The first time we saw the free-flowing force of Mallory Swanson, Sophia Wilson (née Smith) and Trinity Rodman starting together was 1 June 2024 – Emma Hayes’ first match in charge of the national team, with little more than a month to go before the Olympics.
Their mutual arrival to the US frontline was delayed by injuries and other uncertainties, but they emerged just in time for a blistering gold medal run. The self-styled ‘Triple Espresso’ trio combined for 10 of the USA’s 12 goals in Paris. They were dynamic. They were fun. They were each capable of match-saving heroics, sparks of individual radiance that propelled the team to the next round: Rodman’s heroic quarter-final strike in the 105th minute against Japan; Wilson’s goal 95 minutes into a grueling semi final against Germany; then Swanson with the decisive gold medal goal against Brazil.
