A lot of multi-syllable words will be tossed around following the United States' return to the top of the Olympic podium in women's soccer after a 1-0 win over Brazil on Saturday at the Parc des Princes.
Redemption will be one. Vindication another. Reclamation, too. All fit in their own way, but aren't perfect.
We'll proffer restoration. In just a few months on the job, Emma Hayes has restored the USWNT by underlining the program's swagger with respect and discipline.
The most-celebrated program in the game has won gold for the first time since 2012, and their fifth Olympic gold medal in eight tries does indeed feel restorative.
Think about it this way: Gold, silver, gold, gold, gold, quarterfinals, bronze, gold.
And while there's little-to-no chance the USWNT will continue to win anywhere this percentage of major trophies, there's more reason for hope in the team's power than there has been at any point since their last World Cup win.
Emma Hayes was hired from Chelsea in November and given the freedom to finish her season with the Women's Super League club, a show of respect and maybe a bit of desperation from U.S. Soccer.
The last boss was hired with the seeming endorsement of if not outright selection by the star players of the last generation. He won 79% of his matches as USWNT boss but the team did poorly in major tournaments and seemed to lack ideas other than "be better than the other team." It sounds uninspired and it looked that way, too.
Hayes' hire screamed change with purpose — not just for the sake of change. Her reputation in Europe is nearly spotless and she spent a decade in the United States burnishing her coaching credentials before going to Chelsea. Her journey in the U.S. after playing at Arsenal saw her truly put in grunt work and rapidly rise from college to pro here. So she knew the culture but didn't have to cater to any parts of it that would get in the way of her imprint.
And how about her response when Mike Tirico asked her what turned the program around so quickly?
"Just love," Hayes said. "I come from a place of wanting players to enjoy themselves. I've been at a club at 12 years and I've had huge success but I was desperate to do it for this country. It's not every day you win a gold medal."
Why did she want to win in the United States?
"I love America," Hayes said, continuing to speak through tears. "It made me, and I always say that."
So it's not a surprise that this team bought into the idea of Hayes, but it's still so impressive that the coach was able to make bold choices on a slim 18-player rosters, moving away from living legends in some cases in order to make this first major tournament her tournament.
Her tournament was awesome. And so we go back to those syllables.
Redemption. Nine of these players were on the last U.S. Olympic team, while more were at the side's worst ever World Cup finish in 2023. And while it's no shame to lose a major tournament given the quality of teams around the world, the performances of that team were not at that level. For some of these players, especially Alyssa Naeher and Crystal Dunn, they've re-stamped their living legend passports with primary driver status. The tears streaming down the face of Lindsey Horan and pals after the final whistle were that of release.
Vindication. Many players including Dunn, Naomi Girma and Trinity Rodman have been on USWNT teams but forced to wait their turn at major tournaments. And Hayes drew ire from some corners when she left Alex Morgan off this Olympic roster.
Reclamation. The Yanks are back on top after just 10 games under Hayes. Nine wins, one draw, and zero minutes trailing to an opponent. It's possible Hayes doesn't know her best team yet — the midfield is still a huge question mark — and she's got a gold medal. This team went to extra time twice in two matches leading up to this game. They were going against an in-form side buzzing to give Marta — its (and maybe any nation's) best ever player — a first gold medal. They stood firm.
Restoration. This win puts the U.S. at the top. There's no guarantee for future success, of course, but Hayes' team has just shown just so much. Her game-controlling center back Girma just turned 24. Korbin Albert's 20. The members of "Triple Espresso" are 26, 23, and 22. And Lily Yohannes (17), Catarina Macario (24), and other young pieces may well slot into this unit for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.
Swanson missed the last World Cup through a devasting late injury, Rodman was barely used, and Smith often left on an island. They could conceivably be the stars in attack for five more years but will also have to fight for their places in the squad.
Julie Foudy and then Jon Champion said, "We're back, baby" at the end of the NBC broadcast of the gold medal game.
Sure feels that way.
The United States women’s national team have won a record-extending fifth Olympic gold medal, and their first since 2012. A Mallory Swanson goal broke open a tightly wound final with Brazil in the 58th minute on a sun-splashed afternoon in south-west Paris.
Barely one year after they were held to four goals in as many games in a dismal World Cup that gave rise to questions over whether they had permanently ceded their status as women’s football’s gold standard, the Americans are back on top under new coach Emma Hayes, who is the toast of the US soccer establishment after just nine games on the job in which her team have yet to trail.
