Lavelle, USWNT to play Australia for bronze after Olympic semifinal loss to Gilles, Canada

Dave Clark
Cincinnati Enquirer
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Rose Lavelle, who starred for Cincinnati United Premier and Mount Notre Dame High School, played Monday's entire women's soccer semifinal for Team USA in a 1-0 loss to Canada at Japan's Ibaraki Kashima Stadium in the Tokyo Olympics.

USA's midfielder Rose Lavelle clears the ball ahead of Canada's defender Ashley Lawrence (right) during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games women's semi-final football match between the United States and Canada at Ibaraki Kashima Stadium in Kashima on August 2, 2021.

Sweden defeated Australia in the other semifinal.

Former Cincinnati Bearcats standout Vanessa Gilles starred on defense for Canada, which will face Sweden in the gold medal match Thursday at 10 p.m. Eastern in Tokyo.

From the UC women's soccer team via Twitter:

Gilles scored on a penalty kick to help Canada advance past Brazil in the quarterfinals to reach the meeting with USWNT.

Alex Morgan #13 of Team United States is challenged by Vanessa Gilles #14 of Team Canada during the Women's Semi-Final match between USA and Canada on day ten of the Tokyo Olympic Games at Kashima Stadium on August 2, 2021 in Kashima, Ibaraki, Japan.

The USWNT will face Australia in the bronze medal match Thursday at 4 a.m. Eastern in Kashima.

Last week, Lavelle scored the first of the USWNT's four successful penalty kicks in a 2-2 (4-2) quarterfinal win against the Netherlands at International Stadium Yokohama.

In pool play, Lavelle scored her first-ever goal in the Olympics - and Team USA's first of the Tokyo Games - during a match against New Zealand at Saitama Stadium.

In February, Lavelle scored the only goal in USWNT's 1-0 win vs. Canada in the SheBelieves Cup in Orlando.

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