Megan Rapinoe, the USA Women's National Team super-talented midfielder and only out player, has had a spectacular Olympics run.
All the US women have played well as a team, but in the two games the WNT had to come back after falling behind, Rapinoe led the way.
She was on fire in the first two games, against France and Colombia, having a foot in five of her team's seven goals -- two assists and a long ball to the assister on another goal against France, and a goal and an assist against Colombia.
Pinoe played OK in the next two games, when the USA scored three goals and allowed none, and then had her best game ever in the thrilling semifinal against Canada.
In the second half, she scored the USA's first two goals, each one spectacular and each time tying Canada/Christine Sinclair, and set up, in a way, the third tying goal.
More, below.
Rapinoe's first goal was, fittingly, an Olimpico -- scored directly off a corner kick at the 54th minute.
Rapinoe is a great crosser, and takes all of the WNT's corners and direct kicks that are anywhere close to the goal area.
She said she wasn't trying to score, but the ball bounced once and went over the goal line before the Canadian goalie and defenders could stop it:
Sinclair scored on a header 13 minutes later, to put the Canadians ahead 2-1.
Pinoe responded, THREE minutes later, with what she calls the best goal of her life, a powerball from the right side of the box, off a long Rapinoeish cross from Kelly O'Hara:
Others have called that shot a rocket, a missile, a rifle -- whatever, it was one the hardest balls struck from such an angle into the goal ever in a major women's soccer game.
Sinclair then scored AGAIN, off a header three minutes later.
Rapinoe had an indirect role in the WNT's third goal, a penalty kick by Abby Wambach after an unusual, but justifiable, delay of game call on the Canadian goal-keeper that resulted in an indirect kick inside the box at the 80th minute.
Rapinoe hit it hard, and an also justifiable hand ball was called. Wambach hit her PK in off the same left post Rapinoe had hit 10 minutes earlier.
Alex Morgan's last-minute goal was fantastically dramatic ending to one of the greatest high-stakes national-team soccer games ever.
All the goals of this most amazing game are here:
The WNT has yet to get anywhere near London -- first two games in Glasgow, one in Newcastle, and two at Old Trafford in Manchester.
More than 80,000 are expected at the new Wembley Stadium tomorrow to see the WNT play Japan, who beat them on penalty kicks in last year's World Cup final.
The game may well not finish as excitingly as the Canada game, and will probably not feature seven goals.
But it will be our last chance to see these particular marvelous US soccer players play at the highest level for their country.
They know how to play the beautiful game with panache and power, and deserve the largest audience possible tomorrow at 2:45 EDT.
P.S. For more about Pinoe, check out her Tumblr, lots of fan love and great photos/gifs there.
And here's why she's a great soccer player, from someone who knows soccer.
Finally, have some fun with Pinoe and Lori Lindsey on an afternoon off in Portugal: