U.S. women’s soccer team outlasts Canada, weather

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Lightning strikes delayed them for an hour and 39 minutes.

Canada’s determined play delayed them for two hours.

But on a rain-lashed Friday in Shanghai, nothing could stop the players on the defending Olympic champion U.S. women’s soccer team from advancing to the semifinals.

The difference, in the end, was a goal in the 101st minute by Hawaii’s Natasha Kai -- she of the tattoos, the emblazoned headband and the odd-colored shoes.

Her goal, on a well-taken header off a cross from the left flank by Shannon Boxx, earned the Americans a 2-1 overtime victory and a spot in the medal round.

In all five Women’s World Cups and all four Olympic tournaments played to date, the U.S. has never failed to reach the final four, and this time was no different.

But it was quite a struggle.

Coach Pia Sundhage’s team took the lead in the 12th minute when USC’s Amy Rodriguez crossed the ball in from the right. Heather O’Reilly leaped to head it back across the face of the goal. Canadian goalkeeper Erin McCleod, diving low to her left, barely managed to get her fingertips to the ball and keep it out of the net.

But U.S. midfielder Angela Hucles was following up the play and stabbed the ball into the back of the net for her second goal of the Games to put the U.S. in front.

McLeod was injured on the play when she landed awkwardly, and she was replaced by Katarina LaBlanc.

The game was being played in driving rain, but when lightning lit up the sky in the neighborhood of Shanghai Stadium, play was stopped after 21 minutes. The delay lasted 99 minutes.

When the game finally resumed, Canada tied the match on a superb strike by Christine Sinclair, who latched onto a loose ball at midfield and powered a shot from 23 yards beyond the reach of U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo in the 30th minute.

Despite chances at either end, the score remained 1-1 through the end of regulation and into the 30-minute overtime until Kai -- wearing one white shoe and one red shoe and sporting a white headband with the uniform numbers of three U.S. players injured just before the Olympics -- settled matters with her game-winning header.

Brazil, the 2004 silver medalist, also reached the quarterfinals with a 2-1 victory over 2000 gold medal winner Norway in what was the final game for Canada’s Norwegian coach, Even Pellerud, who led Norway to its 1995 Women’s World Cup title as well as Olympic gold at Sydney 2000.

-- Grahame L. Jones