But never like this.

Saturday night’s edition of the Hudson River Derby marks the first-ever playoff match between New York’s two MLS clubs.

They are set to meet in the Eastern Conference Semifinals for a single-elimination showdown at Citi Field, where — due to sky-high demand — additional seating will be opened to accommodate a crowd expected to exceed 25,000 people.

And neither is taking it lightly.

“We’re aware it’s a Hudson River Derby in the playoffs,” NYCFC head coach Nick Cushing said Thursday. “Ultimately for both teams, we got professional players here that if you can’t get yourself up for a semifinal against your rivals with a chance to progress, you are playing the wrong sport.”

The Red Bulls enter Saturday with an all-time record of 15-10-4 against NYCFC, though the latter won both meetings this season, including a 5-1 victory at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., in late September.

NYCFC finished the regular season with a better record of 14-8-12 — compared to the Red Bulls’ 11-14-9 — to earn the higher seed and the right to host Saturday’s postseason match.

“We know the results,” Red Bulls head coach Sandro Schwarz said Thursday. “We know how they played against us. How we played, especially the last game in our stadium, was tough, to the days after the game was tough, but now it’s new competition.”

The cross-river rivalry dates back to 2015, when NYCFC joined the MLS. The Red Bulls swept the clubs’ three matches that year, then won the first meeting in 2016 before NYCFC finally defeated their local foe.

But the stakes have never been higher than Saturday’s match.

The sixth-seeded NYCFC advanced to the semifinal by beating No. 2 FC Cincinnati in the opening round, while the seventh-seeded Red Bulls made it by upsetting the No. 2 Columbus Crew, the reigning MLS champions.

“These are the types of games growing up, especially the two teams from New York, that you kind of dream of playing,” NYCFC midfielder Justin Haak said. “Now it’s a playoff game, so it adds a little something else to it, but everybody’s just really excited. I don’t feel like anybody’s too tense about the moment. We’re all just kind of enjoying it.”

NYCFC seeks its first championship since 2021, when it won the MLS Cup in its lone appearance in the final. The Red Bulls, meanwhile, still seek the first championship in the history of a franchise that debuted in 1994. Their only appearance in the final came in 2008.

Both clubs are three wins away from a title, starting with Saturday’s match.

They are fairly evenly matched, with NYCFC scoring 54 goals and allowing 49 this season, compared to the Red Bulls scoring 53 and allowing 50.

“We know it’s going be a very good, physical game. We have to be prepared for that,” Red Bulls defender Andres Reyes said. “Don’t give chances for them to score. I think we have to be 100% focused.”

Since its inception, NYCFC has mostly played its home games at Yankee Stadium, though it added Citi Field as a secondary venue in 2022. When both ballparks are booked, NYCFC has scheduled games at Red Bull Arena.

That’s set to change in 2027, when NYCFC is scheduled to open a $780 million stadium — which, the club revealed Thursday, will be named Etihad Park — across the street from Citi Field.

Until then, NYCFC hopes to capitalize on calling Citi Field home.

“It’s a real special place under the lights,” Cushing said.

“I’m sure we’re probably going to have 25,000 fans behind us that, hopefully if we can get on the front foot, we can make that 25,000 sound like 45,000. I’ve said before when we have our people behind us, it gives us such an energy and such a lift.”

Baldock was reportedly discovered unresponsive in the swimming pool at his home in the suburbs of Athens.

No other details regarding the circumstances or the cause of his death were made available, according to state news agency ANA. An investigation is ongoing.

Baldock’s wife had reportedly been trying to get in touch with him but received no response before the owner of the residence found him in the pool, according to Greek outlet Sport24. An emergency services doctor pronounced him dead at the scene.

SDNA, another Greek outlet, reported an unspecified bottle of alcohol was found next to the pool.

Born in England, Baldock began his professional career in the U.K., including a seven-year stint with Sheffield United. After the club was relegated, Baldock, who was eligible to play for Greece through his grandfather, signed with Athens-based Panathinaikos in May. Earlier this season he made his Europa League debut.

A defender, Baldock had also played 12 games with the Greek national team.

