TThe United States Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT), revived by a revamped coaching staff and a cast of young, dynamic players positioned to keep the team at the top of the table for the next decade or more, won the Olympic gold medal on Saturday , at the Parc des Princes, defeating Brazil in the final 1-0. The USA team, which had not won an Olympic gold medal since 2012, in London, and was eliminated from last year’s World Cup in the round of 16, the earliest elimination of an American team, returns to its familiar position as the team to beat.
After a scoreless first half in which Brazil attacked early and often, with a two-minute goal attempt and a fantastic stoppage-time chance that U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher kept out of the net, Mallory Swanson put the U.S. on the scoreboard with a narrow shot – he saved a run on the left side, after an assist from Korbin Albert. This reinvigorated the North American women, who continued with a few more races that pleased the public and were blocked by the Brazilian defenders.
In stoppage time, Naeher made a wonderful one-handed stop to preserve the victory.
Emma Hayes, the Brit who won seven titles with Chelsea FC in the Women’s Super’s League and was chosen by US football officials late last year to retool the USWNT – she joined after leading Chelsea to another championship in May – led the team to gold in his first global competition as head coach. Hayes made several important moves. Firstly, it restored the players’ confidence in the team’s tactical approach. “The learning that we’re getting in meetings, on the field, everything that we’re learning, I think that’s probably the coolest thing for me,” U.S. captain Lindsey Horan said before the Olympics. “Seeing players really thinking, asking questions and being challenged, that’s what we need.”
Hayes made the difficult decision to leave American legend Alex Morgan out of the Olympic lineup. But that pick allowed Hayes to add a trio of lethal forwards — Swanson, 26, Sophia Smith, 24, and Trinity Rodman, 22 — to shoulder the scoring load. This group, dubbed “Triple Trouble” by former USWNT player Christen Press, and “The Triple Express” by a North American fan interviewed by a very noisy Parc des Princes presenter before the game, rewarded Hayes’ faith. They scored 10 of the USWNT’s 12 Olympic goals. Rodman hit a beautiful shot into the top left corner of the goal in extra time against Japan in the quarterfinals. Smith scored late in the match against Germany in the semi-final to give the United States a 1–0 victory and Swanson scored the gold medal goal.
“I have a job to do,” Hayes told TIME before the Olympics, discussing the social media outcry in some circles over his omission of Morgan. “My work is everyone’s hobby. So everyone is entitled to an opinion, but at the end of the day I am the one who has the responsibility to lead this team. And if I’m going to do this to the best of my ability, I need to know how to block out the noise. This is something I feel comfortable doing.”
American football fans turned out en masse in Paris, as expected, wearing red, white and blue t-shirts of Rodman, Smith, Horan and Naomi Girma – Girma, 24, played every minute of the Olympic tournament, warning that she is one of the best defensive players in the world. Noticeably absent were Morgan and Megan Rapinoe’s jerseys. The USWNT has turned the page. The team is in golden hands.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