“I’m very emotional. It’s been a dream of mine to be in this position,” Hayes said after the match. “I have to thank my dad because he’s the one who pushed me to this point to be able to come and coach an unbelievable group of players that have received me so well and taken on board everything I have asked. They are tremendous people and players and role models. Yeah, I love them.”
It wasn’t always comfortable for the Americans, who went off as favorites on Saturday but were the worse team for nearly an hour after requiring extra-time to progress through the quarter-final and semi-final stages. But they depart the French capital as deserving Olympic champions behind the stunningly rejuvenated attack of Swanson, Trinity Rodman and Sophia Smith – the front line known as Triple Espresso – and a back four marshaled by center-back Naomi Girma, the lone bright spot of last summer’s World Cup washout who affirmed her status as one of the world’s best center-backs at 24 years old.
Underdogs on merit after barely scraping through the group stage as one of two third-placed teams, the Seleção flew out at the start of the game and immediately dispelled concerns they might sit in a low block. They should have gone ahead in the second minute when Ludmila had an attempt from 10 yards, only to send her shot into the arms of Alyssa Naeher. A brief spell of US possession resulted in a series of corner kicks but it wasn’t long before Ludmila was at it again. The Chicago Red Stars forward appeared to have finished beautifully from an acute angle at the quarter-hour mark only to have the goal ruled offside. Then she just missed connecting with a long cross from Gabi Portilho for a third near-miss in the first 18 minutes.
Playing in front of a rowdy, well-lubricated crowd that broke into warring chants of “U-S-A!” and “Bra-zil!” every few minutes, the US were careless in possession while their full-backs were overrun by a dogged Seleção attack. Brazil’s attacking persistence appeared to be draining a US team already taxed by the condensed Olympic schedule and Hayes’ reluctance to go to her bench. The breakthrough came from nothing in the 58th minute when Korbin Albert, Hayes’ one change from Tuesday’s semi-final win over Germany, threaded a perfectly weighted through ball to Swanson, who coolly slotted a right-footed shot past Lorena, marking her 100th international appearance in style. Swanson’s fourth goal of the Olympics was the latest coup of a partnership with Rodman and Smith, who finished with 10 of the team’s 12 goals during their run to gold.
That was the sign for Brazil manager Arthur Elias to bring on Marta but her introduction did nothing to slow down the emboldened Americans, whose chances were coming in quicker succession. Ten days after her international career appeared doomed to end with the ignominy of a red card, the six-time Fifa women’s player of the year did everything in her power to will Brazil to a first major championship in a half-hour of action.
What might have been Brazil’s final opportunity came in the 88th minute after Marta’s free kick from a dangerous area curled just over the woodwork. But Naeher was called into action on one last occasion during an agonizing 10-minute stretch of injury time, capping a sensational tournament with an acrobatic save of an Adriana header. The save preserved Naeher’s fourth clean sheet of the competition including the entirety of the knockout stage. By then celebrations among the US fans were kicking off in the stands.
Three hundred and seventy-one days after crashing out of the World Cup on penalties after Megan Rapinoe skyed her attempt over the crossbar, the US have capped a dramatic overhaul in sensational fashion. They celebrated in a jumping mass while Rapinoe pumped her fist from the stands.
The winning machine rolls on. In her first act as manager of the United States, Emma Hayes returned the leading force in the women’s game back to gold medal position.
A first Olympic title in 12 years and fifth overall follows a period where the United States lost what made them dominant. In less than three months, Hayes has managed to remind them of who they are while imprinting her own personal stamp. At the Parc des Princes, Brazil had most of the chances, most of the threat. The USA suffered but hung on, victory secured through Mallory Swanson’s goal early in the second half and Alyssa Naeher’s late saves.
They ensured there would be no fairytale ending for Marta. An icon of Brazilian football and six-time women’s world player of the year, the 38-year-old now heads into retirement without the major title for her country she had long desired, and her trail-blazing career deserved.
Hayes did not have “another drop to give” after bringing her 12 years at Chelsea to an end just 83 days ago. Yet the morning after winning a five consecutive Women’s Super League title at Old Trafford, her adventure with the United States began.
Exhausted by the demands of club football, she sought a better work-life balance and to spend more time with her young son, but the Olympics came first. What better way to start one of the most demanding jobs in world football than by starting the journey at a major international tournament, charged with the mission of immediately returning them to the top?
The USA had been prepared to wait for Hayes following their disastrous World Cup in 2023, where they crashed out in the last-16 and were rather fortunate to even make it that far. The four-time champions had grown complacent, with too many in the team picked on the reputations of their past successes.
As a serial winner with Chelsea, Hayes was seen as both the outstanding managerial candidate to replace the sacked Vlatko Andonovski and the sort of hard-nosed leader to make the tough decisions that were required.
