U.S. Women’s National Team Defeats Australia 2-1 to Claim Top Spot in Group B at 2024 Summer Olympics

MARSEILLE, France (July 31, 2024) -- The U.S. Women’s National Team will enter the Olympic quarterfinals with three victories in three matches and a tournament-leading nine goals scored following Wednesday’s 2-1 win against Australia. Forward Trinity Rodman tallied her second of the Olympics and midfielder Korbin Albert notched the eventual match-winner with a brilliant strike from distance as the USA held back a late surge from Australia to claim three more points and the top spot in Group B.

The USWNT have now won all three group-stage matches for just the second time in eight Olympic appearances. It happened previously in 2012. Those Games ended with a gold medal win over Japan and this tournament will continue with a quarterfinal against the same opponent on Aug. 3 in Paris.

Head coach Emma Hayes’ squad has yielded just two goals in the competition and has been sparked by the next generation “Triple-Edged Sword” of Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson. One of those three forwards has scored or assisted on every U.S. goal up until Albert finished off the Australians late Wednesday.

An Olympic medal run requires a taxing six games in 17 days, but Hayes preferred maintaining her team’s momentum as the group stage concluded, making only one change to the lineup that started the first two matches. Center back Tierna Davidson was sidelined with a leg contusion and Emily Sonnett took her place alongside Naomi Girma. Hayes’ remaining 10 players remained constant and faced the challenge of breaking down an Australian side that was determined to defend knowing that a draw would be good enough to see them through to the quarterfinals.

Australia played a very low block with five players on the back line, two players sitting right on that line and three attacking players that did not pressure the U.S. backs, daring the USA to find a way through. Australia didn’t come out of its shell until the USA had the lead, but a stoppage time goal was too little, too late for the Matildas.

The USA had a massive edge on possession but did not get frustrated despite Australia’s defensive tactics. One negative was an early yellow card to midfielder Sam Coffey, her second of the first round, that will rule her out of the quarterfinal.

The USA created chances despite the Aussie blockade and Rodman hammered a 10-yard shot at Australia goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold in the ninth minute. Left back Crystal Dunn challenged Arnold with a long-range bid in the 38th and captain Lindsey Horan came agonizingly close to breaking the deadlock with a short-range header a couple minutes later.

With halftime approaching and the USA’s possession nearing a staggering 80 percent, the aggressors finally broke through. Rodman created a corner kick off a shot that Arnold parried over the crossbar. Midfielder Rose Lavelle’s subsequent delivery was flicked at the near post and then met by Smith at the far end. Her header bounced back down toward the right upright and Rodman raced forward to put the ball over the line in the 43rd minute.

It was Rodman’s second goal of the tournament and Smith’s second assist. Both young stars scored or set up a goal in each of the USA’s three group-stage matches.

Needing a goal go through, Australia was a bit more adventurous in the second half. Forward Hayley Raso took the Matildas’ first shot on target in the 53rd minute, but U.S. ‘keeper Alyssa Naeher made a comfortable save. With first place and the quarterfinals in sight, Hayes made multiple changes after the game passed the hour mark, removing Rodman, Lavelle and right back Emily Fox. The USA would eventually outshoot Australia 21-7 and allowed just two shots on goals for the Matildas.

Lavelle’s replacement, Albert, soon became the first American woman to score her debut international goal at the Olympics. Smith sent a pass into the right channel that was cleared back toward Albert, who was standing at the top of the penalty arc. The 20-year-old Paris Saint-Germain midfielder took one touch and then rocketed an unstoppable shot into the upper left corner.

Australia, in desperation mode, finally found a bit of attacking rhythm as regulation time expired and halved the deficit with an alert six-yard finish from veteran defender Alanna Kennedy, who pushed up into the forward line in search of a goal. But the USA held on and Australia was left to wait for late results to determine its tournament fate.

Saturday’s quarterfinal at the Parc des Princes in Paris (9 a.m. ET / 3 p.m. local) will mark the fifth time the USWNT will meet Japan at the Olympic Games. The Americans won a quarterfinal in 2004, a group stage game and a semifinal in 2008, and then the gold medal game at London’s Wembley Stadium four years later. Naturally, the rivalry is best known for the pair of memorable Women’s World Cup finals contested between the sides. Japan came from behind and then defeated the USA on penalties in the 2011 decider in Frankfurt. The Americans exacted revenge in 2015, winning, 5-2, in Vancouver and claiming their third championship star.

The USA is 31W-1L-8D against Japan all-time, with the lone defeat coming at the 2012 Algarve Cup. At this Olympic tournament, the Nadeshiko (2W-1L-0D), who currently are ranked seventh by FIFA, finished second in Group C following an opening loss to world champion Spain then impressive wins over Brazil and Nigeria. Six different players have tallied Japan’s six goals in France.

The USWNT has fond memories of the Parc des Princes, having won twice there during the perfect run to the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup crown. After beating Chile, 3-0, in the group stage, the USA ousted host France with a 2-1 quarterfinal triumph.

