U.S. women’s national soccer team beats Australia 2-1

The U.S. women’s national soccer team ended group play at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Wednesday with a 2-1 victory over Australia.

The win sets up a quarterfinal showdown with Japan on Saturday, which ended as runner-up in Group C.

Goalscoring for the US

Trinity Rodman opened the scoring for the Americans at the 43rd minute after pouncing on a loose ball from a corner kick.

In the 77th minute Korbin Albert scored via a long-range shot, scoring the first goal of her international career and extending the USWNT's lead.

Strike from Australia

Australia managed to pull one back in the 91st minute via Alanna Kennedy, but were unable to find the equalizer in the seven minutes of stoppage time.

Statistics

The U.S. scored nine goals in total and only conceded two during their three group games.

In the match vs Australia, they possessed the ball more than 75% in the first half and forced goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold to make five saves.

After securing the first place in Group B, the USWNT will face Japan in the quarterfinals in the city of Marseille on Saturday.

Controversies related to Korbin Albert

Albert, who scored the USWNT's second goal, has been involved in a few controversies in the past.

In March of this year, she was criticized for reposting a TikTok video of a sermon that condemned being gay and “feeling transgender”, as per The Athletic.

She also liked a meme celebrating an injury suffered by Megan Rapinoe in her final professional match.

The USWNT co-captain publicly condemned Albert for her anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. She apologized later for liking and sharing multiple “offensive, insensitive and hurtful” social media posts.

Several current and former players expressed disappointment with her actions. When Albert entered a match vs. South Korea in June, she was booed by the crowd and her inclusion in the Olympic roster was also met with disapproval.

Notable substitutions

USWNT coach Emma Hayes made several substitutions during the match, replacing Trinity Rodman, Rose Lavelle and Emily Fox with Casey Krueger, Korbin Albert (who immediately received a yellow card) and Lynn Williams respectively.

Jenna Nighswonger entered in place of Crystal Dunn while the Australians substituted Clare Wheeler to replace Kyra Cooney-Cross at the start of the second half.

Previous Results

The U.S. and Australia faced off on Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET.

E! aired the match while Peacock provided the live stream.

The USWNT's legacy

The USWNT has a rich history of success, having won four World Cups, four Olympic gold medals and eight CONCACAF Championships.

The team is known for its attacking style of play and its ability to score goals from a variety of sources.

The USWNT is also a leader in the fight for gender equality in sports. The team has been outspoken in its support of equal pay and has used its platform to raise awareness of important issues such as sexual abuse and domestic violence.

The future of the USWNT

The USWNT is in a period of transition, with several key players retiring in recent years. However, the team still has a number of talented players who are capable of leading the team to success in the years to come.

The team's next major tournament will be the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. The USWNT will be looking to win its fifth World Cup title and cement its status as the greatest women's soccer team in the world.