There were heroes aplenty as the U.S. booked a spot in the Paris Gold Medal match with a 1-0 win over Germany
Just 12 days and five games since this all began, here we are. The U.S. women's national team has been redefined in less than two weeks. A new era has begun and, in truth, it's looked a lot like the old one – the GOOD old one, not the recent years.
Narratives have been written and rewritten as a team facing a rebuild already looks as good – better? – than ever before.
All of that in 12 days, but there is still one game remaining. On Saturday, the USWNT will know exactly where they stand, taking the pitch in the 2024 Olympics Gold Medal match against Brazil, which upset Spain in Tuesday's other semifinal. They'll know if once again, against all odds, they are back among the elite teams in the world.
The USWNT took one step closer to the summit on Tuesday, beating Germany 1-0 in extra time in the Paris Games semifinals. The win booked their spot in the Gold Medal game for the first time since London 2012 – and they'll have a chance to show the world what many are starting to believe: the U.S. is back.
The USWNT has the most Olympic gold and most total medals in the history of the competition, winning four golds, one silver and one bronze. But after being shut out of the medal round in 2016 and taking bronze at the 2021 Games, this is their first chance to claim gold in 12 years, thanks to back-to-back 120-minute matches and 1-0 extra-time victories over Japan and Germany.
It hasn't been easy. On Tuesday, they survived another grueling extra time, emerging only thanks to a Sophia Smith goal. It was similar to the quarterfinal against Japan, which required extra time heroics from Trinity Rodman for the victory.
“All I kept thinking as the game’s getting harder was `Dig harder. Suffer a little bit longer,’” U.S. coach Emma Hayes told reporters. “Listen, this is top level, you’re only going to get one shot. You can’t play the same team twice and have it be the same game. So I’m really proud of our ability to just hang in even though it was tough.”
This team is flush with heroes, and Smith is far from the only one who made their mark on this memorable win. GOAL takes a look at the winners and the losers from the USWNT's semifinal victory over Germany, which will play Spain for the bronze medal on Friday at Lyon.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Sophia Smith
Let's be honest: Smith probably could have scored two or three against Germany. It's OK, though. She got the one that mattered.
With the U.S. needing a hero, Smith stepped up in the 95th minute. It was a lovely finish, too. Played in by Mal Swanson, Smith placed the ball exactly where it needed to go to send the USWNT exactly where they want to be.
“I saw like a little opening of net and I was just like, `I’ve got to put it there. Just put it there,’” Smith told reporters after the match. “It was a good feeling. I know I had a few other chances this game that I should have put away. But sometimes one is all it takes.”
Smith's extra-time goal wasn't her easiest chance of the night. She had a few one-on-ones after the fact, although those were pushed away. Knowing her mentality, those will bother her, but she'll be fine considering the importance of the one she did bury.
Rodman and Smith either scored or assisted in all of the U.S. group stage games, the first time U.S. teammates had done so in an Olympic group stage since Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach at London 2012. Rodman then added the USWNT’s lone goal against Japan in the quarterfinals, and Smith did the same against Germany in the semifinals.
One of the magic things about this team is how someone new steps up every time. Last game, it was Rodman and, this time, it was Smith – who will be the hero in the Gold Medal game?
AdvertisementGettyLOSER: The midfield
So many things went right for the USWNT on Tuesday. The midfield wasn't one of them.
For several stretches of the match, the U.S. struggled mightily in the center of the field. Sam Coffey, the lone No. 6 in the XI, was fighting for her life as Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle struggled to provide the cover she needed.
Horan has struggled a bit lately, although she is ofter unfairly criticized on social media. Her passing could be crisper and, at times, she struggled with the pace of the game defensively. Lavelle, too, had a few good moments, but those didn't cancel out the ones where Germany cut through the midfield with ease.
It was fitting, then, that, when given a chance from a free kick, Horan drilled her shot right into Lavelle. The two just weren't quite on the same page but, for players of that talent level, there's little reason for concern going forward.
GettyWINNER: Naomi Girma
She's just so good that you almost overlook it. It's so easy to take her for granted, but we won't today. Not after this performance.
Girma is the best defender in the world and, if you don't believe it, just watch these Olympics. Realistically, you could just watch her masterpiece against Germany. That's how good she was.
Defensively, there's no one better. She cleaned up mess after mess, despite playing next to two different centerback partners in the match. It's hard to see at times because she makes it look so easy, but what she does is hard as can be.
Girma's magic really comes when she's on the ball. She completed an absolutely absurd 125 of her 132 passes. No one else had more than 86. Those were passes with purpose, too, as she created two chances while playing her part in the sequence that led to the winner.
GettyLOSER: Tierna Davidson
After missing out on the last game, Davidson was back in the XI. She was solid, too. Unfortunately, though, she isn't quite 100 percent.
Davidson lasted just 45 minutes before being replaced by Emily Sonnett, who replaced her in the starting XI against Japan. Sonnett was good throughout her time on the field, which stretched through 120 minutes, but all eyes will be on Davidson heading into the final.
She was seen walking around post-match, which is a good sign. There are also four days to recover for the Gold game as opposed to the three on the schedule if the U.S. had fallen to the Bronze. Will Davidson be ready? Will she be 90 minutes fit? TBD.