LYON, France (Aug. 6, 2024) – Forward Sophia Smith’s 95th-minute goal propelled the U.S. Women’s National Team to a 1-0 victory against Germany and a spot in the gold medal match at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The late heroics came after 90 minutes of scoreless action, just three days after fellow forward Trinity Rodman sent the U.S. to the semifinals with her 105+2nd-minute game-winner in a 1-0 victory vs. Japan.
While the USA had more of the game than Germany, leading in shots (19-15), shots on goal (10-7) and possession (58%-42%), this win was about the tremendous mental and physical toughness of the U.S. team that kept its patience, kept battling and finally found a way through an excellent Germany team just five minutes into the first overtime period.
Smith’s effort to beat her defender to the ball and slide to shoot past the onrushing German and NJ/NY Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger proved to be the difference in the latest installment of a historic rivalry between the teams. It was the first time the USA had ever played long-time world power Germany twice in a world championship tournament and thus, the first-time the U.S. Women have ever beaten Germany twice in a world championship event.
The goal was created by forward Mallory Swanson, who played a deft ball into the penalty area for Smith as the dynamic U.S. attacking trio of Rodman (22-years-old), Smith (23) and Swanson (26) continues to light up the scoreboard at Paris 2024, scoring nine of the USWNT’s 11 goals and 10 of its 11 total goal contributions in France.
With the win, the USA advances to the gold medal match for the sixth time in eight Olympic appearances and the first since London 2012. The USA will be aiming for its record fifth Olympic gold medal. The USWNT will face the winner of Brazil-Spain at the historic Parc des Princes in Paris on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET / 5 p.m. local. It will be the USA’s 11th final at a world championship event across the 17 that have been contested.
Today’s semifinal featured a showdown between two powerhouses of the women’s international game with the United States and Germany being two of three nations to have won a FIFA Women’s World Cup and Olympic gold medal. It was also the USA’s first match back at the Stade de Lyon since it capped off a dominant tournament to claim its fourth Women’s World Cup title with a 2-0 win vs. Netherlands in 2019.
Hayes made two changes to the team that took down Japan in dramatic 1-0 fashion in the quarterfinals, reinserting midfielder Sam Coffey back in the squad after serving her suspension for yellow card accumulation and center back Tierna Davidson, who missed the last two U.S. matches with a leg contusion. Coffey had an excellent match as did Davidson, but she only played the first 45 before giving way to Emily Sonnett, who was solid in helping the USA close out the game. It was the same XI that dispatched Germany 4-1 during the nations’ group stage clash on July 28 in Marseille.
Razor-thin margins have defined the knockout stage of the Olympic Women’s Soccer Tournament thus far, with three of four quarterfinals decided in or after overtime, including two penalty kick shootouts, and this evening in Lyon was no different with a tense, back-and-forth affair between the two heavyweights.
The USWNT did get off on the front foot as Davidson put a header on frame in just the second minute of play off a corner kick, while a nice run from Rodman set midfielder Rose Lavelle up for a shot just two minutes later that was saved by Berger.
The Germans grew into the game as the half wore on. Germany found its best early chance in the 24th minute as winger Jule Brand drove past the U.S. defense on the left side and put an effort on target before it was swallowed up by a diving Alyssa Naeher. Naeher finished the night with seven saves, her most ever in a World Cup or Olympic match, as she recorded her third shutout of the tournament. Naeher’s three clean sheets at Paris 2024 are tied with Hope Solo (2008 and 2012) for the most by any USWNT goalkeeper at a single Olympics.
Playing rather physical defense, the Germans made a number of hard tackles that led to free kicks in advantageous positions, but the U.S. was unable to capitalize. In the 31st, a promising ball into the box from Lavelle ended with Berger easily handling a header from captain Lindsey Horan and in the 37th, Germany stopped a shot from Swanson after a nice cutback pass from the ever-active Rodman.
Germany came out reinvigorated after the half, continuing its bruising defense while making more forays into the U.S. final third. Brand and center forward Nicole Anyomi caused trouble on the right side for the U.S., but the back line held strong, led by another outstanding performance from center back Naomi Girma. She beat her mark to win a header on a dangerous ball into the six in the 55th minute and stymied another run from Anyomi in the 67th.
