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PARIS — The U.S. women’s national soccer team broke away to a 2024 Olympic title here at the Parc des Princes on Saturday, completing a near-instant turnaround under new coach Emma Hayes with a gold medal.
The USWNT won a third consecutive knockout match 1-0, this time over Brazil, and this time led by a third different dynamic attacker.
After a rough first half, Mallory Swanson sped clear of the Brazilian defense and capped her own personal comeback from a gut-wrenching knee injury with the first and only goal of the game.
It was, in many ways, an unfair reflection of the 90 minutes. But it was a perfect representation of the firepower that fueled the U.S. through this Olympic tournament and back to the top of women’s soccer.
This was the USWNT’s first Olympic final in 12 years, and perhaps the first they weren’t expected to reach. The Americans’ shootout loss to Sweden at Rio 2016 had been fluky. But their 2021 semifinal slog against Canada, which ended in a 1-0 defeat, was the start of a downswing that spiraled last summer. A loss to Sweden in the Women’s World Cup round of 16 was the USWNT’s earliest exit ever. It felt, at the time, like evidence that women’s soccer’s first superpower had fallen from the sport’s mountaintop.
Then along came Hayes. U.S. Soccer wooed the charming-yet-demanding Brit with the highest salary anybody has ever paid a women’s soccer coach. Hayes worked “in the background” for months while completing her 12th and final season at English club Chelsea, then arrived in late May to begin transforming the USWNT.
She stressed, repeatedly, that her rebuild wouldn’t happen overnight.
“It’s a process,” Hayes said after a week on the job. “And we’ve gotta go one step at a time.”
But when they arrived in France, they immediately took a leap.
They rolled through a group that featured Germany and Australia. Their new front three — Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Swanson — tore opponents to shreds. Rodman broke open a dreary quarterfinal with a wondergoal. Smith did likewise three days later in a semifinal full of “suffering” against Germany. The USWNT, it seemed, had its collective swagger back.
Swagger alone, of course, doesn’t win soccer games. The first half of the final was a stark reminder. The U.S. midfield, with Korbin Albert starting in place of Rose Lavelle, was largely absent. Traffic flowed mostly one way — Brazil’s way — for 45 minutes.
Ludmila, Brazil’s menacing left winger, snuck behind the U.S. defense two minutes in, and fired the first warning shot. She couldn’t quite shape it around U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. But it was a sign of things to come.
Less than 15 minutes after that, Ludmila did beat Naeher, and wheeled away, preparing an acrobatic celebration. But on the far side of the field, an assistant referee’s flag was up; Ludmila had been a quarter of a stride offside.
Brazil pressed the U.S. unlike Japan and Germany had. The Americans seemed unprepared for the pace of the game. Japan had the technical ability to match the U.S.; Germany had the physical presence; Brazil had both, and bossed the game.
Right winger Gabi Portilho flashed several dangerous crosses across the face of goal. The U.S. left Brazilians unmarked at the back post. Brazil produced over 1.2 Expected Goals (a stat that measures shot quality and quantity) in the first half to the USWNT’s 0.2. A breakthrough, it seemed, was coming.
Instead, it came at the other end, some 12 minutes after halftime. Korbin Albert played a through-ball that could have been meant for either Swanson or Smith. Smith was offside; but she let it run to Swanson, who was onside. Swanson galloped in on goal, and finished calmly, even at nearly full speed.
It was the USWNT’s 12th goal of the tournament; and the 10th scored by either Rodman, Swanson or Smith, who started every game as an increasingly fearsome attacking trident.
They, and a resolute defense that didn’t concede a single goal in 330 knockout-round minutes, led the U.S. to its fifth Olympic title in eight attempts.
