his fingertips, hitting the left post.
The goal was set up by teammate Sophia Smith, who had missed a golden opportunity early in extra time.
In ’96, she took the ball about 30 yards from the net.Number She kicked the ball out just over a minute ago, but instead of angling it and taking a long shot, she dribbled towards the onrushing keeper, who made a sliding save with her knee.
