USA, Canada qualify for Rio 2016 - WOMEN'S OLYMPIC FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT
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USA and Canada will represent CONCACAF in the Women's Olympic Football Tournament at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Summer Olympics after their wins in the semi-finals of the region's Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
USA defeated Trinidad and Tobago comfortably 5-0 thanks largely to Alex Morgan, who scored her third career hat-trick for the Stars and Stripes.
Winger Tobin Heath opened the scoring in the 12th minute from an assist by 17-year-old Mallory Pugh, who put in a dangerous cross on the ground across the penalty area for Heath to score from 12 yards. It was Heath's 13th international goal and first in the CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2016.
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Alex Morgan then made it 2-0 in the 30th minute after a huge amount of pressure from the USA. Lindsey Horan's cushioned header from a Kelley O'Hara cross made it easy for Morgan to finish accurately.
FIFA World Player of the Year Carli Lloyd scored in the 43rd with a strong header from a well-driven corner taken by Morgan Brian that Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Kimika Forbes was unable to hold on to. The goal was Lloyd's 86th in her career.
Morgan scored her second of the match in the 71st minute after a scramble in the penalty area after a corner kick. She then completed her hat-trick less than two minutes later when Brian found her with a lofted cross and she calmly redirected the ball out of the air into the side netting with her left foot.
USA have qualified for every Women's Olympic Football Tournament and won gold each time except for Sydney 2000 when they won silver.
Sinclair brilliance sends Canada to Rio
Canada confirmed their presence in Rio 2016 after their 3-1 win against Costa Rica in the other semi-final thanks to a Christine Sinclair brace.
Captain Sinclair scored the opening goal of the match, and her second of the tournament, in the 17th minute with a composed finish inside the penalty area.
Sinclair's second of the night in the 52nd minute stunned the whole crowd in Houston. After a failed clearance from Costa Rica, Sinclair brought the ball down on top of the penalty area, flicked it over her head with her right foot before unleashing a volley out of the air past Costa Rica goalkeeper Dinnia Diaz, off the post and in the goal.
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Las Ticas had a lifeline in the 71st minute when Canada midfielder Desiree Scott brought down Diana Saenz in the penalty area. Raquel Rodriguez dispatched the penalty superbly to make it 2-1.
In the end, John Herdman's Canada were able to see out the match when 16-year-old Deanne Rose scored in the 85th minute to seal qualification to Rio 2016.
Canada will be looking to build on their strong London 2012 performance when they collected the bronze medal. Rio 2016 will represent the third time the Canadians have qualified for the Olympics.
Canada will face USA in the CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying 2016 Tournament final on Sunday 21 February at 23.00 CET in Houston.