Marín had suffered from a bacterial infection that caused pneumonia and several hospitalizations in recent years. He had undergone the double lung replacement earlier this month, but died Monday morning.

The news was confirmed Monday by TUDN, the Mexican-American Spanish language sports channel owned by Univision.

“On behalf of TelevisaUnivision, we express our deepest condolences for the death of our dear colleague and close friend André Marín, a distinguished sports journalist,” the network said in a statement.

“His charisma, character and analytical skills quickly made him one of the most beloved and recognized faces in sports journalism in Mexico and around the world,”  the network wrote in a short obituary.

Marín worked for a number of networks in his home country, including TV Azteca Deportes and Fox Sports Mexico where he hosted “La Última Palabra.” He was also a sports columnist for Mexican newspaper Excélsior.

“André, against all odds, believed in my work and opened the doors for me in Mexico. I will always be grateful,” friend and colleague Luis Omar Tapia wrote on social media.

It boasts a winning record of 137-82-103.

Its MLS Cup victory in 2021 remains the most recent title among the men’s professional sports teams in New York.

Yet something was always missing.

Since its debut in 2015, NYCFC has been a nomad, bouncing between existing stadiums in lieu of its own home.

Most of those games have taken place at Yankee Stadium, a towering cathedral with the capacity to seat twice what most MLS venues hold.

That’s meant thousands of empty seats at NYCFC home games, an issue the club also faces at Citi Field, its secondary venue since 2022.

When those ballparks are booked, NYCFC schedules games at Red Bull Arena. That stadium is designed for soccer and seats a much-more-suitable 25,000 people, but it’s in Harrison, N.J. — a less-than-ideal location for a club that prides itself on being New York City’s team. And it is home to the club’s local rival.

“I feel like it’s the one piece that’s probably been holding us back, the facilities piece, from being able to realize the full potential,” said Jennifer O’Sullivan, NYCFC’s chief operating officer.

But change is coming.

In 2027, NYCFC is set to open a $780-million stadium in Flushing, Queens. The 25,000-seat venue functions as an anchor of Mayor Adams’ 23-acre Willets Point development, which aims to deliver 2,500 affordable homes, a public school, stores, a hotel, 16,000 jobs and $6 billion to the city’s economy.

The yet-to-be-named stadium will be the first in the history of New York City’s five boroughs to be created specifically for soccer.

“Our friends at the Mets and Yankees are wonderful, but the sightlines are not right for soccer,” O’Sullivan said. “You’re far away from the action, and the buildings aren’t able to contain the noise the way you would want at a soccer-specific stadium. The design of this stadium is that.”

Indeed, the designers of the stadium hail it as a haven for soccer fans, complete with pitch-side seats, state-of-the-art suites and a supporters section so steep it resembles a wall of screaming fans.

NYCFC previewed the stadium to media members last week, showing renderings that included a detailed model of the building and a suite recreation.

The stadium is set to be erected across the street from Citi Field and within walking distance of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, creating a multi-sport complex in New York City’s most diverse borough.

None of it came easily.

NYCFC is 80% owned by the City Football Group, a British-based subsidiary of Abu Dhabi United Group, which also owns Premier League heavyweight Manchester City F.C. The other 20% belongs to Yankee Global Enterprises, the parent company of the Yankees.

When NYCFC joined the MLS a decade ago, its leadership hoped to reach a stadium deal shortly thereafter and was intent on doing so within the five boroughs.

NYCFC explored multiple locations over the years, including in the Bronx near Yankee Stadium, but repeatedly ran into roadblocks.

“I don’t think anyone had a full appreciation for how challenging it was going to be to get something done in the city,” said Brad Sims, NYCFC’s CEO.

“We really are proud that we’re the only New York team with ‘City’ in our name. Everyone else has ‘New York,’ and we’re ‘New York City.’ That was from day one. We were committed to making this happen in the city, but not without a lot of pain and a lot of expense. It’s a lot less expensive to build in the suburbs.”

The requisite circumstances to put a sprawling venue in New York City — from needing local political support to accessible public transit to space for the build — never aligned at once, even with ownership’s willingness to privately fund the stadium.

