U.S. women's field hockey team stays in the Games

"Another shaky start. More late game heroics."

That's how USA Field Hockey described the U.S. women's 1-1 tie with Japan on Tuesday at the Olympic Green Hockey Stadium.

(Here's a link to an article about Tiffany Snow that Los Angeles Times columnist-blogger Helene Elliott wrote about the lone Californian on the U.S. squad.)

Japan, the world's fifth-ranked team, took an early lead Tuesday with a goal by Koari Chiba 12 minutes in. The U.S. squad tied it up in the 58th minute with a field goal by team captain Kate Barber.

In its first game on Sunday, the U.S. played second-ranked Argentina to a 2-2 tie. Tuesday's draw kept the Americans in contention for the medal rounds.

In other Pool B action on Tuesday: Argentina crafted a 2-0 lead but ended in a 2-2 draw with Great Britain, and Germany won in the final seconds over New Zealand, 2-1.

“We didn’t come out on the right foot in the first half,” Barber told USA Field Hockey after the match. “We didn’t match their intensity. We didn’t push forward and make things happen. We allowed them to come at us and they’re very skilled and very quick, and they made us pay.”

Japan's Akemi Kato was sent off in the 45th minute, and the U.S. women capitalized three minutes later when Barber stole a trapped ball and hit it past Japanese goalkeeper Ikuko Okamura.

“Kate’s quite pivotal to the buildup of our attack,” said USA Head Coach Lee Bodimeade. “For her to get the opportunities she did today –- hitting the post on one and scoring the other –- we like to think we have a balance in our forward line.”

The U.S. squad is tied for third in its group and will play defending champion Germany on Thursday.

Photos: Top, the U.S. women's field hockey team thanks fans while running a lap around Beijing's Olympic Green Hockey Stadium. The U.S. played Japan to a 1-1 tie. Credit: Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times. Insert: Kate Barber. Credit: USOC