The U.S. Women’s National Teamreturned to the top of the podium, claiming a record fifth Olympic gold medal with a 1-0 triumph over Brazil in the 2024 Olympic Gold Medal match at Parc des Princes in Paris on August 10.
Making her 100th appearance for the USWNT, forward Mallory Swanson scored the game-winning goal and capped off an incredible six-game run for the Americans in France. The USA never trailed at any point during the tournament and won all six matches on the way to becoming Olympic champions, adding the 2024 Olympic gold medal to those won in 1996, 2004, 2008 and 2012.
Facing Brazil for the third time in an Olympic gold medal match, the ninth-ranked Brazilians started brightly and attacker Ludmila got off two dangerous shots in the opening 10 minutes, but each time Alyssa Naeher was up to the task for the Americans. Naeher also made an outstanding reaction save on a stoppage-time redirection from Gabi Portilho to keep the score level at 0-0 heading into the locker room.
The U.S. came out on the front foot in the second half and broke through for the gold-medal winning goal in the 57th minute when midfielder Korbin Albert sent anicely-weighted through ball behind the Brazilian defense. Forward Sophia Smith, who was celebrating her 24th birthday, had the first chance at it, but realizing she might have been offside, left it for Swanson. Swanson collected the pass and finished with a low, skipping shot to the far post.
The goal was Swanson’s fourth of the Olympics and the 10th goal scored by the USA’s “Triple Espresso” frontline of Swanson, Smith and Trinity Rodman, with the trio scoring or assisting on 11 of the USA’s 12 total goals at Paris 2024. Swanson’s four goals tied for the second-most by a USWNT player at a single Olympics. Only Abby Wambach had more, scoring five at London 2012.
The game opened up as Brazil looked for an equalizer, but the U.S. defense solidified as the match wore on. Brazilian legend Marta curled an 89th-minute free kick over the crossbar and Adriana was cut off by Naeher at the right post seconds later. Provided with 10 minutes of stoppage time, Brazil forced one more outstanding save from the USA’s veteran goalkeeper, who leaped to her right to meet Adriana’s header in the 94th. Naeher set a program record with her fourth shutout in a single Olympic tournament and posted clean sheets in the quarterfinal, semifinal and final. She became the first goalkeeper in women’s soccer history to record cleans sheets in both the World Cup and Olympic final.
The final whistle sounded, and the U.S. officially secured its fifth Olympic gold medal, four more than any other nation in Olympic Women’s Soccer history. The USA’s gold medal victory came in just Emma Hayes’ 10th match at the helm of the USWNT, the fastest by any head coach to win a World Cup or Olympics in women’s soccer history.