Not until Mayor Adams was elected in 2021.

“When he got into office, that’s when the project really started getting some legs, because we were able to present what we really believe is a transformative project for Queens,” Sims said.

“He was able to say, ‘100% privately financed [stadium]. The city’s in a housing crisis right now. [This is the] biggest affordable housing project that the city’s seen in four decades.’”

NYCFC leadership is brimming with optimism.

Optimism that putting down roots in Queens will increase the attendance from residents of Long Island, who were previously reluctant to make the trek to Yankee Stadium.

Optimism that the current fan bases in Manhattan, the Bronx and Westchester County will maintain, or even grow, with a permanent home in place.

And optimism the stadium will elevate NYCFC’s status to never-before-seen heights.

“Something like this will just continue to improve the brand and solidify in the city,” said NYCFC midfielder Maxi Moralez, 37, who is in eighth season with the club. “Of course, it will have an impact not only for the players, not only the fans, but for the future, for those [players] who are being developed here in the city.”

The stadium deal came together with the support of the Mets and the organizers of the U.S. Open. That goodwill included an agreement that Mets games and NYCFC matches can take place on the same day but never at the same time to avoid overwhelming the area with traffic and to guarantee sufficient parking.

NYCFC’s stadium is scheduled to arrive in the United States’ biggest market a year after MetLife Stadium hosts the 2026 men’s World Cup final. How the city’s upcoming soccer boom will impact the NYCFC roster in three years only adds to the intrigue.

“New York City, obviously, would be an attractive place for any international players to come, and I think it’s a recruiting competitive advantage for us,” Sims said.

“It will be interesting to see where things go, even from a league perspective. Everyone’s seen the impact that [Inter Miami superstar Lionel] Messi has had on the league. Granted, there is only one Messi, but there are a lot of incredible soccer players around the world.”

NYCFC hopes to break ground on its stadium and to reach a naming-rights deal by the end of the year.

“We made a promise to fans, to the city of New York, 10-plus years ago that we were a club for the city. We were going to build the first-ever soccer-specific stadium in New York City, and it was going to be within the five boroughs,” Sims said.

“Obviously, it took longer than we would have hoped, but at least I feel like we can say we’re fulfilling a promise.”

Two-time Women’s World Cup champion Alex Morgan has announced she is pregnant with her second child and is retiring from professional soccer. The 35-year-old Morgan will play her final match with her club team, the San Diego Wave of the National Women’s Soccer League, on Sunday at Snapdragon Stadium. In addition to World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, Morgan also won a gold medal with the United States at the 2012 London Olympics. She first joined the national team in 2009.

With two Women’s World Cup titles and an Olympic gold medal, Alex Morgan is retiring from professional soccer as one of the United States national team’s most prolific scorers and as someone who helped lead the fight for equal pay.

Morgan made the announcement on Thursday in a social media post. At times during the heartfelt message, Morgan was near tears.

“This decision wasn’t easy, but at the beginning of 2024 I felt in my heart and soul that this was the last season that I would play soccer,” she said. “Soccer has been a part of me for 30 years, and it was one of the first things that I ever loved. I gave everything to this sport and what I got in return was more than I could have ever dreamed of.”

Over the course of a 15-year career with the United States national team, Morgan made an impact on and off the field, fighting for equal pay and speaking out about social justice issues.

In addition to World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, Morgan also won a gold medal with the United States at the 2012 London Olympics and a bronze at the Tokyo Games in 2021. She first joined the national team in 2009.

Morgan played in 224 matches for the national team, ninth-all time, with 123 goals (fifth all-time) and 53 assists (ninth all-time).

She was named the U.S. Soccer Player of the Year in 2012 and 2018.

Her final game with the United States came on June 4, 2024, against South Korea. She was not on the roster of players that won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

Morgan was among five players who filed a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2016 for wage discrimination. The players sued U.S. Soccer in 2019, citing inequitable pay and treatment compared to the men’s national team.

The lawsuit was settled and in 2022 the sides agreed to collective bargaining agreements that pay both teams equally.

