The U.S. women’s national team shook off any lingering Olympic bitterness, defeating Zambia 3–0 in its first outing of the Paris Games on Thursday. After disappointing appearances in the Tokyo Olympics and the 2023 World Cup, the U.S. needed to set the tone with a powerful statement out of the gates. In Nice, the team did just that. It was a sturdy performance from a young USWNT group eager to carve out a fresh identity under new coach Emma Hayes, who has only been with the squad since May.
“I’ve dreamed of this moment since I was a little girl,” Hayes told media ahead of Thursday’s game. “To be leading the U.S. team out to our first Olympic Games together is something I don’t think I can put into words.”
The Group B opener was not only an Olympic introduction for Hayes, but for many of her players as well. Five first-time Olympians were featured in Hayes’s starting lineup against Zambia, including Trinity Rodman, who wasted no time leaving her mark on the game, and the tournament.
Unleashing a barrage of quality shots on Zambia early, the U.S.’s opening few minutes were punctuated by a series of near misses. It began to feel eerily familiar from the USWNT—plenty of dangerous chances created, but none converted. Enter Rodman, who opened the floodgates in a way only she could. Streaking into the box in the 17th minute, Rodman got on the end of a well-weighted pass from Lindsey Horan before flicking the ball behind her to drop two defenders, then turning and striking a low shot behind Zambia’s goalkeeper.
THE USWNT IS OFF AND RUNNING. 🇺🇸
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 25, 2024
Trinity Rodman with a tidy turn and finish to open the scoring against Zambia! #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/yyorSnoMSD
Rodman’s slick breakthrough started the party for the USWNT, which included back-to-back first-half goals from Mallory Swanson. With a mere 66 seconds between her brace, Swanson now has the fastest two goals by a single player in a major tournament, according to OptaJack. The opening frame saw encouraging interplay between the fluid front line of Rodman, Swanson and Sophia Smith, at times linking up with ease. That trio, however, was broken up in the 40th minute when Smith exited the game for Lynn Williams after appearing to pick up a knock. (Hayes said after the game that she doesn’t have updates on Smith’s status, but the 23-year-old will be assessed once the team is back at camp in Marseille.)
The substitutes kept coming in the second half, with Hayes showing she is not afraid to look down her bench. With the changes, Crystal Dunn, who started on the backline moved up the pitch to the wing, while Jenna Nighswonger, typically an outside back, joined the forward line. This revealed another fundamental truth about Hayes's approach: a commitment to flexibility.
“Having a roster that could adapt is essential. We have a tight turnaround between games,” Hayes said after naming her Olympic roster in June. “So of course, having players on the roster that could play more than one position mattered with squad depth.”
Hayes’s switches may help preserve players’ legs in an action-packed Olympic tournament, but her moves also slowed the rhythm to finish out the game. The U.S. went scoreless in the second half, which isn’t entirely surprising considering all the changes but will be something the team will likely want to amend going forward.
On the other side of the ball, the U.S. logged another clean sheet, which is no small feat against a lethal Zambia side. Forward Barbra Banda, who Hayes called the “most in-form striker in world football,” tested the U.S.’s backline, especially in transition. Center back Naomi Girma, however, was up for the job, shutting down Banda in a trying, but ultimately uneventful 90 minutes. It wasn’t the 2024 Olympic debut Zambia hoped for, competing with 10 players for the majority of the match after Pauline Zulu was issued a red card in the 30th minute. It’s also worth noting that Zambia’s coach Bruce Mwape is not allowed private contact with any players at the Olympics, nor is he staying at the team hotel, due to an ongoing investigation into sexual misconduct.
The U.S. now has two days’ rest before facing off against a German side that looked completely dominant in its own 3–0 opening win over Australia. Hayes, however, has emphasized that every opponent deserves her team’s utmost respect. Gone are the days of the USWNT cruising to the final, or even being considered a tournament favorite. “Any given day any opponent can beat anyone,” said Hayes. “It has to be earned.” With a forceful start, the U.S. showed it is, at the very least, up for the challenge.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as USWNT Cruises Past Zambia to Open Olympic Group Stage.
