Canada beats US will play for Olympic womens soccer gold

Redemption.

Nine years after heartbreak and controversy at Old Trafford at London 2012, the Canadian women's soccer team defeated the number-one ranked United States 1-0 in their semifinal on Monday at the Tokyo Games.

The only goal of the match came off the boot of Jessie Fleming of London, Ont., who converted a penalty kick in 74th minute.

Canada now moves on to play in the Olympic gold-medal match for the first time in the country's history.

The goal began off a call made from video review â€" it was ruled Deanne Rose was taken down in the penalty area by Tierna Davidson and Canada was awarded a penalty kick.

Jessie Fleming was cool under pressure, delivering a strike that sent Canada into the championship game.

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Despite a late charge by the high-powered Americans, Canada's line of defence withstood the pressure to send them into the championship game on the grandest of stages. 

It marks just the second time ever the United States are not advancing to the championship game â€" the Americans had played in every final since 1996 except once, in the last Games in Rio.

The famous victory came inside an empty Kashima Stadium on a hot and humid Monday afternoon in Japan. The Canadians celebrated wildly on the lush green-grass pitch, basking in a moment nearly a decade in the making.

Gold-medal match awaits

Canada now plays the winner of Australia and Sweden to be played later on Monday in Tokyo. The gold medal match goes Friday morning at 11 a.m. in Japan, 10 p.m. ET on Thursday in Canada.

The rallying cry coming from Canada into these Games was "change the colour" after back-to-back bronze medals. Now they have their chance. 

It's a rivalry between these two teams steeped in bitterness and heavily-sided toward American dominance â€" Canada had not defeated the Americans in 20 years, dating back to a friendly match between the two in March 2001. 

In the previous 61 meetings between Canada and the U.S. going into Monday's semifinal, the Canadians had only won three times. 

Their fourth victory over the Americans is a memorable one, to say the least.

Canada's midfielder Jessie Fleming celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games women's semifinal soccer match between the United States and Canada at Ibaraki Kashima Stadium on Monday. (Martin Bernetti/AFP via Getty Images)

Much of the play early in the match was in Canada's end of the pitch as the powerhouse Americans were wanting to apply pressure in the high-stakes game -- in fact, for the first 10 minutes the Canadians struggled to move the ball past midfield. 

The play was physical, feisty and it was clear the player's emotions were running high, knowing what awaited the victor. 

Canada's first somewhat threatening chance came 14 minutes into the game when Nichelle Prince was trying to track down a ball in the U.S.'s penalty area but was thwarted away.

American goalkeeper injured

That charge from Prince seemed to spark the Canadians, getting rewarded for their much more organized play with two corners.

At the 19 minute mark USA keeper Alyssa Naeher shot into the air to clear away a threatening ball from Canada and landed awkwardly on her right knee. She was down on the pitch for minutes before getting up and putting weight on her right leg.

After a lengthy delay of more than seven minutes, Naeher was good to go and stayed in the match -- but it lasted only minutes. After one kick, Naeher was visibly in pain and left the game.

Adrianna Franch took over the rest of the way.

After a frantic few minutes the game settled down, as both teams found their footing. Not a single shot on target was registered for either side in the first half as the teams headed to the locker room.

Captain Christine Sinclair was the only player on the pitch Monday for Canada who was only on the pitch nine years earlier for that infamous game.

She put forward one of the greatest performances ever by a Canadian soccer player that day scoring a hat trick. But it wasn't enough.

2012 demons may have been exorcised

What happened that day on the pitch at Old Trafford in August of 2012 will never be forgotten and the sting will never go away. 

Those chaotic late minutes in the game, laced with confusion, chaos and frustration still linger.

In what can only be described as a baffling call made by referee Norwegian referee Christiana Pedersen, Canadian keeper Erin McLeod was penalized for a delay of game for holding the ball for more than six seconds â€" it's a call rarely ever made. 

The Americans were awarded a free kick outside the Canadian. On that kick Canada's Marie-Eve Nault was charged with a handball in the penalty area.

Abby Wambach of the United States made no mistake and tied the game. 

After the game then coach John Herdman was livid.

"She'll have to sleep in bed tonight after watching the replays, she's got that to live with," he said on that August day. "We'll move on from this, I wonder if she'll be able to."

The team has moved on. Sinclair has moved on.

Canada is moving on to the championship game.

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