“Success for me is defined by never giving up and giving your all, and I did just that,” Morgan said. “I’m giving my all every single day on the field, and I did that giving my all in the relentless push for investment in women’s sports, because we deserve that.”

Morgan has played for the Wave since 2022. She also had stints with the Portland Thorns and the Orlando Pride during the course of her NWSL career. In 2022, she was the league’s Golden Boot winner for most goals. She also played internationally for Lyon and Tottenham.

Morgan and her husband Servando Carrasco have a daughter, Charlie, who was born in 2020.

“Charlie came up to me the other day and said that when she grows up, she wants to be a soccer player,” Morgan said. “It just made me immensely proud, not because I wish for her to become a soccer player when she grows up, but because a pathway exists that even a 4-year-old can see now. We’re changing lives and the impact we have on the next generation is irreversible and I’m proud in the hand I had in making that happen, in pushing the game forward and leaving it in a place that I’m so happy and proud of.”

The 49-year-old soccer legend opened up on the challenges and emotional weight of revisiting his storied career in a guest column for The Hollywood Reporter, published Wednesday.

In the article, Beckham, who retired from professional soccer in 2013, says he’d been approached about making a documentary for years but wasn’t ready to look back until nearly a decade later.

He finally decided to embark on the project after meeting director Fisher Stevens, who he says laid out a plan to focus on his entire journey.

“I wanted to create something for my family to look back on that brought everything we experienced together in one place,” he writes.

The filming sessions with Stevens were emotionally intense, Beckham says, to the point where after each day he found himself “needing time alone to decompress.”

One of the most significant and painful moments Beckham revisited in the docuseries was the fallout from the 1998 World Cup, where he was vilified across England after receiving a red card in a match against Argentina.

“This was the first time I had truly confronted some pretty monumental moments in my life, and it was therapeutic,” he writes in the column.

While Beckham admits the documentary didn’t bring him complete closure, it allowed him to forgive himself and release some lingering guilt.

“You don’t need to feel bad anymore,” he remembers his mother telling him after the doc’s premiere.

As the former pro continues to reflect on his journey, Netflix has already announced that production is underway for a new documentary series focused on his wife Victoria Beckham, exploring her rise in the fashion and beauty industry.

Mauricio Pochettino and the U.S. Soccer Federation are working toward a deal for him to become the men’s national team coach, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

Pochettino, the former Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain coach, has agreed to take over as the U.S. coach but the deal is not complete, the person said Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement was not finalized.

Pochettino would succeed Gregg Berhalter less than 22 months before the Americans host the 2026 World Cup.

The USSF declined to comment.

A 52-year-old Argentine, Pochettino would become the first foreign-born coach to head the U.S. since Jurgen Klinsmann from 2011-16. He has coached Espanyol in Spain (2009-12), Southampton (2013-14), Tottenham (2014-19) and Chelsea (2023-24) in England and Paris Saint-Germain in France (2021-22), leaving after winning a Ligue 1 title.

Matt Crocker, the USSF’s sporting director in charge of the search, was Southampton’s academy director when Pochettino started at that club.

The U.S. has four friendlies upcoming, against Canada on Sept. 7, New Zealand three days later, Panama on Oct. 12 and an opponent to be determined on Oct. 15. The next competitive matches are a two-leg CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal in November.

Mikey Varas, a Berhalter assistant, could be in charge of the team for the September games and Pochettino could take over for the October matches.

Berhalter was fired on July 10, a week after the Americans were eliminated in the first round of the Copa America. He was hired in December 2018, was allowed to leave when his contract expired following a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands in the second round of the 2022 World Cup, then was rehired in June 2023 to return in September.

Pochettino would inherit a player pool led by Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams, who have thrived with European clubs. But goalkeepers Matt Turner and Ethan Horvath and midfielder Gio Reyna have failed to gain playing time with first-tier teams, and Chris Richards — at Crystal Palace in England — is the only central defender in his 20s playing regularly with a top-league European club.
Berhalter minimized Major League Soccer players, not using any during the Copa America. Before heading the national team, Berhalter coached Columbus in MLS.

