The U.S. women’s national team return to the Olympic Games with a point to prove, even if they may not be the favorites to win the gold medal in Paris. This summer’s trip to France will serve as a chance at redemption for the team a year after their round of 16 exit at the Women’s World Cup, a tournament that demonstrated there is a new world order in women’s soccer. The U.S. have eagerly pushed to return to the top of the women’s game in the last year, opting to do so with a hard reset. Out went previous head coach Vlatko Andonovski and several veteran players including Alex Morgan, and in came ex-Chelsea boss Emma Hayes and a batch of exciting young talents.
Hayes’ preparation for the Olympics has not been ideal, coaching just four USWNT games this summer after finishing her successful 12-year spell at Chelsea in May. Many will argue it is too soon in the Hayes era to go for gold, 12 years after the team last won it, but the U.S. is adamant on proving they can still claim top honors in women’s soccer even as the field becomes increasingly more competitive.
Here’s what you need to know before tuning in.
USWNT’s group stage schedule
All times U.S./Eastern
- July 25: USWNT vs. Zambia, 3 p.m. (USA Network, Peacock, NBCOlympics.com)
- July 28: USWNT vs. Germany, 3 p.m. (Peacock, NBCOlympics.com)
- July 31: Australia vs. USWNT, 1 p.m. (Peacock, NBCOlympics.com)
A new-look team
Hayes will bring one of the USWNT’s youngest-ever rosters to France including seven players who did not make the cut at the World Cup, while all four alternates for the Olympics also missed last year’s squad. That is not to say this team is inexperienced, though — all but four of the 18 have major tournament experience with the U.S., offering a nice blend of youth, experience and current form.
The group of forwards on the roster offers plenty of promise alone. Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman have become national team staples in recent years after one impressive NWSL season after another, and they are finally being joined by Mallory Swanson after tearing her patella tendon last year. Swanson has rightfully earned her spot as the focal point of the USWNT’s offense but the trio are poised to share the spoils if they live up to their promise.
Jaedyn Shaw, meanwhile, is the team’s most exciting newcomer. The 19-year-old burst onto the scene in the NWSL with the San Diego Wave and has barely missed a beat since becoming the first player to score in her first five USWNT starts. She may play more of a role off the bench than in the starting lineup this time around, but the Olympics will provide valuable experience well before her peak years. Reigning NWSL Rookie of the Year Jenna Nigshwonger is also a notable newcomer, wasting little time in becoming the team’s starting left back who plays a crucial role in building their attacks.
Attacking struggles
The USWNT has historically been an attack-minded team, but things have been more complicated for the last year or so. They scored just four goals in four games at the World Cup last year, going on a 238-minute goalless run before being knocked out by Sweden. Those issues still linger a year later, as the team’s final friendlies before the Olympics demonstrated.
The team beat Mexico 1-0 and tied Costa Rica 0-0 earlier this month, struggling to find the back of the net on both occasions. In both games, they had a habit of either misplacing a crucial pass in the box or sending an impactful shot wide of the goal. Hayes and company have openly admitted that finishing is a top area of improvement, though they also insist they are on the right track. The issue highlights the tug-of-war between the USWNT’s present and future under Hayes — the head coach is realistic about the fact that she was hired with the long term in mind, but the pressure to deliver results now always follows the four-time Olympic gold medalists.
Whether it forces Hayes to make some personnel changes in France is a big question. She seems settled on Smith, Swanson and Rodman starting in a front three and even without the goals, they may still be the best contenders for the job right now. The U.S. midfield is just as much of a question, though. The head coach seems to prefer Sam Coffey, Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle for the time being, but Coffey and Horan both lack some creative spark that the team seems to be missing.
A new world order
The USWNT have historically been the cream of the crop in women’s soccer, but a bronze medal finish in Tokyo and a round of 16 exit at the World Cup offered a stark reminder that the rest of the world has caught up to them. The team is realistic about the increased competition, brought on by increased investment and attention to the women’s game in recent years, and is on the process to prove they can rise to the top in a new landscape.
There are potentially a few teams that stand in their way to the gold medal, chief among them Spain. They may be first-timers at the Olympics but Spain have made incredible strides in recent years, announcing their arrival by winning the World Cup for the first time last year. The team is stacked with an all-star roster that does not just include the stars of tomorrow but the best players right now — look no further than Aitana Bonmati, who won the golden ball at the World Cup.
The biggest question following the USWNT in France this year is ultimately how high they can go, especially considering the circumstances. There’s reason to believe that a deep run is still possible, as well as sources of optimism for the future. Whether they can actually take home the gold this time around is a different story, but this edition of the Olympics will act as a measuring stick by which the USWNT can judge themselves as they truly begin to map out their future post-Paris.
