BEIJING — Hope Solo ran around the field with a fake gold medal the size of a dinner plate around her neck as she screamed into her cellphone to her brother, who was crying on the other side of the world. Coach Pia Sundhage hugged anyone she could find while Brazilian players lay motionless on the field, no longer showing any dazzling moves.
The United States women’s soccer team returned to the country of its most humiliating defeat and highest point of turmoil and climbed back atop the women’s soccer world. It held fast against the speedy and talented Brazilians just long enough Thursday night for Carli Lloyd to score in the 96th minute and win in overtime, 1-0.
“Times . . . they are a changin’,” a delirious Sundhage sang in the postgame news conference.
Sure, the win was a repeat of the final in 2004, when Brazil controlled most of the game before losing in overtime, 2-1. But that seemed like another generation ago. Just last summer in the World Cup semifinals, these same Brazilians had drilled the U.S. 4-0, Solo popped off about getting benched, coach Greg Ryan later got axed and Sundhage came in.
Sundhage’s Olympics debut was a 2-0 loss to Norway and a lot of lost interest in U.S. women’s soccer. But at Workers Stadium, 51,612 people, including IOC head Jacques Rogge and Kobe Bryant, watched the U.S. reclaim the No. 1 title it held for so long.
Sundhage may not have been the happiest person among 16 million people in Beijing. Solo legitimized last year’s harsh words that had her jettisoned out of China. She made six saves against a relentless Brazilian attack that controlled total possession 58 percent to 42 percent.
The biggest save of her career came in the 71st minute, when Marta showed why she’s a two-time world player of the year. She dribbled between Heather Mitts and Kate Markgraf, and only Solo stood between her and a gold medal.
With Solo leaning left to protect the open side of the net, Marta craftily fired a rocket to the near post. Solo just managed to get her hand up to block it. She was asked if she felt vindicated for saying last summer she would’ve stopped those shots in that 4-0 defeat.
“I don’t think about what happened last year,” she said. “I said what I said out of emotion. I feel great. I won a gold medal.”
She had plenty of help from her defense, which double- and triple- teamed Marta, who rarely squared up for a deadly shot. The game appeared headed toward penalty kicks, but six minutes into the 30-minute overtime, Amy Rodriguez had the ball at the top of the goal box and made a nice five-foot touch pass to Lloyd.
The Rutgers product dribbled to her left once, found room and sent a shot into the right corner.
John Henderson: 303-954-1299 or jhenderson@denverpost.com
