The USA defeated Australia 2-1 of their remaining group stage fixture on the 2024 Paris Olympic Video games, securing their first-place end in Group B and lengthening their unbeaten streak below Emma Hayes to seven video games.
The U.S. Girls’s Nationwide Crew already secured their knockout berth on the 2024 Paris Olympic Video games after defeating Zambia and Germany of their opening two fixtures. Emma Hayes might have rested her starters forward of the quarter-finals, however the brand new supervisor determined to ship out a largely unchanged XI to maintain constructing the USA’s chemistry on the pitch.
How the sport unfolded
Simply three minutes into the match, america suffered a blow when Samantha Coffey picked up a yellow card after a sloppy sort out on Katrina Gorry. The 25-year-old shall be suspended for the quarter-finals for yellow card accumulation within the group stage, leaving a giant gap within the midfield for the USA.
Regardless of dominating possession for the whole first half, the Stars and Stripes struggled to search out the standard wanted within the remaining third to get previous Australia’s low block. After a irritating 43 minutes, the USA lastly discovered the breakthrough off a nook performed by Rose Lavelle. Sophia Smith headed the ball towards the again put up, and a streaking Trinity Rodman received on the tip of it simply three years out to present the USA the 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
The beginning of the second half was slightly uneventful for either side. Australia couldn’t discover something near the standard wanted to beat the USA’s stout backline, not to mention Alyssa Naeher. The USA, in the meantime, managed the sport nicely, sustaining possession and persevering with to push ahead. Korbin Albert would go on to seal the sport with a strong right-footed strike from 20 yards out within the 77th minute.
The Matildas made a late-game surge, scoring what can be only a comfort objective within the 92nd minute due to Alanna Kennedy.
GK: Alyssa Naeher – 5/10 – Naeher has little to do tonight towards an Australian staff that spent nearly the whole recreation pinned in their very own half, and conceded the primary actual probability she confronted.
RB: Emily Fox – 6/10 – Fox is likely one of the most constant gamers for the USWNT, and he or she labored exhausting to hyperlink up with Trinity Rodman to get the Stars and Stripes previous Australia’s low block.
CB: Naomi Girma – 6/10 – Girma was as stable as ever on the again for the Stars and Stripes, working nicely with Sonnett within the wake of Davidson’s harm.
CB: Emily Sonnett – 5/10 – Sonnett had a stable efficiency filling in for the injured Tierna Davidson, however didn’t observe Kennedy on Australia’s late-game objective.
LB: Crystal Dunn – 5/10 – Dunn continues to shine on protection, however lacked high quality service within the remaining third to present the USA extra possibilities on objective.
CM: Lindsey Horan – 6/10 – Horan had a quiet first 45 minutes, however received far more concerned within the second half as soon as the sport opened up, linking up nicely with the entrance three.
CM: Samantha Coffey – 5/10 – Coffey’s recreation was marred after she picked up a useless yellow card within the third minute, incomes herself a suspension for the quarter-finals.
CM: Rose Lavelle – 6/10 – Lavelle was as soon as once more essentially the most impactful midfielder for the USWNT, delivering nice set items and consistently pushing ahead to probe and assault the Matildas’ again 5.
RW: Trinity Rodman – 7/10 – Rodman netted the opening objective for the USA simply earlier than halftime, scoring her second objective of the match.
ST: Mallory Swanson – 6/10 – Swanson was saved off the scoresheet for the primary time on the 2024 Paris Olympics, however she nonetheless made her presence felt up high within the few alternatives she had.
LW: Sophia Smith – 7/10 – Smith continues to have a standout match, helping the USA’s opening objective and in the end creating essentially the most harmful possibilities for her facet within the remaining third.
Substitutes
SUB: Jenna Nighswonger – 6/10 – Nighswonger got here on at halftime for Dunn and seemed proper at residence on the left flank as she helped the USA handle the sport.
SUB: Lynn Williams – 5/10 – Williams couldn’t get on the tip of what would have been the sport’s third objective.
SUB: Korbin Albert – 6/10 – Albert struggled to search out her rhythm early, choosing up an pointless yellow card on nearly her first contact of the sport, however she scored her debut objective for the USWNT to seal the sport.
SUB: Casey Krueger – 5/10 – Krueger made a vital block within the 79th minute to maintain the USA’s lead in tact.
SUB: Croix Bethune – 5/10 – Bethune made her Olympic debut, approaching to play the remaining ten minutes of the match.
Supervisor
Emma Hayes – 8/10 – The large story coming into the 2024 Olympics was how badly the USA struggled within the remaining third towards a compact protection. Australia despatched out a again 5 towards the Stars and Stripes right now, however the USWNT discovered the breakthrough they wanted (after which some) to gather all three factors, one thing they might not just do two weeks in the past towards Costa Rica.
Emma Hayes’ affect on the squad is shining by means of with every recreation the ladies play on the Olympics as they proceed to construct chemistry and momentum heading into the quarter-finals towards Japan.
