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• United States 1-0 Germany (aet): Smith sends Stars and Stripes to Olympics final

  Sophia Smith's extra-time strike booked the United States a place in the Olympic Games final with a 1-0 win over Germany on Tuesday.

  Mallory Swanson was denied a winner in normal time, and though Germany pushed for a late equaliser, Emma Hayes will take charge of a final in her first tournament as the USA's head coach. 

  Unlike in the group-stage meeting between these sides, which finished 4-1 to the dominant Stars and Stripes, it was Germany who almost took a first-half lead, with Alyssa Naeher reacting quickly to get down and push Jule Brand's low shot wide.

  In the 86th minute, Mallory Swanson thought she had snatched a late winner – she latched onto Trinity Rodman's throughball and drilled her low shot across goal into the bottom corner, but the offside flag denied her.

  Swanson turned provider five minutes into extra time, as Smith timed her run to perfection, darting in behind to beat Berger for power with a wonderful effort.

  There was late drama though, as Naeher brilliantly smothered Laura Freigang's close-range header before Smith was denied a second goal at the other end by Berger's quick thinking.

  Data Debrief: Smith's touch of gold

  Smith has been in top form during the Olympics and netted her third goal in the competition as she carried her team into their 11th major tournament final.

  She is also the second USA player to score in at least three consecutive appearances against Germany, after Abby Wambach - five straight from 2009-12.

  Meanwhile, it was familiar heartache for Germany as they were eliminated in the knockout rounds of a major tournament (Olympics and World Cup) for the 10th time, with half of those coming at the USA's hands. 

• Swiatek 'hungry for more' after Olympics bronze

  Iga Swiatek says she is "hungry for more" after claiming the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.

  Swiatek has been a dominant force at Roland-Garros, winning four of the last five French Opens, including this year's, after cruising past Jasmine Paolini.

  The Pole was the favourite going into the Games too, and looked set to make good on that promise as she picked up where she left off on the clay court.

  However, she suffered a shock straight-sets defeat to eventual gold-medallist Zheng Qinwen in the semi-finals, though she recovered to beat Anna-Karolina Schmiedlova in the bronze-medal match to claim Poland's first-ever tennis medal at the Olympics.

  Reflecting on her time in Paris, Swiatek acknowledged the rollercoaster of emotions that came with the tournament and how much she has progressed since competing in Tokyo three years ago.

  "After a couple of days, I feel ready to sum up this chapter... Joy, happiness, sadness, disappointment, satisfaction, hunger for more, pride and so many other emotions, thoughts... I'm still figuring it out, and I feel how valuable this experience was to me," Swiatek said in a post on social media.

  "Maybe in the future, I will assess two weeks with a bigger picture and better perspective, but I already see a lot. First of all, how much progress I've made since Tokyo. How much I can do, how many opportunities I have to become a better player and human.

  "But what's most important is how much I've experienced here. It was a special time that wouldn't be possible without my team and my family. Thank you for what you did for me.

  "Zheng Qinwen, Donna Vekic, huge congrats to you! I'm grateful I could share the Olympic podium with you two."

  Swiatek recently pulled out of the Canadian Open, but she will be back on the WTA Tour next week to compete in Cincinnati as she prepares for the US Open at the end of the month.

  The 23-year-old, who is targeting her second grand slam win in New York, also expressed her pride at seeing tennis take the spotlight in Paris.

  "When I'm thinking about the Olympics and tennis, I'm so proud how our sport was pictured in Paris.

  "So many amazing matches, inspirational stories, amazing pictures from the opening ceremony where tennis players had a special place.

  "We should appreciate that tennis plays such an important role in the world of sports. I'm happy that my story is part of it."

• Gilbert dedicates CFU Club Shield win to Arnett Gardens community; hopes to deliver more silverware in near future

  Arnett Gardens Head coach Xavier Gilbert continues to bask in the glow of his team’s recent CFU Club Shield triumph, which he believes, is not only a testament to their hard work, but also a significant boost for the club and the surrounding community.

  In fact, Gilbert pointed out that the Club Shield win –a first for any Jamaican club –also provides a solid platform on which they will seek to build ahead of the upcoming Jamaica Premier League (JPL) and more importantly, the Concacaf Caribbean Cup.

  The ‘Junglists’ wrapped up victory courtesy of Rushane Thompson’s all-important 73rd-minute strike against Grenades Football Club of Antigua and Barbuda in Curacao.

  “It wasn’t easy, there were a lot of different challenges that we had to navigate during the tournament, but I think we handled ourselves pretty well. There are a lot of things that we have to work on heading into the other tournaments but I am happy with most things,” Gilbert told Sportsmax.TV.

  

  “This victory augurs well for the club and the community. It has been a while since they won anything, so I am happy to bring a silverware to the club and I hope it’s the first of many because the aim is to continue on that vein in the upcoming competitions,” he added.

  Reflecting on the knockout tournament in which they played four hard-fought games across nine days, Gilbert said their triumph was highlighted by tactical prowess, coupled with the unwavering hunger and determination of his players.

  “I have to lift my hats off to the players, my staff and the medical team for the way they acquitted themselves. Four games in nine days was not easy, but the management staff did their part in putting the necessary things in place to ensure that life was a little easier for us while we were here,” he shared.

  “So again, it (Shield win) is a reflection of the dedication of the players, the support of our fans, and the commitment of everyone involved with Arnett Gardens. It is a significant achievement that sets a positive tone in more ways than one. It brings a sense of joy and unity because it’s not just about the players on the field but also about the fans and everyone who supports the team. This triumph is for all of us,” he noted.

  

  Looking ahead to the Jamaica Premier League and the Concacaf Caribbean Cup, Gilbert expressed optimism about their prospects. However, he is well aware that it will require continued hard work and significant improvements to prove competitive, particularly in the Caribbean up.

  By virtue of topping the CFU Club Shield, Arnett Gardens will be placed in Group A of the Concacaf Caribbean Cup alongside fellow JPL outfits Cavalier and Mount Pleasant, as well as Haitian club Real Hope and Trinidad and Tobago’s Police FC.

  “For sure. Winning the CFU Club Shield has given us the confidence and momentum we need. We know what we are capable of, and we are ready to take on the challenges ahead in the Premier League. Our aim is to ensure the players are well prepared to build on this success and continue to perform at a high level,” the tactician stated

  “The Concacaf Caribbean Cup will be a different level of competition, and we have to be at our best. Again, we know we have the potential to compete with the best, and we are committed to working hard and improving our game,” Gilbert ended.