BEIJING (AP) - Substitute midfielder Fatmire Bajramaj scored a pair of second-half goals to help world champion Germany beat Japan 2-0 and win its third straight Olympic bronze in women's soccer.
Bajramaj opened the scoring off a rebound in the 69th minute, firing a left-footer into the top of the net after Japan goalkeeper Miho f*kumoto partially stopped a header by midfielder Kerstin Garefrekes. Bajramaj, who entered the match in the 59th, added her second goal with a low right-footer from close range in the 87th.
Germany, which won the last two World Cups, had already won the bronze at the 2004 Athens Games and the 2000 Sydney Games. It has never won silver or gold.
The fourth-place finish marked Japan's best performance in women's football.
Bronze Medal
Japan 0 0 -0
Germany 0 2 -2
First half-No scoring.
Second half-1. Germany, F. Bajramaj, 69th. 2. Germany, F. Bajramaj, 87th.
Yellow Cards-S. Laudehr, Germany, 27th; Y. Kinga, Japan, 59th.
Red Cards-None.
Referees-Estela Alvarez, Argentina; Kari Seitz, United States; Rita Munoz, Mexico; Tempa Ndah, Benin
Germany beats Japan for women's soccer bronze
Updated: August 21, 2008, 8:16 AM EST 1 comment
add this RSS blog email printBajramaj opened the scoring off a rebound in the 69th minute, firing a left-footer into the top of the net after Japan goalkeeper Miho f*kumoto partially stopped a header by midfielder Kerstin Garefrekes. Bajramaj, who entered the match in the 59th, added her second goal with a low right-footer from close range in the 87th.
Germany, which won the last two World Cups, had already won the bronze at the 2004 Athens Games and the 2000 Sydney Games. It has never won silver or gold.
The fourth-place finish marked Japan's best performance in women's football.
Bronze Medal
Japan 0 0 -0
Germany 0 2 -2
First half-No scoring.
Second half-1. Germany, F. Bajramaj, 69th. 2. Germany, F. Bajramaj, 87th.
Yellow Cards-S. Laudehr, Germany, 27th; Y. Kinga, Japan, 59th.
Red Cards-None.
Referees-Estela Alvarez, Argentina; Kari Seitz, United States; Rita Munoz, Mexico; Tempa Ndah, Benin
-- Edited by ***DK*** at 10:28, 2008-08-21