Sections SEARCH Skip to content Skip to site index Soccer Subscribe Log In Log In Today’s Paper Soccer | How the U.S. Beat Spain at the Women’s World Cup Advertisement Supported by ByAndrew Das June 24, 2019 REIMS, France — Megan Rapinoe scored penalty kicks in each half, and the United States overcame its toughest test yet at this year’s World Cup, beating Spain, 2-1, on a scorching afternoon filled with rough fouls and tense moments. The game was a physical, sweaty, back-and-forth affair in which Spain, a rising power in women’s soccer appearing in the knockout stages for the first time, gave the United States, a three-time champion, fits with its physical play and surprised the Americans by producing more dangerous chances than the Americans saw in their previous three games combined. Spain also did something else no other team had done thus far in France against the Americans: It scored a goal. The problem was it needed two. The Americans advanced to a highly anticipated quarterfinal against host France on Friday in Paris, but not before tempting fate — and elimination. [Sign up for Rory Smith’s world soccer newsletter here .] Rapinoe scored the opening goal in the…