The United States women’s national soccer team landed in Marseille, France, on July 18 ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics. The team is the most decorated in Olympic women’s soccer history, having won four out of seven gold medals since the event was added to the Olympics in 1996.
Recent USWNT history has been less fruitful. Under head coach Vlatko Andnovoski, the team was criticized for its struggle to score goals and beat top teams. These issues were reflected in the team’s tournament results.
The U.S. took home a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 after being knocked out by Canada in the semifinals. The USWNT suffered further disappointment at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. After a lackluster group stage which saw the USWNT beat Vietnam 3-0, tie the Netherlands 1-1 and nearly lose to Portugal in a 0-0 draw, the U.S. went out to Sweden on penalties in the Round of 16. This marked the USWNT’s earliest exit in its World Cup history. Since this result, the USWNT has dropped to fifth in the FIFA world ranking, its lowest ever placement.
Following the tournament, Andonovski resigned from his position as head coach. This left U.S. soccer with a big decision about who to replace him with to steer the program in a different direction. Emma Hayes was announced as Andonovoski’s successor in November 2023.
Hayes previously had a prolific career as Chelsea’s womens team’s head coach. She earned 16 trophies in 12 years and a Best FIFA Women’s Coach Award in 2022. Hayes is a coach at the top of the sport, but it will be a huge challenge for her to get the USWNT back to the top of women’s international soccer right away.
Hayes made headlines when she left star forward Alex Morgan, who has scored 123 goals for the USMNT, off the Olympic roster. For the first time in over a decade, the roster also lacks defender Becky Saubrunn, forward Megan Rapinoe or midfielder Julie Ertz.
Instead, Hayes has directed her faith in younger players, hoping to build experience for future tournaments. Half of the 18-person roster will be attending their first Olympics. Defenders Tierna Davidson and 24-year old Naomi Girma, the 2023 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year, will partner as centerbacks for the first time at a major tournament. As outside backs, defenders Emily Fox and Jenna Nighswonger will provide quick and skillful options at their first Olympics.
In her first four games, Hayes has preferred a front line of forwards Mallory Swanson, Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman. At the age of 23, Smith already has scored 63 goals for her club and country. Nineteen-year-old forward Jaedyn Shaw is an option off the bench, having scored 7 goals for the team since her debut in October 2023.
Midfielder and captain Lindsey Horan, goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and defender Crystal Dunn bring much needed experience to the group. Midfielder Rose Lavelle is a difference maker with her creativity on the ball, but she often struggles with injuries. Her minutes will have to be managed at the tournament.
The U.S. is in Group B with Germany, Australia and Zambia. It is likely all three group stage games will prove to be challenging. Germany reached the 2022 Women’s Euro Final and Australia reached the last Olympic semifinal. Zambia also have a shot at advancing out of the group with its talented forwards Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji.
For better or for worse, the expectations for the four-time world and Olympic champions is always to win every tournament. According to odds makers, the USWNT are the favorites. However, with a coach who has been with the team for fourth friendlies ahead of the USWNT’s opening game against Zambia on July 25, expectations should be slightly lower.
The USWNT is far from the best team to compete at the Olympics. The talented French team will have a boost as hosts, and Spain, the reigning world champions, are the most complete team at the tournament.
While the USWNT should not be favored for gold, the team is still talented. In 2024 so far, the team has beaten Japan, Canada and Brazil, three teams in the top-10 FIFA world ranking. The USWNT has also had surprising results this year, falling to Mexico 2-0 in February and drawing Costa Rica for the first time in July. A more realistic aim would be a bronze medal, the same feat the team achieved three years ago in Tokyo, but even that may prove to be a tough task considering the talented competition.
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