Exactly one year ago, on August 6, 2023, United States Women’s National Team has been eliminated World Cup in the round of 16 after a dramatic penalty shootout with Sweden. Players were sad and in tears; most were speechless.
At that time, no one could have predicted what would happen exactly 365 days later.
On Tuesday, United States Army beat Germany 1-0 with a miraculous goal by Sophia Smith in extra time of the Paris Olympics semi-final, and will now play in the gold medal match on Saturday in Paris. They will face Brazil in the program’s first Olympic final since winning gold at the 2012 London Olympics.
The Americans have certainly exceeded expectations throughout this tournament under new coach Emma Hayes. The squad has been ruthless and resilient, similar to past winning US teams. There is a belief within the group that no matter what, someone will step up and make the play needed to win. This time it was Smith, who fought through fatigue and tired legs to put the ball in the back of the net and give the USWNT the lead.
The team have talked a lot about how much they have matured since last summer’s disastrous World Cup, and the proof is showing on the pitch.
Here are the key takeaways from the match:
How to play the game: Part 1
In the 95th minute, Naomi Girma collect the ball in the defensive half of the field and find Sam Coffey who called it in the centre. Coffey, who was suspended for the quarter-finals after picking up two yellow cards, turned and found a gap Mallory Swanson checking her near the top of the box. Swanson touched the ball once before passing to Smith, who fired the ball past the goalkeeper Ann Katrin Berger to get perfect results.
Smith collapsed to the turf – partly from excitement, partly from exhaustion – and her teammates celebrated by throwing a pile of straw over her.
“To be honest, I don’t remember anything that happened in the last 100 minutes,” Smith shared on the post-match broadcast.
Smith, who turns 24 on Saturday, has now been directly involved in five of the U.S. women’s team’s 11 goals at this Olympics.
How to Play the Game: Part 2
As important as Smith’s goal was his brilliant save. Alyssa Naeher was made in the final moments of extra time when she actually got her cleats on at the end by Laura Freigang Header from close range.
Key Statistics
The dangerous front three consisted of Smith, Swanson and Trinity Rodman combined to score nine of the 11 U.S. goals and contributed to 10 of the 11 goals.
Each member of the team officially known as “The Trident” scored three goals.
What will the US women’s team do next?
The United States is heading for gold.
The team will play either Spain or Brazil in the gold medal match on Saturday, marking the team’s first Olympic final since 2012.
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball, and soccer for FOX Sports. She has previously written for Sports Illustrated, USA Today, and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of “Strong Like a Woman,” which will be published in spring 2022 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Act IX. Follow her on Twitter @LakenLitman.
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