A resurgent United States, led by new coach Emma Hayes, hopes to re-establish itself as a leading force in women’s international soccer by winning the gold medal in Saturday’s Olympic final against Brazil and their legendary captain Marta.
The U.S. entered the Olympics with a rejuvenated team and a point to prove after a poor showing at last year’s World Cup, where they were eliminated in the round of 16.
They have underperformed at each of the last two Olympics, finishing without a medal in Rio 2016 and taking bronze in Tokyo three years ago.
But the arrival of renowned English coach Hayes from Chelsea gave the USA a much-needed boost and they were inspired by the exciting attacking trio of Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman on their way to the final.
They each scored three goals in the tournament, with the USA winning all three group games against Zambia, Germany and Australia before dispatching both Japan and Germany in extra time in the knockout rounds.
They now hope to add four golds to their women’s football record and win the title for the first time since London 2012.
“Emma came in so early before this tournament so we knew it was going to be a challenge, but she just flew in and we absolutely love her,” said Smith, the Colorado-born forward who turned 24 on the day of the tournament. final.
“She’s worked every day to build our confidence and show us that she cares. She’s such a great coach and such a great mentor.”
“We’re a completely different team and a lot of credit goes to Emma. She communicated the roles very clearly to everyone. We’re really excited that she’s going to be our coach for a really long time.”
The USA’s position as the undisputed world power of the women’s game looked gone for a while after last year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, when a superb Spanish team led by Aitana Bonmati became champions.
But Spain missed out on their bid to add Olympic gold to that title and the UEFA Nations League after they were surprisingly beaten 4-2 by Brazil in the semi-finals in Marseille on Tuesday.
Instead, it’s the Brazilians who will face the USA in the gold medal game, looking for third-luck after losing to the same opponents in the finals in Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008.
Both those finals were won by the USA in extra time and both featured Marta, a Brazilian legend and multiple winner of the FIFA Player of the Year award.
Now 38, she is appearing in her sixth and likely last Olympics, hoping to sign off with a gold and two silver medals.
Marta missed both the quarter-final win against hosts France and the semi-final against Spain through suspension after being sent off for a reckless challenge in Brazil’s final group game, also against Spain.
“Now she will be able to finish her Olympics in the final where she deserves to be. I hope she can win the gold medal,” said Gabi Portilho, who scored in both the quarterfinals and semifinals. .
It remains to be seen whether the finals will be Marta’s farewell to her country on the international stage, or whether she could be tempted to continue until the 2027 FIFA World Cup, which Brazil will host.
“Marta changed the game of soccer around the world,” Rodman said of Marta, who spent much of her club career in the United States. “She’s such a talented footballer, but also a great person. I’ve always looked up to her. She has a legacy forever, but we want the gold.”
