The U.S. women's soccer team has advanced to the championship game of the FIFA World Cup tournament in Canada for the second straight time, beating Germany in a semifinal match on Tuesday, 2-0.
The second-seeded Americans upended the top-seeded Germans at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec, on second-half goals by midfielder Carli Lloyd and defender Kelley O'Hara.
Lloyd scored on a penalty kick in the 69th minute after the referee ruled that Germany's Annike Krahn had obstructed striker Alex Morgan. Replays showed the penalty took place just outside the box.
In the 85th minute, O’Hara scored from close range past German goalie Nadine Angerer after taking a perfect centering pass from Lloyd.
Germany had an opportunity to score first in the second half, but Celia Sasic missed a penalty kick in the 59th minute, hooking the ball to her left just outside the post.
The United States now heads to the championship game in Vancouver on Sunday seeking its third World Cup title, with previous wins in 1991 and 1999.
The U.S. team will play the winner of the other semifinal game pitting defending champion and fourth-seeded Japan against sixth-seeded England in Edmonton, Alberta, on Wednesday.
