After just 10 games coaching the USWNT, Emma Hayes is an Olympic champion. The team that looked like a shell of itself during a disappointing 2023 World Cup performance reminded fans of the “good old days” as they secured their first Olympic gold since 2012. Unfortunately, this meant that a hungry Brazil team who was looking to send legend Marta off with her first major tournament win ended up falling short. Let’s break it down.
The Gold Medal Match
As many anticipated, Hayes rolled out the same starting lineup, only starting Korbin Albert in place of Rose Lavelle. As the match went on, it grew apparent that the players were tired from playing long minutes in such a condensed tournament. Despite that, the red, white, and blue played a strong defensive game in the first half. It wasn’t until the second half that the US got the golden goal.
In the 57th minute, Mal Swanson, who came back from a gruesome knee injury that kept her out of the last World Cup, found the back of the net, sealing the deal for a USWNT gold medal. Alyssa Naeher held off one last-ditch effort for a Brazil goal in stoppage time to keep the score at 1-0. For the first time in 12 years, the USWNT are Olympic champions!
TEAM USA STRIKES FIRST—AND IT'S MALLORY SWANSON AGAIN!
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 10, 2024
1-0 IN THE GOLD MEDAL MATCH.#ParisOlympics | 📺 NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/rCEQNIbR68
Before the USWNT won the gold, Spain and Germany faced off in the bronze medal match. Giulia Gwinn was the difference maker, as she converted a penalty kick in the 64th minute.
In the literal last seconds of stoppage time, Ann-Katrin Berger stood tall and blocked a penalty shot from Alexia Putellas, keeping Spain from equalizing. After failing to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, Germany was happy to find themselves winning the bronze medal.
What was your favorite moment of the women’s soccer tournament at the Olympics? Let me know what you think in the comments below.
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