U.S. women will play for soccer gold

By Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

BEIJING -- They are barely recognizable, with a style that is hardly understandable, yet this new U.S. women's soccer team does share one thing with their famous ancestors.

They win Olympic games. They make Olympic finals.

With more fight than finesse, the U.S. team lumbered past Japan in the semifinals at Worker's Stadium on Monday night, 4-2, to reach the Olympic finals for the fourth time in four Olympics.

"I don't think many of us even knew that," said goalkeeper Hope Solo about the American streak. ''We're trying to create our own history."

That will only happen if they are able to beat Brazil in Wednesday's final, a tough task considering the Brazilians overwhelmed defending world champion Germany, 4-1, in the other semifinal.

U.S. women will play for soccer gold....