Good as Gold: Winners and losers as Mallory Swanson, Emma Hayes and resurrected USWNT beat Brazil, claim fifth Olympic title

In winning Olympic gold, the U.S. seized their moment, ousted Brazil and reclaimed their spot at the top of the women’s soccer world

Six games in 16 days. It was a grueling stretch, to say the least. At times during this intense run through the 2024 Olympics, coach Emma Hayes and the U.S. women’s national team had to accept that this wasn’t about thriving, but rather about surviving. And they knew the reward if they could simply sustain.

For the U.S., Saturday was about more than a fifth gold medal. It was about legitimacy. It was about legacy. It was about history, nostalgia and resurrection. And they knew it would come against a Brazil squad that had it’s own motivations. For them, it was about Marta, an icon. It was about a new generation. It was about taking down a Goliath that, just a few weeks ago, looked a lot more like a David.

Led by Mallory Swanson’s clutch second-half goal, the U.S. outlasted Brazil 1-0 in the Gold Medal match in Paris. Saturday’s final was the sixth gold medal appearance for the USWNT – out of eight Olympics in which women’s soccer was contested – and they’ve now won five.

It was a tight, nervy affair, one defined by a series of moments. Swanson’s goal was the tournament winner, but Brazil had their chances. But while they couldn’t convert them, Swanson did. Sometimes that’s the difference. Sometimes those moments are all it takes to win what not long ago seemed un-winnable, to change perceptions, to be reborn.

The U.S. seized their moment and, as a result – after failing to even reach an Olympics final since London 2012 – also reclaimed their spot at the top of the women’s soccer world.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the USWNT’s gold medal-winning performance at Parc des Princes in Paris.

In the quarterfinals, it was Trinity Rodman. In the semifinals, it was Sophia Smith. And on Saturday, in the biggest game of them all, it was the third member of Triple Espresso that provided the one shot the USWNT needed.

It didn’t take much: one line-splitting pass, one run, one tidy finish in the 57th minute of what had been a tense, physical game. It was all that the U.S. needed. It came down to the one moment that Swanson, fittingly enough, provided. She earned this. She really did.

The U.S. attack at Paris 2024 was spearheaded this triumvirate of young, dynamic forwards in 22-year-old Rodman, 24-year-old Smith (she celebrated her birthday Saturday) and the 26-year-old Swanson. For Swanson, on Saturday she became the 44th player in USWNT history to reach the 100-cap milestone. She is the youngest player to reach the century mark for the USWNT since 25-year-old Amy Rodriguez achieved the feat in 2012 and is the 15th youngest-player all-time to reach 100 caps.

“We’ve grown so much,” Swanson told reporters. “And that’s really cool to me seeing that. We’ve grown on and off the field. And you keep probably hearing it — we’re playing with joy. We’re having so much fun and I’m just so happy.”

Swanson was fantastic all summer long. She was exactly the spark that this team needed. She didn’t get on the ball much in the final, but she capitalized on those chanced, making Brazil pay.

A year after missing out on the World Cup, Swanson is back, better than ever and now? She’s an Olympic champion.

For Marta to bid farewell to the Olympic stage, major tournament soccer and, possibly the international game, with a medal? Fantastic. Brazil was not expected to get on the podium at the Games. It is in something of a transition period with these young players and a new manager, is only 12 months removed from a group-stage exit at the Women’s World Cup and lost two group matches at these Games.

However, Marta will surely be disappointed that she couldn’t impact this final, her and the Selecao’s first on the international stage for 16 years, in the manner that she would’ve hoped. That she came off the bench in the final made some sense, given her game-changing abilities and the momentum the team was riding from the knockout rounds. But she was simply unlucky to be introduced only after the U.S. scored, which probably would not have been Arthur Elias’ plan.

From there, Brazil struggled to find rhythm, the USWNT managed the game well and restricted the opportunities that Marta had to get on the ball and make a difference.

The USWNT’s “Uncle” turned this group into what certainly appears to be a Golden Generation.

OK, perhaps that’s a bit forced, but it’s true: without Naeher, the USWNT wouldn’t be here. She was spectacular all tournament, but she somehow saved her biggest moments for the finale. By the end, she was credited with just four saves, but each of them felt bigger than the last.

Called the team’s Saving Grace by Rodman after the U.S. beat Germany in the semifinals, Naeher managed her third consecutive clean sheet, all coming in 1-0 victories after the group stage.

It all culminated with a fantastic stop late, one that, if not for her spectacular effort, could have sent this game into extra time. Fortunately for the U.S., Naeher got her right palm on the shot just outside the goal. Last round, it was her toes. This time, it was one single hand that kept the U.S. dream alive.

