It felt highly symbolic that the United States’ win over Germany in their Olympic women’s football semi-final on Tuesday should come a year to the day after their humbling early exit from the World Cup.
Precisely 12 months on from a defeat on penalties against Sweden in the last 16 that ended the USA’s grip on the World Cup trophy and definitively marked the end of an era, a fresh young team is through to the Olympic final.
They will be favourites to beat Brazil on Saturday and win a record-extending fifth women’s football gold, 12 years after their last victory at London 2012.
That would complete a remarkable turnaround in their fortunes, although the foundations for their success so far at the Olympics were in fact laid going into that World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
That tournament brought the curtain down on the iconic Megan Rapinoe’s international career but it also saw Trinity Rodman and Sophia Smith break through on the big stage.
“We had a tough year last year, in every way possible, but I feel like this is a new year and we are really just showing the world that we didn’t ever drop off,” said Smith, 23, after scoring the winning goal in extra time in Tuesday’s semi-final against Germany in Lyon.
“We just needed a learning year and a growth year and we are back and hopefully on top after this next game.
“This team is so special. We are young. We are just finding ways to win games and we don’t have the most experience in the world but that doesn’t matter because we are working for each other.”
Hayes made a big call when she decided to leave veteran star Alex Morgan, a two-time World Cup winner but now aged 35, off her roster for the Olympics to clear the way for a new front line.
– Triple Trouble –
Smith and the 22-year-old Rodman, daughter of NBA legend Dennis Rodman, have both chipped in with three goals at the Games.
Mallory Swanson, who missed the World Cup due to injury, has also scored three times and set up Smith’s winner against Germany.
Centre-back Naomi Girma, aged 24, is having a fine tournament and coach Emma Hayes even labelled her “the best defender I’ve ever seen”.
Yet it is the attack which is stealing the attention, and has even been given its own name with former World Cup winner Christen Press calling Rodman, Smith and Swanson “Triple Trouble”.
Hayes, who only began working with the team a little over two months ago after joining from Chelsea in her native England, is reaping the benefits of the players at her disposal.
“When you have a group that haven’t won anything, or won anything in a while, it is easier,” Hayes admitted.
“When you have a team that wins a lot, it is a lot harder to get them to another finish line. They are hungry and ambitious. That was the first thing I noticed about this group. But they have unbelievable humility.”
Hayes, who has had so much success at club level, is clearly helping enormously. She has far more charisma than predecessor Vlatko Andonovski and the USA players speak very highly of her.
“We are a different team since she has come in. She is so hilarious and chill and funny, and I feel like that is exactly what we needed,” said Smith.
“We had the players, we had the talent, we just needed someone to come in and believe in us, and put us in the best position to succeed, and Emma is doing exactly that.”
Now, however, they need to go out and live up to their billing in the final against a Brazil team fresh from beating world champions Spain.
“The goal is closer but the job is not done yet,” insisted Swanson.
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