The USWNT met the expectations and reached the Olympic Final match. Despite going through a generational transition, they still held a solid roster ahead of the tournament. They faced off against another top team like Brazil, who arrived with a legend of the game on their roster. Martha would be looking to make history and bow out from the national team with a gold medal for her country. The USWNT however, wanted the gold medal they missed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
USWNT Take Home the Gold
The fixture was going to test both teams, they each accumulated a significant amount of minutes on the road to the final. However, the USWNT held an advantage since manager Emma Hayes used the same starting XI throughout the tournament. This allowed a new generation of players to gain experience and build leadership. However, the final fixture called for players like Trinity Rodman, Alyssa Naeher, and Lindsay Horan to push the team for the gold medal.
The game was evenly matched and there was no room for mistakes. Having an early lead is helpful in this kind of game, so Brazil took the initiative from the start. Ludmila had the game-changing play within two minutes of the game, but she wasn’t able to finish properly. However, she continued to cause problems for the USWNT’s defense as the first 15 minutes belonged to Brazil. She had a goal disallowed for offside, but the momentum was with Brazil.
Mallory Swanson had the first dangerous chance for the USWNT in the 25th minute. The run from box to box almost opened the score, but the Brazilian goalkeeper was able to make the save in the last stretch of the play. Both teams were unable to settle themselves tactically, so the battle was in midfield in the first half. Brazil did have the chance to take the advantage before halftime, but Alyssa Naeher made her first key save of the game. In a moment determined by pure reflexes, she was able to stop a close-range shot by Gabi Portilho to keep the game leveled.
The second half marked a complete shift for the rest of the match. It was as if Brazil ran out of energy during halftime. The USWNT took note of that and created their goalscoring chance in the 57th minute. Mallory Swanson was quick to read a pass between the lines to beat the offside trap and score the game’s first goal. Scoring on your 100th appearance and in an Olympic final is a perfect script for anyone if you ask me. Nevertheless, the goal had its share of controversy, but it was a knockout blow for Brazil.
The USWNT took complete control of the match after the goal. Brazil brought on Martha in the 60th minute to counter the disadvantage, but the damage was already done. The United States took advantage of the gaps in midfield to dominate Brazil. Despite Martha’s best efforts to push the team forward, the energy was not there. Surprisingly the USWNT was also unable to find more chances to extend their lead either. Sophia Smith’s opportunity in the 57th minute was the closest they got to scoring another goal.
Brazil made one last push in the final minutes of the game. Adriana Silva made a good run from behind to make a powerful header that was a goal in any other game. The “gold medal save” by Alyssa Naeher denied Brazil the opportunity to tie the game and force extra time. It also signaled the end of Martha’s long and legendary career with the national team. The legend bows out from international competitions with a silver medal for her country. Despite not winning any major tournament throughout her career, her legacy for the game and women’s football will forever be remembered for years to come.
The USWNT returns home with the gold medal 4 years after their Bronze finish in Tokyo. The win in Paris also earns the USWNT their 5th gold medal in women’s soccer Olympic competitions. Manager Emma Hayes start with the national team is off to a perfect start. Winning your first major competition nearly a month after you took over is something that not many can do. But it is safe to say that the future of the USWNT is in good hands.