There was an air of inevitability about the U.S. women's national team at the height of its most recent run of success, which evaporated in recent years as the team struggled to keep pace with emerging world powers.
He returned with a vengeance on Sunday.
The U.S. women’s national team defeated Germany 4-1 on Sunday to secure a spot in the qualifying rounds for the 2024 Paris Olympics. It was the women’s team’s biggest and most consequential victory since head coach Emma Hayes was hired in November, and it served as a warning to the rest of the Olympic roster — and perhaps confirmation to a team that has suffered record lows over the past year — that the U.S. is back as a true contender.
Forward Sophia Smith scored twice and Mallory Swanson scored her third goal of the tournament as the Americans pulled ahead of Germany and scored three goals in the first half for the second straight game. Lynn Williams came off the bench in the final minutes and added a fourth goal.
Smith’s second goal, the dagger just before halftime, was emblematic of the kind of fortune for a team that saw everything bounce their way: The shot took a wicked deflection and the ball hit the post to create such unimaginable backspin that it headed toward the goal line. It was the definition of everything bouncing in the right direction for a team, and while “luck” may be a more cynical term for the moment, the favorable circumstances were entirely the responsibility of the U.S. women’s team.
Smith, Swanson and Trinity Rodman were once again sensational as the starting three forwards for the U.S. women's national team, particularly in tandem with No. 10 Rose Lavelle, who combined with Rodman on some pinpoint passes to set up the opening goal. All three forwards were involved in the opening goal: Rodman delivered the cross, Swanson made the crucial near-post run to throw the German defenders off balance, and Smith finished off the far post.
“The first one was right out of training camp,” Smith told NBC Olympics afterward. “It's something we've been working on a lot… The second one, a little bit of luck, a little bit of things going my way, but I felt like we manifested that luck.”
Despite conceding a goal in the first half on a long-range shot from Giulia Gwinn (Germany’s best player that day), the U.S. team left Germany in a tough spot in the second half. The U.S. controlled the pace of the match, and Germany finished with just 0.80 expected goals, according to TruMedia. The second half felt more like a possession training exercise for the Americans for long stretches.
There was a swagger to their play as they kept the ball in the second half that had not been seen in recent years – certainly not during the collapse of the 2023 World Cup, but not in the build-up to it either.
The win over Germany was the U.S.’ first over a top-five opponent since the two teams last met in a friendly in November 2022. The U.S. cruised to a 2-1 victory that day in a result that was mostly a relief; Germany had won the same matchup just days earlier, and the Americans were looking to avoid losing four straight games for the first time after earlier losses to England and Spain in the fall of 2022.
That run of strong performances foreshadowed the problems ahead at the 2023 World Cup. Sunday’s victory — without midfield boss Lena Oberdorf, who tore her ACL earlier this month — was a resounding return to the days when so many questions surrounded this U.S. team.
The Americans haven't won a match this comfortably against such a strong opponent at a major tournament since the 2019 World Cup. Their 2021 bronze medal was marked by survival, with just two wins in six matches at those Olympics.
In defence, centre-back Naomi Girma continued her spectacular run of form, shutting out everything Germany threw at her. She was sensational in stopping Zambia's Barbra Banda in Thursday's 3-0 win, a feat that looks even more impressive in retrospect considering Banda's hat-trick in a 6-5 loss to Australia on Sunday.
Emily Sonnett came on as an emergency substitute alongside Girma for more than 45 minutes Sunday after Tierna Davidson left the game with a leg injury, and the U.S. defense never missed a beat. Emily Fox played her most consistent game in a U.S. jersey in recent memory, taking on German wingers Jule Brand and Klara Bühl, who switched sides to cross from the wing.
Offensively, the U.S. women's team is at its best at the right time. Swanson, Smith and Rodman have all found their form and have already scored at these Olympics, which takes some of the pressure off them heading into the knockout round matches that are now guaranteed.
The next match will be against Australia in the group final, a rematch of the 2021 bronze medal match won by the United States. Australia's abysmal defense (eight goals conceded in two games) makes the Matildas easy prey for a U.S. offense that is firing on all cylinders.
Progress will not be linear. It would be unwise to assume that the U.S. women's team has gone from overall contender to gold medal favorite with a single result.
However, it seems that this is a team to be feared again. Hayes recently said that rivals no longer fear the United States after recent results.
A resounding victory over a fourth-ranked German team is the kind of result that rekindles some fears. It could also be the true beginning of a new era for the U.S. women's team under Hayes.