On-field discipline has been a problem, with defender Sergiño Dest getting two red cards in the past 13 months, and McKennie and winger Tim Weah receiving one each.

Pochettino was a central defender who played for Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina and Espanyol, PSG and Bordeaux in Europe from the late 1980s until 2006. He made 20 appearances for Argentina, playing at the 1999 Copa América and the 2002 World Cup, where his foul of Michael Owen led to David Beckham’s penalty kick in Argentina’s 1-0 group-stage loss.

After retiring as a player, he became a coach in Espanyol’s system, took over as first-team coach in January 2009 and helped the team avoid relegation. Pochettino was fired in November 2012 with the team in last place and was hired two months later by English club Southampton.

Pochettino moved in May 2014 to Tottenham, which reached the final of the 2015 League Cup, losing to Chelsea, and the 2019 Champions League, losing to Liverpool. He was fired in November 2019 with Spurs in 14th place and replaced by Jose Mourinho.

PSG hired Pochettino in January 2021. The team finished second in the league and lost to Manchester City in the Champions League semifinals but won the French Cup, beating Monaco 2-0 in the final. Led by Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, PSG clinched the 2022 Ligue 1 title with four games to spare but lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16.

Pochettino left PSG at the end of the 2022-23 season, then was hired by Chelsea in June 2023 after the club finished 12th. Chelsea lost the League Cup final to Liverpool and finished sixth in the Premier League, missing out on the Champions League. Pochettino left two days after the final match.

AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.

PARIS — At just the right moment, Mallory Swanson yelled at teammate Sophia Smith not to go near the ball as it came though.

Swanson knew Smith was offside. But Swanson wasn’t.

“I was like, `Don’t touch it! Leave it, leave it leave it!’” Swanson said. “And then it was on me to put it away.”

With that 57th-minute goal, the U.S. women’s soccer team won its fifth Olympic gold medal by beating Brazil 1-0 in the tournament final Saturday at the Paris Games.

The Americans, who hadn’t won gold since the 2012 London Olympics, closed out an undefeated run to the title in their first international campaign under new coach Emma Hayes.

Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher preserved the win with a one-handed save on Adriana’s header in stoppage time at Parc des Princes. At the final whistle, the U.S. players celebrated as Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” played in the stadium.

“We’ve grown so much,” said Swanson, who was making her 100th national team appearance. “And that’s really cool to me seeing that. We’ve grown on and off the field. And you keep probably hearing it — we’re playing with joy. We’re having so much fun and I’m just so happy.”

The result is more heartbreak for Brazil and its iconic star, Marta. The six-time world player of the year has never won a Women’s World Cup or an Olympics. This is expected to be her last major international tournament.

It was the third victory for the United States over Brazil in an Olympic final. The Americans also beat the Brazilians in 2004 at Athens and four years later in Beijing.

The United States also won gold medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics — the first time women’s soccer was played at the Olympics — and in 2012 at London.

Brazil has never finished better than runner-up at the Olympics.

“I’m very emotional. It’s been a dream of mine to be in this position,” said Hayes, a London native. “I have to thank my dad because he’s the one who pushed me to this point to be able to come and coach an unbelievable group of players that have received me so well and taken on board everything I have asked. They are tremendous people and players and role models. Yeah, I love them.”

Three years ago in Tokyo, the U.S. had to settle for the bronze medal. The Americans were knocked out in the quarterfinals at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.

Tom Cruise, former U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe and her fiance, former WNBA player sue Bird, were among those in the crowd.

Marta was playing in her sixth Olympics. Her first was in 2004 — when she was just 18 — which ended with a silver. But she started on the bench after a two-game suspension for a hard foul on Spain’s Olga Carmona in the team’s final group match.

Hayes was hired as coach of the U.S. team in November but she didn’t join the squad until May so she could finish out the season with Chelsea — guiding the Women’s Super League squad to its fifth straight title.

Hayes was tasked with turning around a U.S. team that crashed out of last summer’s Women’s World Cup earlier than ever before. Despite her short time with the Americans, she quickly fostered chemistry within the young squad, particularly between forwards Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Swanson.

