US shows it has put last year's World Cup behind it with perfect Olympics group stage record
One year ago, the U.S. had its worst performance at the World Cup — a round of 16 exit to Sweden. A year on, the USWNT has dominated a competitive Olympics group and has its eyes set for gold.
One year has made a huge difference for the U.S. women’s national team.
A year ago tomorrow — Aug. 1, 2023 — the U.S. women’s national team came within the width of a post from being eliminated in the group stage of the Women's World Cup. A 0-0 stalemate with Portugal nearly turned into a catastrophic loss when Ana Capeta’s late effort, which had beaten the American defense and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, hit the woodwork and stayed out of the net. The U.S. advanced barely but was painfully sent home in its next game in a penalty-shootout loss to Sweden. Lina Hurtig’s winning conversion hardly crossed the line.
Nearly a year later — July 31, 2024 — the USWNT finished the group stage of the Paris Olympics with a perfect record — three wins in three games. After scoring four goals in four matches at the 2023 World Cup — three of which came against lowly Vietnam — the Americans found the net nine times in their first three games at the Olympics.
The USWNT capped the group stage of the Paris Games with a 2-1 win against Australia on Wednesday. The result follows a pair of three-goal wins over Zambia (3-0) and Germany (4-1). It is safe to say the U.S. has rediscovered its historic, outstanding form.
With the return of thrilling performances comes a fear factor. Australia only needed a draw in its final group game to advance, so it set up a low block on defense. The Aussies knew how dangerous the Americans’ front three of Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman were and decided to line up in a way to put as many defenders as possible between the dynamic Americans and the Australian goal.
It did not work. Smith and Rodman combined to break the deadlock before halftime, and the U.S. peppered Australia with attacks throughout the game. The insurance goal came from 20-year-old midfielder Korbin Albert, who is one of many key contributors who was not in Australia/New Zealand for the World Cup last summer.
Another major change for the U.S. is in the dugout. Vlatko Andonovski resigned following the shock exit Down Under and was replaced by Englishwoman Emma Hayes, the decorated former Chelsea manager.
Hayes, who only fully took over in May once the club season concluded, has only been on the touchline for seven games, but she has already reinvigorated a USWNT team that looked hapless a year ago.
Courtesy of Hayes and a few retirements, the U.S. squad has been refreshed. Icons Megan Rapinoe, Julie Ertz and Kelley O’Hara ended their decorated careers last year. The active U.S. player with the most goals, Alex Morgan, was left off the Olympic roster by Hayes. Starters in midfield last summer, Savannah DeMelo and Andi Sullivan, were also deemed not up to par.
In total, six of the 15 players who played in the U.S.’s World Cup-eliminating loss to Sweden are not part of the roster this summer in Paris.
But nine of those players who faltered last summer are back, plus the U.S. has some key aces in its deck — some brand new and some returning. Swanson could not stop scoring in the lead-up to the 2023 World Cup until a knee injury suffered in an international friendly ruled her out of the tournament. Rose Lavelle, dealing with a nagging knee injury, was on a minute restriction last summer and missed the knockout stage game with yellow card accumulation.
The major standouts for the U.S. at the Olympics, where they entered ranked a record low of No. 5 in the FIFA World Rankings, have been the fearsome front line and the defensive organization. In three games, the prolific forwards — Smith, Swanson and Rodman — have combined for seven goals and four assists. In defense, Naomi Girma, who was one of the few bright points from 2023, has teamed up with Tierna Davidson, a 2019 World Cup winner who was not on the roster for last summer’s edition.
So, with a few tweaks in the right spots and some difficult decisions made by Hayes, the USWNT finds its record perfect after the group stage. The last time they finished the Olympic opening round with a spotless record? London 2012 was the last time the U.S. won Olympic gold.
In the 2012 final, the U.S. overcame Japan 2-0. The Americans will face the Japanese two rounds earlier this year, with a quarterfinal matchup on Saturday.
The U.S. has eased into the tournament but has not shown any signs of needing to. A year ago, getting to the knockout phase was a strenuous task. This year, the U.S. made easy work of its admittedly challenging group.
The real judgment of whether the Americans have exorcized the demons from Down Under will depend on how far the Americans go at the Olympics. However, an impressive display in their first three games bodes well.
If we are reading into history, three of the last four times the U.S. has won all of its group games, it has won a major tournament (World Cup 1999, Olympics 2012, and World Cup 2012, with the 2003 World Cup being the sole exception).
The U.S. will hope to make it four for five and claim its fifth gold medal.
When the U.S. crashed out of the 2023 World Cup, that notion would have been inconceivable — the Olympics were seen as a rebuilding opportunity with eyes set on the 2027 World Cup. Now, if the U.S. maintains its commanding performances, it looks like a very possible conclusion.
What a difference a year makes!