Bring back the gold: Team USA beat Brazil in the Olympic women’s soccer final

The United States women’s soccer team won the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics tonight (Saturday). The Americans beat Brazil 0:1 in the final match, regaining the title after Canada won in Tokyo 2020 and Germany was crowned in Rio 2016. Mallory Swanson scored her fourth goal of the tournament in the 10th minute. -57 and decided the match. Germany won the bronze medal yesterday after a 0:1 victory against Spain.

The women’s soccer tournament entered the Olympic Games only in Atlanta 1996 and tonight the USA won their fifth gold in eight tournaments. This is the third time they have beaten Brazil in the final, having done so in both 2004 and 2008.

Redeem Team 2024 ???? pic.twitter.com/SenGnkX7AE

— U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (@USWNT) August 10, 2024

The change of generations in recent years in the uniforms of the US national team caused a decrease in their ability and damaged the dominance they demonstrated. The USA arrived at the World Cup in Australia 2023 after winning the World Championship twice in a row. But this time too, the team showed weak ability and was unexpectedly eliminated already in the round of 16, after another loss to Sweden in penalties.

In the USA they decided on a deeper change and therefore decided to appoint what is today considered the best coach in the world in women’s soccer, the British Emma Hayes who led Chelsea to five consecutive championships. The team under Hayes is built alongside the experienced captain, the French midfielder Lindsay Horne, on the stars The younger Trinity Rodman and the winner against Germany’s deadly striker Sophia Smith.

The Americans completed a great tournament in which they won all three of their games in the group stage, beat Japan 0:1 after extra time in the quarter-finals and achieved an identical victory over Germany in the semi-finals – also after extra time. The Brazilians did not start well, losing twice in the group stage and barely qualified for the quarter-finals, but there they knocked out France and Spain one after the other.

The Brazilian team started the tournament well, beating Nigeria 0:1, but then suffered two consecutive losses in the group stage, 1:2 to Japan and 0:2 to Spain. Brazil finished the group stage in third place and advanced as one of the two teams with the best balance to the quarterfinals. There they surprised the host France with a 0:1 victory and in the semi-finals they met Brazil once again and surprised with high pressure and explosive attacks with 2:4 over Spain.

The biggest star of the industry and of the Brazilian national team is 38-year-old Marta, who used to be the best striker in the world. In recent years, she has moved to play in the link position from where she helps manage the attack. At the beginning of her journey, Marta led Brazil’s golden generation to two Olympic final appearances in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 alongside an appearance in the World Cup finals in China 2007.

Marta, star of the Brazilian national team, celebrates after scoring in the semifinals of the Olympic tournament in Rio 2016. “Work hard, cry a lot at first, be happy later” (Photo: AP/Natacha Pisarenko)

Marta was sent off in the first match of the tournament against Spain with a straight red card, after swinging her leg in the air and hitting the head of Olga Carmona, the captain of Spain. As a result, Marta also did not take part in the two games in the knockout stage. To her delight, her teammates did the job on the way to the final. This is her sixth performance, but even this time she failed to surprise and finish with an Olympic title.