The trio scored 10 of the 12 U.S. goals in France. Naeher and the U.S. defense allowed just two goals.

“I think we’re on this steady climb,” Crystal Dunn said. “We know winning a gold medal is obviously amazing and we’re all going to celebrate and soak this in. But there’s life after this Olympics. I think we are going to embrace where we are but I think it’s important that we realize there’s so much more that we can do, and having Emma obviously now for the long haul is going to be incredible.”

Brazil had the best chances early. Ludmila was alone in front of the goal in the second minute but her shot went straight into Naeher’s arms. Ludmila appeared to score in the upper far corner in the 16th minute but was offside.

Naeher kept the game scoreless at the break by punching away Gabi Portilho’s shot in first-half stoppage time.

Brazilian midfielder Vitoria Yaya was carried from the field with an injury early in the second half.

The U.S. continued to threaten after Swanson’s goal. Smith nearly scored on a break in the 66th but her attempt went wide.

Lindsey Horan smashed a free kick into the wall in the 82nd after Tarciane fouled Smith just outside the box.

Hayes made one change to her lineup for the final, starting Korbin Albert in place of Rose Lavelle. It was the second youngest U.S. lineup to start a gold medal match, with an average age of 26.7. The average age of the team that started the 1996 final was 25.8.

Brazil had finished third in its group in France, earning one of two third-place spots in the knockout round.

The U.S. advanced to the final with a 1-0 extra-time victory over Germany in Lyon, where Smith scored the lone goal. Brazil earned its spot with a wild 4-2 victory over Women’s World Cup champion Spain.

Germany went on to win the tournament’s bronze medal with a 1-0 victory over Spain in Lyon on Friday.

Asked if the U.S. team was confident it would ultimately wear gold medals in France, defender Naomi Girma was succinct.

“I mean, we always believed,” she said.

In new U.S. coach Emma Hayes’ estimation, Naomi Girma is the best defender she’s ever seen.

“Ever,” Hayes adds for emphasis.

Girma has been leading a U.S. backline at the Paris Olympics, anchored by goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, that has allowed opponents just two goals the whole tournament.

A pair of extra-time 1-0 victories over both Japan and Germany in the knockout round put the United States in the gold medal match for the first time since 2012. The Americans will face Brazil on Saturday at Parc des Princes in Paris.

“I’ve never seen a player as good as her at a center back. She got everything: Poise, composure, she defends, she anticipates, she leads,” said Hayes, who worked with such defenders as Millie Bright and Magdalena Eriksson while leading Chelsea for 12 years. “I mean, wow. Unbelievable.”

The 24-year-old Girma is among talented crop of young players — including forwards Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman — playing on a team in transition under Hayes.

Girma, whose nickname is Nay, was captain of the Stanford team that won a national championship in 2019. Smith, who has scored three goals at the Olympics, was also on that Cardinal squad, along with Catarina Macario, who was selected to come to France but sustained a minor injury during the team’s preparations.

Girma made her debut for the national team in 2022. That same year she was the No. 1 pick in the National Women’s Soccer League draft by the San Diego Wave and won both the league’s Rookie of the Year and Defender of the Year honors.

She was the U.S. Soccer women’s Player of the Year in 2023.

“She’s the best defender in the world. No one can get past her,” Smith said. “She’s the glue to our team. She locks it down. I know that everyone on the field feels so confident that whenever the ball is in and around the box, we’re going to get it out, we’ve got Nay back there.”

The Americans have been inspired under Hayes, who was hired last November but didn’t join the team in person until late May while she finished out the the season with Chelsea.

Hayes has been tasked with turning around a team that made its earliest exit ever from the Women’s World Cup last year.

“Last year, a lot of us were transitioning in, and now we’ve been on the national team, we’ve played at the international level for a lot longer and understand what it takes to win here,” the unassuming Girma said.

At the final whistle of the Americans’ latest victory, the grueling semifinal against Germany on Tuesday in Lyon, Girma ran to embrace Naeher. The goalkeeper had made an amazing leaping save with her foot in the waning moments of the game to preserve the clean sheet.

