The U.S. women’s soccer team is having an impressive performance at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
The Americans finished in first place in Group B with a 2–1 victory over Australia in Marseille. Trinity Rodman and Korbin Albert scored goals for the United States which advanced to the quarterfinal match against Japan on Saturday.
Rodman and Smith have both either scored or assisted in all of the USA’s group stage games at this summer’s Olympics, the first time a pair of American teammates have done so since Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach at London 2012.
The United States also beat Zambia and Germany in the group stage and have a plus-seven goal differential (nine goals scored, and two goals allowed). The Americans won all three group-stage matches for just the second time in eight Olympic appearances. The last time that happened was in 2012 when the United States won the gold medal.
While the United States has a decorated history for women’s soccer in the Olympics, National Team coach Emma Hayes expected tough battles throughout this summer’s tournament. The competitive level of women’s soccer has risen considerably in recent years.
“We need to reframe our focus a little bit and have respect for the rest of the world. This team is fully focused on creating a new history together.”
Rodman has been especially effective for the United States and made her 33rd consecutive appearance for the U.S. women’s team against Australia, tying Christen Press for the most consecutive matches played by any American player in the past five years. Rodman also has two goals in three games at this summer’s tournament after scoring just twice in her previous 17 U.S. appearances heading into the Olympics.
The quarterfinal game against Japan will mark the fifth time the teams have played at the Olympic Games. The Americans won a quarterfinal in 2004, a group stage game and a semifinal in 2008, and then the gold medal game at London’s Wembley Stadium four years later.
The United States and Japan have also had some memorable games in the Women’s World Cup. In 2011, the game was tied 2–2 after regulation and Japan emerged as champions after winning the penalty-kick shootout 3–1 in Germany. In the following World Cup hosted by Canada in 2015, the Americans got revenge with a convincing 5–2 victory in the final to earn their third title.
However, the United States had more trouble recapturing that success in recent years. Hayes was hired to get the team back on track after the Americans were eliminated in the Round of 16 in the Women’s World Cup last summer. Hayes was hired by the United States after leading Chelsea FC Women for the past 11 seasons.
So far, Hayes has achieved the desired results, but the competition will only get tougher, starting with Japan at the Parc des Princes in Paris.
Japan, which entered the Olympics ranked seventh in the world, by FIFA, finished second in Group C following an opening loss to defending World Cup champion and Olympic favorite Spain before beating Brazil and Nigeria to advance to the quarterfinals.