The winner of the USA-Japan quarterfinal will move on to an Aug. 6 semifinal in Lyon against either Germany or the Group A runner-up.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN

USA -- Trinity Rodman (Sophia Smith), 43rd minute: Rodman created a corner kick with a bending shot that was knocked away by the Australian goalkeeper. Rose Lavelle’s subsequent delivery was flicked at the near post and then won in the air by Smith, who headed the ball back toward the right. Rodman was first to the ball and poked it home at the right post. USA 1, AUS 0

USA -- Korbin Albert, 77th minute: Sophia Smith’s pass toward the right channel was cleared by a defender straight to Albert at the top of the penalty arc and the midfielder didn’t hesitate. She smashed a 25-yard, right footed shot into the upper corner eft of the Australian net. Goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold got a fingertip to it but had no chance to keep it out. USA 2, AUS 0

AUS -- Alanna Kennedy (Michelle Heyman), 90th minute + 1: A long cross from Australia’s Caitlin Foord was headed back toward the middle of the U.S. penalty area by Heyman. Kennedy darted behind center back Emily Sonnett and finished from six yards. USA 2, AUS 1 FINAL

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• The U.S. improves to 29W-1L-5D all-time against Australia, including a 4W.
• 0L-02D record against the Matildas at the World Cup (2W-0L-0D) and Olympics (2W-0L-2D).
• The USA finishes at the top of its group for the sixth time in eight Olympic appearances. Three of the last five times the USA took first in its group, it went on to win the gold medal.
• The USA’s nine goals are the most it has ever scored in any Olympic group stage.
• Rodman made her 33rd consecutive appearance for the USWNT, tying Christen Press for the most consecutive matches played by any U.S. player in the past five years.
• Rodman now has two goals in three games at Paris 2024 after scoring just twice in her previous 17 U.S. appearances heading into the Olympics.
• Rodman and Smith have both either scored or assisted in all of the USA's group stage games at the 2024 Olympics, the first time a pair of USA teammates have done so since Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach at London 2012.
• With her assist on Rodman’s goal, Smith now has nine goal involvements (6 goals, 3 assists) in her last eight games for the USWNT.
• The 20-year-old Albert is the youngest player to score for the USWNT at an Olympics since Mallory Swanson scored as an 18-year-old at Rio 2016.
• Midfielder Croix Bethune, originally named as an alternate but elevated to the matchday roster in place of an injured Jaedyn Shaw, came on in the 79th minute to become the eighth U.S. player to make her Olympic debut this tournament.

- U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT -

Match: United States Women’s National Team vs. Australia
Date: July 31, 2024
Competition: Paris 2024 Olympics; Group B
Venue: Stade de Marseille; Marseille, France
Attendance: 9,610
Kickoff: 7 p.m. local / 1 p.m. ET
Weather: 91 degrees, sunny

Lineups:
AUS: 1-Mackenzie Arnold; 7-Steph Catley (Capt.), 15-Clare Hunt, 14-Alanna Kennedy, 12-Ellie Carpenter; 3-Kaitlyn Torpey (2-Michelle Heyman, 59), 6-Katrina Gorry (10-Emily van Egmond, 59), 8-Kyra Cooney-Cross (17-Clare Wheeler, 46); 9-Caitlin Foord, 11-Mary Fowler, 16-Hayley Raso (13-Tameka Yallop, 85)
Substitutes not used: 4-Clare Polkinghorne, 5-Cortnee Vine,18-Teagan Micah
Head coach: Tony Gustavsson

USA: 1-Alyssa Naeher; 2-Emily Fox (6-Casey Krueger, 65), 4-Naomi Girma, 14-Emily Sonnett, 7-Crystal Dunn (13-Jenna Nighswonger, 46); 10-Lindsey Horan (Capt.), 17-Sam Coffey, 16-Rose Lavelle (3-Korbin Albert, 65); 5-Trinity Rodman (8-Lynn Williams, 65), 9-Mallory Swanson (20-Croix Bethune, 79), 11-Sophia Smith
Substitutes not used: 18-Casey Murphy,21-Emily Sams
Head coach: Emma Hayes

Stats Summary: AUS / USA
Shots: 7 / 21
Shots on Goal: 2 / 9
Saves: 7 / 1
Corner Kicks: 2 / 9
Fouls: 7 / 4
Offside: 4 / 2 

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Sam Coffey (Caution) 3rd minute
AUS – Tony Gustavsson (Caution) 45+2
USA – Korbin Albert (Caution) 67

Officials:
Referee: Francois Letexier (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Mehdi Rahmouni (FRA)
4th Official: Anahi Fernandez (URU)
VAR: Jerome Brisard (FRA)
AVAR 1: Carlos del Cerro Grancde (ESP)

Michelob Ultra Superior Woman of the Match: Trinity Rodman