Much like the challenging quarter-final triumph over Japan, this tight win served as a crucial reminder for the US, especially after the dominant victories witnessed in the early days of the Emma Hayes era.
Nonetheless, a victory is a victory – particularly when it secures the USWNT a spot in the Olympic final. A year to the day since a major setback, the penalty shootout loss to Sweden in the first knockout round of the 2023 World Cup, the US advanced to Saturday’s final against Brazil with a hard-fought 1-0 win in extra time against Germany, guaranteeing at least a silver medal for the Americans.
The team has yet to regain the formidable brilliance that defined American squads in the past; perhaps that brilliance is lost forever, given the rapid progress of other nations. However, by reaching the Olympic final, the US has returned to a familiar stage following a period of uncertainty and turmoil under former head coach Vlatko Andonovski, as a group of remarkable veterans faced a gradual decline.
After securing four Olympic gold medals and a silver from 1996 to 2012, the US faced a quarter-final exit in Rio and had to settle for bronze in Japan three years ago. Now they have the opportunity to contend for another championship, although after the semi-final’s play, one might wonder if the 4-1 victory over Germany in the group stage just nine days prior was detrimental to the US’s chances.
That scoreline didn’t capture the complete picture, as both teams were fairly even in terms of attempts on goal. However, the score clearly motivated Germany to enhance their tactics and bolster their defense against the usually dynamic attacking trio of Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson, and Trinity Rodman, who had accounted for eight of the US’s ten goals prior to this match but were only occasionally threatening on Tuesday.
Rodman had netted the extra-time winner in the US’s 1-0 victory over Japan in the quarter-finals, breaking through a resilient defensive block with a moment of individual brilliance. Before this, scoring hadn’t been an issue, as the US triumphed over Zambia with a 3-0 victory, edged Australia 2-1 in the group stage, and scored four against Germany.
Once again, a decisive extra-time goal was sufficient to overcome a well-organized adversary, further extending Hayes’ remarkable run of results. The 47-year-old Londoner has led the US to eight wins and one draw in her first nine matches, the first of which was a commanding 4-0 victory over South Korea just two months ago. She is determined to restore the US to global prominence while nurturing a young, resilient squad.
The celebrations at the final whistle were naturally jubilant, a release of tension after a nerve-wracking encounter. At one point in the first half, the play was so uneventful that the referee chose not to add any stoppage time due to fouls, a decision that seemingly provided a welcome respite.
The atmosphere was subdued, with the 60,000-capacity home of Olympique Lyonnais not fully occupied, leaving little for the modest crowd to cheer about. The chants of “U-S-A!” reverberated through the spacious arena, creating a tunnel-like echo. The game ultimately settled into a tedious midfield struggle, favoring the Germans, who rebounded from a shaky start to effectively stifle American advances while occasionally launching their own attacks.
An early shot from Rose Lavelle three minutes in was easily handled by the steadfast goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger (of Gotham FC and formerly of Hayes’s Chelsea). However, the threatening run from Rodman and the overall space the US found in the attacking third painted a worrisome picture for Germany.
Yet it was the underdogs who created the best opportunity in the first half, with US goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher forced to make a full-stretch save against a low shot from Jule Brand in the 24th minute. In their group stage matchup just nine days earlier, the US had led 3-1 at half-time, but this time they went into the break level.
As the second half commenced, Naomi Girma was dominant alongside Emily Sonnett, who had come on at halftime in place of Tierna Davidson. The increasing relevance of the American center backs highlighted Germany’s rising confidence and threat, while the US exhibited excessive patience and insufficient speed. US possession frequently involved side-to-side passing, failing to advance effectively while providing Germany the opportunity to establish their defensive structure.
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Girma seized the initiative shortly after the hour mark, charging into midfield and expertly finding Swanson, who rounded the goalkeeper but sent her shot wide instead of passing to a teammate for an easy finish, despite a hint of offside.
The US applied pressure in the dying minutes of the second half but Germany remained resolute, leading to extra time. After knocking out the defending champions Canada in the quarter-finals on penalties, they certainly wouldn’t mind another shoot-out.
However, Smith had different plans. Skillfully assisted by Swanson just five minutes into extra time, she outpaced Feli Rauch and the advancing Berger to score. Instead of celebrating, Smith collapsed in exhaustion, revealing post-match that she was too tired to run and chose to let her teammates come to her.
Broadcast microphones captured Hayes from the sidelines, instructing her players to “Hang in there”. And so they did, weathering late German pressure, with Naeher making a spectacular save in the closing moments, while Smith potentially could have scored again as Germany left gaps in their defense.
As everyone knows, Hayes is a winner; the only remaining question is the color of the medal. When asked about facing Spain in the final, Hayes remarked, “I don’t care. I want a drink.”
Later on Tuesday, Brazil shocked the World Cup holders with a 4-2 victory. The last encounter between Saturday’s finalists took place in San Diego in March, where the US won 1-0 in the Concacaf W Gold Cup final. Hayes is not taking anything for granted against opponents who fought hard for an impressive quarter-final win over the host nation. But in Paris, finding a bottle of champagne on ice is never a challenge.