“It’s Brazil, we know they’re such a tough opponent, we knew it wasn’t going to be easy, they weren’t going to give us anything,” U.S. defender Crystal Dunn told reporters. “We trusted everyone was going to do their job and I’m really proud of the backline and of course Alyssa back there is such an incredible asset to the team. It just came down to trusting everyone was going to do their job.”

Naeher, 36, is deservedly being given her flowers. She’s been so steady for so many years, solidifying her place among the greats. This will be her legacy tournament and, if it’s her last, she’ll have gone out on the highest of highs.

For far too long in the most important match of the year, it was looking rough for the U.S. Brazil’s midfield was torturing the USWNT group, running them in circles for most of the first 45 minutes. It appeared that a lack of control in the middle could very well end up being the USWNT’s downfall.

It started with a bit of controversy. Emma Hayes benched Rose Lavelle in favor of Korbin Albert entering the match, taking out arguably the USWNT’s most dynamic creator. It looked like might just backfire. The U.S. struggled to get control in the midfield, lacking both the defensive steel to frustrate Brazil and the creativity to keep them honest. U.S. captain Lindsey Horan struggled. Sam Coffey ran her legs into the ground putting out fires. Albert, for much of the game, didn’t contribute much.

Albert, of course, justified the decision in the second half with her assist on Swanson’s game-winning goal. Hayes, ultimately, got it right. Even so, this wasn’t a dominant performance in the middle and, if you’re going to nitpick a bit, the midfield was close to being the reason the U.S. squandered gold.

This defeat will hurt Brazil. It will hurt Marta, it will hurt her teammates who wanted so badly to deliver that gold medal for her and it will hurt the fans, who were desperate to finally see the Selecao triumph in a major final. However, when the dust settles, this is a tournament that this team can be not only proud of, but excited about.

Marta has spoken at length about being ready to retire from the game because she feels Brazil is in a good place moving forward, that the next generation of talent can take that baton and run with it, to deliver success for years to come.

At the Olympics, Elias’ showed just why that enthusiasm exists. At centerback, the 21-year-old Tarciane looked wise beyond her years. Duda Sampaio, just 23 years old, was one of the best performers in that gold medal match. Jheniffer and Priscila, aged 22 and 19 respectively, showed their quality in the final third in many different moments.

This list can go on. With Elias himself only 43 and looking like an astute coaching appointment after plenty of success in charge of Corinthians, it’s not only Marta who should be excited about what the future looks like for this Brazil side.

“We knew it was going to be a difficult game, we did our best, we pressed and I think we were better in the first half,” Brazil midfielder Adriana told reporters. “We didn’t manage to score in our chances and they scored on their best chance, but I’m confident we are going to develop into a better team.”

Brazil started this game incredibly well and, in truth, should have been possibly three goals up before half-time. Chance after chance after chance was created by the Selecao in that first 45 minutes – often to Ludmila, the electric winger who has just recently completed a switch to the Chicago Red Stars.

The 29-year-old did so much right on Saturday. With two minutes played, she was on her toes as Jheniffer played her in – but the shot didn’t have enough venom to trouble Naeher. Shortly after, she made Naomi Girma, who has been incredible at this tournament, look like an ordinary defender when she turned her inside out and found the back of the net – but she had just leaned offside. Twice before the break, Ludmila’s movement was superb as Gabi Portilho caused problems down the right – but she just couldn’t reach either teasing cross.

The forward was one of Brazil’s most dangerous weapons in this final. Sadly, though, she just didn’t have her shooting boots on to make all of that excellent work count.

She did it, and it took her just 10 games.

Hayes inherited a USWNT program at an all-time low, but you wouldn’t have known that if you followed this team in Paris. In just a few short months, Hayes reminded this team of what they are: champions.

That was all confirmed on Saturday when Hayes masterminded yet another scrappy win to claim gold. Throughout the tournament, Hayes seemed determined to ride her stars into the ground, opting not to rotate as she continued to field her best teams. Ultimately, she judged it right: the U.S. had just enough gas left in the tank to clear the finish line.

“I’m very emotional. It’s been a dream of mine to be in this position,” Hayes said after the match. “I have to thank my dad because he’s the one who pushed me to this point to be able to come and coach an unbelievable group of players that have received me so well and taken on board everything I have asked. They are tremendous people and players and role models. Yeah, I love them.”

Since joining the USWNT in late May, head coach Emma Hayes is unbeaten (9W-0L-1D) in 10 matches, including three straight 1-0 decisions in Paris culminating in gold. Hayes became just the fourth USWNT head coach to win their first major tournament, with Anson Dorrance leading the U.S. to the 1991 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Pia Sundhage leading the Americans to a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics and Jill Ellis helping the U.S. to its third World Cup title in 2015.

Hayes simply hasn’t gotten a single thing wrong. She picked her spots, she restored belief, she reshaped a culture and she rebuilt a program. And it’s all just getting started. With Hayes at the helm, this USWNT gold rush is just beginning.