The U.S. looked primed to tally the opening goal in a breakaway on the 62nd, countering after a German attacking run. Left back Crystal Dunn played it to Swanson on the run and she drove forward, wheeling around the diving Berger toward the end line and an empty net. With the two German center backs tracking back, Swanson wasn’t able to convert from the tight angle and hit it into the side netting. It wouldn’t have counted anyway as the flag was up for offside.
Another series of chances came for the USWNT late as it pushed for a winner in regulation. In the aftermath of a corner in the 79th, Coffey and Girma did well to keep the ball alive in the air and play to Horan in front of goal near the six. There, the captain put a header on-target near the post that was saved by Berger with a dive to her right.
Ninety minutes of deadlock meant that the USWNT would go to overtime for just the second time in back-to-back games at the Olympic Women’s Soccer Tournament, doing so 20 years prior in the semifinal and final at Athens 2004.
Germany had the first few looks of extra time as Girma defused a promising attacking run in the 93rd and Naeher swallowed a hard-hit shot in the 94th, but the USA’s fearsome front three finally broke through in the 95th. Swanson played to Smith, where the forward chased the ball around her mark and chipped it over the sliding ‘keeper, sending the U.S. back to Paris where it will aim for its first gold medal since 2012.
The USA had two more golden chances to extend the lead as Smith got in on breakaways, but Berger saved them both to keep the game tight.
The drama wasn’t done as Naeher made an amazing kick save near the end of overtime off a German header to preserve the win.
USA – Sophia Smith (Mallory Swanson), 95th minute: Midfielder Sam Coffey played to Swanson just past the center circle, where she took a touch before playing Smith cutting in from the right wing. It was a chase between the striker and German defender Felicitas Rauch for the ball and Smith got there a moment sooner, sliding to lift the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper for the decisive goal. USA 1, GER 0
Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Germany
Date: Aug. 6, 2024
Competition: Paris 2024 Olympics Semifinal
Venue: Stade de Lyon; Lyon, France
Attendance: 15,107
Kickoff: 6 p.m. local / 12 p.m. ET
Weather: 81 degrees, sunny
| Scoring Summary | 1 | 2 | OT1 | OT2 | F |
| USA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| GER | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| USA – Sophia Smith (Mallory Swanson) | 95th minute |
Lineups:
USA: 1-Alyssa Naeher; 7-Crystal Dunn (13-Jenna Nighswonger, 91), 12-Tierna Davidson (14-Emily Sonnett, 46), 4-Naomi Girma, 2-Emily Fox; 17-Sam Coffey, 10-Lindsey Horan (Capt.) (3-Korbin Albert, 91), 16-Rose Lavelle (8-Lynn Williams, 60); 11-Sophia Smith, 9-Mallory Swanson (6-Casey Krueger, 110), 5-Trinity Rodman
Substitutes not used: 18-Casey Murphy, 15-Jaedyn Shaw
Head coach: Emma Hayes
GER: 12-Ann-Katrin Berger; 15-Giulia Gwinn (Capt.), 3-Kathrin Hendrich, 5-Marin Hegering (4-Bibiane Schulze, 78), 19-Felicitas Rauch (13-Sara Doorsoun,106); 16-Jule Brand, 8-Sydney Lohmann (14-Elisa Senß, 91), 6-Janina Minge, 17-Kiara Bühl; 9-Sjoeke Nüsken, 21-Nicole Anyomi (10-Laura Freigang, 69)
Substitutes not used: 1-Merle Frohms, 2-Sarai Linder, 18-Vivien Endemann
Head coach: Horst Hrubesch
Stats Summary: USA / GER
Shots: 19 / 15
Shots on Goal: 10 / 7
Saves: 7 / 9
Corner Kicks: 5 / 4
Fouls: 10 / 19
Offside: 1 / 5
Misconduct Summary:
GER – Marina Hegering (Caution) 44th minute
GER – Jule Brand (Caution) 108
Officials:
Referee: Bouchra Karboubi(MAR)
AR1: Fatiha Jermoumi (MAR)
AR2:Diana Chikotesha (ZAM)
4th Official: Yujeong Kim (KOR)
Video Assistant Referee: Ivan Bebek (CRO)
Assistant VAR 1: Tatiana Guzman (NCA)
Assistant VAR 2: Khamis Al Marri (QAT)
Michelob Ultra Superior Woman of the Match: Naomi Girma