U.S. women’s soccer team in Olympic final

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BEIJING -- Four years after the era of Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy and Brandi Chastain ended with a gold medal in Athens, it wasn’t clear how the United States would fare with a new generation of women’s soccer players.

Then leading scorer Abby Wambach broke her leg just before the team left for China.

Then the United States lost its Olympic opener to Norway.

Not to worry. The U.S. team hasn’t lost since and now is in the championship game, again playing for a gold medal, after a 4-2 semifinal victory Monday over Japan.

The United States meets Brazil, who won 4-1 in the semifinal over Germany, in the final.

Japan took the lead in the 16th minute, but Angela Hucles scored two goals and Lori Chalupny and Heather O’Reilly each scored once. Japan added a consolation goal in the 93rd minute.

This is the fourth Olympics for women’s soccer, and the fourth time the United States has been in the final. It won in 1996 and 2004 and finished second in 2000.

--Randy Harvey