Hayes finally moved the United States forward. From her Olympics squad she left out the 34-year-old Alex Morgan, allowing the forward line of Swanson, Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman to take centre stage.
She gave opportunities to players who had previously been overlooked, such as the Sam Coffey, who was outstanding in the Olympics final. And Hayes also made bold choices like including the controversial Korbin Albert in her Olympics squad. Albert had been booed by crowds in the United States following social media activity that was anti-LGBTQ.
Albert apologised and in backing her, Hayes said the 20-year-old needed to be shown “tough love” - brought into the squad, she would play a part in Swanson’s winning goal after being handed a start in the Paris final.
It had been a searing afternoon. Brazil could have scored within two minutes when the forward Ludmila broke into the box but shot straight at Naeher, following a ricochet, a rushed clearance, the sort of a chance that would encapsulate a scrappy, untidy half. Brazil constantly threatened something without ever convincing. Ludmila thrashed a shot past Naeher but was offside. Adriana went down in the box following a tangle with Crystal Dunn but nothing was given. Gabi Portilho flicked towards goal from the near post but found Naeher waiting.
The USA offered little apart from the movement and pace of their front three, shoots of blue and red that were constantly looking to dart in behind. But they made it to half-time and Hayes managed to regroup. She switched their shape to counter Brazil’s wing-backs, with Lindsey Horan pushing into a false-nine between Swanson and Smith, with Rodman offering more support to Emily Fox at right back.
It was classic Hayes: assured, unhurried, quietly shaping the game to one that her team could control. In the decisive moment, Brazil were wasteful in midfield but Albert found the pass through from halfway. Smith was offside but Swanson eased onto the path of the ball to finish past the goalkeeper Lorena.
On came Marta. She thought her career was already over, sent off against Spain in the final match of the group stages and suspended for the quarter-finals and semi-finals. Her team-mates kept the dream alive, beating France and Spain to reach the Olympic final.
Still they pushed, never allowing the USA to be comfortable, but nothing came off. Marta stood over a free-kick but curled over, crosses were overhit, frustration mounting. Adriana had the golden chance in extra time, but her header was saved by Naeher’s smart positioning. It ensured the United States were champions again, Hayes a winner already at international level - the dream partnership off to the perfect start in Paris.
Talk about a comeback story.
The U.S. women’s national soccer team just won their first gold medal at the Olympics since 2012 and their coach Emma Hayes couldn't be prouder.
The USWNST beat Brazil 1-0 on Aug. 10 in the women's soccer final. After the match, Hayes spoke with NBC Sports' Mike Tirico and explained why this win means so much to her.
"I come from a place of wanting players to enjoy themselves and I’ve been at a club for 12 years where I’ve had huge success," she said. "But I was desperate to do well for this country. And I'm so emotional because it's not every day you win a gold medal."
Tirico was curious to know why Hayes, a London native, felt "desperate" to secure the gold for the U.S.
"I love America. It made me. And I always say that. It definitely made me," she said as the crowd's cheers intensified in the background.
Right after the USWNT won the game, Hayes took to Instagram to share a photo of herself posing on the field.
"Gold Babyyyyyy. These women are so worth it 🇺🇸🇺🇸USA," she captioned the post.
Olympian and former USWNT member Abby Wambach congratulated Hayes in the comments, writing, "Thank you Emma!! You are the real deal and made us all very very happy today. Love the way you approach the team and I can tell the players love you. It’s a shame coaches don’t get medals. You deserve one … this I know for sure."
Hayes' followers flooded the post with similar celebratory reactions, with many social media users calling the coach a "legend" and the "goat" (greatest of all time).
"You’re the 🐐 Emma!!!! So grateful for you turning our team around and bringing us home the 🥇 you are an INCREDIBLE coach 🙌🏻," one wrote.
Another Instagram user posted the following comment that many others repeated: "In Emma we trust 😍."
It’s been a long road to victory for the women’s squad. In 2023, the USWNT experienced the earliest World Cup exit in history when they lost in round 16. Hayes and her players were also hungry for a gold medal at the Olympics since the team fell short of their goal in 2021 when they won a bronze medal in Tokyo.
Hayes stopped by the 3rd hour of TODAY in May and said she was ready to "embrace" and "enjoy" the pressure of restoring her team to glory.
Calling pressure a "huge privilege," the coach went on to explain her mentality heading into the Summer Games.
“We get the opportunity to go to the Olympics, and my focus is to make sure that everybody is as prepared as possibly can be," she said.
