Strong start, early goals propels US to Olympic-opening win over Zambia
Three goals in the first 25 minutes allowed the USWNT to seal a win early and shift focus to the much-tougher upcoming games.
In the first minutes of the first game of the women's Olympic soccer tournament, the U.S. women's national team made it clear it meant business.
Any lingering disappointment from the U.S.’s last Olympic appearance — a third-place finish in Tokyo — and their worst-ever round-of-16 exit at the 2023 World Cup seemed to vanish as the match against Zambia in Nice began on Thursday. The U.S. came out strong, pressing towards the Zambian goal, and nearly scored just 27 seconds in when a sliding shot by Lindsey Horan narrowly missed the target.
The Americans continued to apply pressure and broke the deadlock with a brilliant goal from Trinity Rodman in the 17th minute. Mallory Swanson quickly added two more goals in the 24th and 25th minutes. That was it for the scoring, as the USWNT began their quest for their first gold medal since 2012 with a 3-0 victory.
"The first part of the first half was exceptional," said head coach Emma Hayes. "The intention, intensity, decision-making, and execution should have resulted in at least five goals by halftime, but the crossbar and two goal-line clearances kept the score down. There were things within our structures I didn't like, but those are easy fixes."
It was not a perfect performance, but it did not need to be. The U.S. dominated the opening 25 minutes, secured the victory, and then conserved energy in the humid South France heat. With a match against mighty Germany on Sunday and only two full days of rest, the U.S. wisely slowed their pace after securing the lead. They made several substitutions, including taking Sophia Smith off in the 43rd minute after she suffered an injury. The severity of her injury and her availability for Sunday's match remain uncertain.
The U.S. team was masterful on the ball and relentless without it. Against Zambia, they exploited open spaces and repeatedly dismantled their opponent's defense. During the rare moments when the Zambians had possession, the USWNT's pressing quickly forced them to relinquish the ball.
While the U.S. might not enjoy the same dominance as they progress in the Olympics, their impressive start, movement, and passing could prove difficult for any nation to stop.
After Smith won the ball in the attacking third in the ninth minute, she found an unmarked Rodman in the box. The forward's shot struck the crossbar and was cleared, but the U.S. continued to create opportunities. In the 14th minute, Crystal Dunn's skillful play set up a cross for Swanson, whose header hit the bar. A follow-up volley by Horan was cleared off the line, and Rodman's strike from the corner of the box was saved by Musole.
Despite numerous chances, the U.S. struggled to convert them. However, a swift buildup play involving three passes finally resulted in a goal. Smith raced past a Zambian defender before passing to Horan, who had ample time and space to find Rodman. The daughter of the NBA star was posted-up in the box with two Zambian defenders breathing down her neck. In the tight spot, the forward produced a moment of inventiveness. Rodman flicking the ball between her legs to evade the two defenders before smashing her shot past Musole.
"That goal was amazing. Scoring on such a big stage was great," Rodman said. Reflecting on the team's performance, she added, "We started on the front foot, created many chances, and moved well off each other. I'm thrilled with our performance."
Rodman even has a name for her slick move: "Trin Spin, baby!" she said with a smile.
Horan played a key role in the second goal, again showing that giving space to her is like showing a bear neck to Dracula — she will make you pay. Horan took advantage of the space by delivering a perfect outside-of-the-foot pass to Swanson. Swanson confidently slotted it home.
Just 70 seconds later, Swanson scored again. After quickly regaining possession, the U.S. launched another attack. A fortunate bounce off Swanson found Rose Lavelle, who passed to Smith, setting up Swanson for another well-timed run. She rounded the keeper with her first touch and tapped the ball into the net with her second.
"We all felt the energy," Swanson said.
In just 25 minutes, three goals sealed the win in the U.S.'s Olympic opener, mirroring the 3-0 loss they suffered against Sweden in Tokyo 2021. The U.S. then shifted gears and rotated key players Thursday to conserve energy for the final group matches against much stiffer competition in Germany and Australia.
"We showed great intention, intensity, decision-making, and execution," Hayes said. "It could have been five goals by halftime, but the crossbar and goal-line clearances kept it at three."
Hayes does have a point about the number of goals the U.S. could have scored. The Americans had an expected goal tally of five, indicating they could have scored more than they did and their finishing could be improved. Zambia also had to play down a woman from the 33rd minute onward, when Pauline Zulu was sent off, but the U.S. could not capitalize playing with a women advantage. Goal difference might be crucial in the group standings, especially with Germany, who also won 3-0 against Australia, next on the schedule.
Despite the missed chances, Hayes was satisfied with the team's display and outcome.
"If you'd asked me before the game if I'd be happy with a three-nil win, I'd probably have said no," Hayes reflected. "But given the performance and the chances created, I shouldn't be too hard on the players."
This was only Hayes' fifth game in charge, and the team's performance has improved steadily. To defeat Germany on Sunday, replicating the strong start the U.S. had against Zambia on Thursday could make the difference.