Morgan
Alex Morgan was the hero in overtime against Canada to send the U.S. into the gold-medal match. Reuters

In perhaps the most enthralling women's soccer match in history, the U.S. advanced over Canada in an overtime thriller on Monday at Old Trafford in Manchester to reach the gold-medal match, 4-3.

Alex Morgan scored the game winner off a header from Heather O'Reilly's cross in the dying moments of overtime, as the match ended in classic fashion. Christine Sinclair scored a hat trick for Canada, while Megan Rapinoe scored two fantastic goals for the U.S. in a seesaw affair.

For every Sinclair goal, the U.S. responded.

Each of Sinclair's goals were world class. The 29-year-old scored in the 22nd, 67th and 73rd minute, and the U.S. defense was in no position to hold off the forward's strikes.

With the U.S. trailing 3-2, Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod made a key mistake in the second half, as she held onto the ball for too long. It led to an indirect kick in the penalty box that resulted in Marie-Eve Nault's questionable hand ball. Abby Wambach evened the match with the penalty-kick score.

The North American showdown was particularly intense, as both sides played with a great deal of intensity. There were multiple physical plays, as Canada showed more grit than the Americans probably expected.

"We didn't anticipate a game like this," said Wambach.

The Americans were the more aggressive squad for a majority of overtime. The U.S. had a great chance to score in the final minutes, but Wambach's header hit the crossbar.

The U.S. will face Japan on Thursday in a rematch of the 2011 World Cup Final.