The victory set up the final in Paris against Brazil, which defeated World Cup winners Spain 4-2 in Marseille in the late semifinal on Tuesday. Spain will play Germany for the bronze medal on Friday in Lyon.

“When I look at Nay, just steady. She’s steady. And that’s something that you need,” Swanson said. “Winning balls, completing passes, creating the tempo, every game has been consistent from her. Obviously one of the best center-backs in the world, if not the best.”

LYON, France — Glimpsing a sliver of the net, Sophia Smith’s aim was true.

Smith’s extra-time goal earned the United States a spot in the gold medal match at the Paris Olympics with a 1-0 semifinal victory over Germany on Tuesday.

The Americans, undefeated in France under new coach Emma Hayes, will be vying for their fifth gold medal in their sixth appearance in the Olympic women’s soccer final.

The United States will play the winner of Tuesday’s later game between Brazil and Spain on Saturday in Paris. Germany will play in the bronze medal match on Friday at Lyon.

Smith broke the scoreless stalemate five minutes into extra time, out maneuvering defender Felicitas Rauch and German goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger. After scoring her third goal of the tournament, Smith fell to the ground in celebration and joined in an embrace with teammate Mallory Swanson.

“I saw like a little opening of net and I was just like, `I’ve got to put it there. Just put it there,’” Smith said. “It was a good feeling. I know I had a few other chances this game that I should have put away. But sometimes one is all it takes.”

At the final whistle, the U.S. players ran downfield to embrace goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who made a key save when she jumped and kicked the ball away from the goal with her left foot in the waning moments of the second extra period.

“The goal is closer but the job’s not done yet,” Swanson said. “I think that obviously we’re in a great position. You take this win and we’re on a high right now, but it’s important just to stay steady with everything we’re doing. Just stay steady.”

The Americans had routed Germany 4-1 in the group stage earlier in the tournament.

The United States had missed out on the finals at the last two Olympic tournaments, eliminated in the quarterfinals in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro and relegated to the bronze-medal match at the Tokyo Games three years ago.

Germany was missing veteran captain Alexandra Popp because of an illness. Popp was the only current German player who was also on the squad that won the gold medal in 2016.

Lea Schuller, who scored two goals against Zambia in the group finale to send Germany through to the quarterfinals, was also absent because of an inflamed right knee.

The United States recalled defender Tierna Davidson to the game-day roster after she missed the last two games with a leg contusion. Defender Emily Sams, activated in Davidson’s absence, returned to the alternate list.

Midfielder Sam Coffey, who missed the quarterfinals after yellow card accumulation, returned against Germany.

There were few chances on either side in the opening half. Klara Buehl forced Naeher into a diving save in the 29th minute but she was offside. For most of the match, Germany hunkered down on defense in the absence of Popp and Schuller.

Rose Lavelle had a chance for the U.S. early in the game but her attempt went straight into Berger’s arms.

Swanson broke down the field in the 62nd and had a clear look at the goal but shot into the side netting.

The game seemed to open up in the last 20 minutes of regulation. Janina Minge got off a shot in the 73rd but it was easily saved by Naeher. Some five minutes later, Lindsey Horan’s header was caught by Berger.

Swanson appeared to break through in the 85th but she was called back for offside.

“All I kept thinking as the game’s getting harder was `Dig harder. Suffer a little bit longer,'” Hayes said. “Listen, this is top level, you’re only going to get one shot. You can’t play the same team twice and have it be the same game. So I’m really proud of our ability to just hang in even though it was tough.”

The United States was in the semifinals after a hard-fought 1-0 win in extra time against Japan, when Trinity Rodman scored her third goal of the tournament.

Germany advanced on penalties after a scoreless draw with Canada in the quarterfinals. Berger stopped two Canada attempts then converted on her own penalty kick to win it.

The U.S. has won 27 of its 38 games against Germany. The last time the teams faced each other in the Olympic semifinals was in 2004 when the Americans won 2-1 and went on to win the gold medal.