Aug. 9, 2012

USC's Amy Rodriguez earned her second Olympic gold medal after Team USA completed a dramatic 2-1 victory over defending world champion Japan at Wembley Stadium in London on Thursday, Aug. 9.

The Americans exacted revenge in a rematch of the 2011 Women's World Cup final where it fell, in a penalty-kick shootout, to the Japanese. The USA went up, 1-0, early in the game when Carli Lloyd put a header past Japan's goaltender at the eight-minute mark of the first half. Lloyd scored again in the 54th minute to give the Americans a commanding 2-0 lead. Less than 10 minutes later, Japan's Yuki Ogimi put her squad on the board with a goal at the 63rd minute. The two sides continued to trade barbs, but after two minutes of stoppage time, Team USA emerged with its third straight gold medal; fourth in the last five Olympic games.

An All-American at USC, Rodriguez competed for the Women of Troy from 2005-2008. In her junior season, Rodriguez helped power USC to its first-ever NCAA Championship, as the Trojans won the 2007 title. The following year, Rodriguez had been called up the U.S. ladder to make her Olympic debut. She would go on to serve up the assist on the game-winning goal in the gold-medal game. Most recently, Rodriguez scored the game-winner herself in a 2-1 USA win over Canada in Team USA's 2012 Olympic Send-off Game.

Rodriguez had appeared in Team USA's first four games of the 2012 Olympic Games before the semifinal victory, in which the U.S. squad was embroiled in battle with the Canadians throughout. By overtime, Team USA had utilized all its substitutions.

Follow A-Rod and the rest of the Trojan Olympians in their quests for Olympic gold at www.usctrojans.com/london2012