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What is the meaning of suffering? Emma Hayes might just have the answer. I’m Emily Olsen here with Meg Linehan, Steph Yang and Jeff Rueter to bring you an Olympic edition of Full Time!
Want more? Steph and Tamerra Griffin break down how the USWNT advanced to its first gold medal match in 12 years on the “Full Time” podcast — a special Olympic episode is being released after every U.S. game during the tournament.
Olympic Final Set: USWNT advances to gold medal match
I was picturing this Michael Scott meme while writing the following:
“To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.” – Friedrich Nietzsche, but also Emma Hayes
With a win against Germany in extra time yesterday, the U.S. women’s national team guaranteed either a silver or gold medal at the Paris Games. The Americans will face Brazil on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET in the Olympic final, the USWNT’s first since 2012.
“I could see today that players were having to dig to the deepest place within them,” Hayes actually said after the win. “I want them to suffer. I want them to have that moment because I do not believe you can win without it.”
The U.S. boss is still new to the international game, but the players have fully bought in. For now, they are pushing through fatigue, injuries and suspensions to prove a point and in doing so, have outperformed expectations. This is not the same team that won bronze at the Tokyo Games or the one that lost in penalties to Sweden exactly a year ago yesterday at the World Cup.
“We’re a different team since she’s come in. She’s so hilarious and chill and funny, and I feel like that’s exactly what we needed. We have the players, we have the talent, we just needed someone to come in and believe in us,” Sophia Smith said. “Emma’s doing exactly that.”
I mean how could you not be totally in when playing for a coach that uses gummy bears to describe tactics?
The U.S. played 90 minutes of scoreless soccer again yesterday before Smith broke the stalemate five minutes into stoppage time. Her goal adds to a very familiar trend this tournament: the USWNT’s big three showing up — we’ll come back to them later.
Collectively, Smith, Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson have contributed to 10 of the team’s 11 goals during this Olympics.
Midfielder Sam Coffey said it best this week in training: “They’re like the Big Three, but they’re all Michael Jordan.”
While it’s refreshing to see the team find the back of the net, the defense also deserves plenty of credit for its efforts in keeping two consecutive clean sheets against Japan and Germany. Speaking of …
Claudio Villa / Getty Images
Hi, My Name Is: The best defender Hayes has ever seen
Since Becky Sauerbrunn was ruled out for the 2023 World Cup, the U.S. back line has been Naomi Girma’s to lead. Heck, she can command the entire team, as highlighted by the armband she wore yesterday after Lindsey Horan left the pitch. A quick stage-setter:
- Girma, 24, made her professional debut in 2022 with the San Diego Wave after being picked at No. 1 in the NWSL Draft.
- But she patrols the defensive third with the kind of composure that’s more commonly expected from a seasoned veteran.
- She’s bailed the U.S. out on multiple occasions with her ability on the ground and in the air, even as her central partner has alternated between Tierna Davidson and Emily Sonnett due to injury concerns.
“She is the best defender I’ve ever seen. Ever,” Hayes said. “I’ve never seen a player as good as her in the back.”
And Hayes has worked with her fair share of solid defenders: Millie Bright, Kadeisha Buchanan, Niamh Charles and Magda Eriksson, to name a few from her time at Chelsea.
The Stanford grad put up serious numbers against Germany:
- Carried the ball for 687 meters — 24 percent of the entire USWNT’s dribbling distance.
- Completed 125 passes from 132 attempts in the game.
- Led the team in ball recoveries (13), clearances (5) and interceptions (3).
But Girma’s impact doesn’t stop there. She has also been a staunch advocate for mental health, sharing her story of personal loss after her best friend and college teammate Katie Meyer died by suicide. She continues to do work to promote mental health, especially among athletes, in Meyer’s memory.
Moment of the Match: Tournament-mode Naeher strikes again
While Rodman, Smith, Swanson and Girma are having an impressive tournament, there’s one person who can’t be outdone when the right combination of tournament play and clutch moments overlap.
Tournament Alyssa Naeher is a different beast. The goalkeeper hits a level not seen elsewhere in her play when she’s on the big stage. She was one of the few USWNT players to convert a penalty kick against Sweden in the World Cup last year and did it again to greater success in the W Gold Cup semifinal earlier this year.
On Tuesday, it was her acrobatic save and laser-focused reflexes that earned her the moment of the match:
I’ll let Steph describe it:
“Naeher’s last-minute block to preserve the U.S. lead and avoid penalties was the stuff of legend. Perhaps Laura Freigang’s header wasn’t well-placed, and perhaps it was a bit of luck. Perhaps Naeher was playing the odds by simply making herself as big as possible and her leg happened to be in the way. In replays, you can see Naeher tracking the ball in and looking down at her foot, even though it’s all taking place in about a second flat. Regardless of intent, the effect was undeniable: a shot at the gold medal.”
Looking Ahead: Brazil playing one more for Marta
Brazil beat Spain 4-2 in the other semifinal to earn a ticket to the Olympic final. It’s one more chance for Marta to make her mark on the international stage after the completion of her two-game red card suspension.
The game was anything but expected from the opening goal — which came off a poor clearance by Spain’s goalkeeper Cata Coll, causing a ball to hit off her teammate Irene Paredes and into the goal — to Brazil taking control with goals from Gabi Portilho, Adriana and Kerolin. With the reigning World Cup winners bounced to the bronze game, there has still yet to be a World Cup-Olympic double.
Meanwhile, this will be the third time the U.S. and Brazil meet in an Olympic final. It is also a rematch of the W Gold Cup final. The Americans won each of those previous meetings.
Schedule for the medal matches (USA Network, streaming on Peacock):
- Bronze: Spain vs. Germany – Friday at 9 a.m. ET in Lyon
- Gold: USWNT vs. Brazil – Saturday at 11 a.m. ET in Paris
Name Games: What are we calling this front line?
The front three of Rodman, Smith and Swanson has taken this Olympics by storm. In addition to capturing eyes, they’ve also gotten everyone to discuss what they should collectively be nicknamed.
NBC commentators Jon Champion and Julie Foudy have had their fair share of suggestions during broadcasts.
🗣️“Germany speared by the trident,” Champion said after Smith’s goal in the semifinal.
But with the team on the cusp of history, is “trident” what we’re sticking with for this front three forever?
The options:
- 🔱 Trident
- 👑 The Triple Crown
- 😈 Triple Trouble
- Write-in
While I’m of the opinion the trio should name themselves, as the women’s gymnastics team did with “Golden Girls” this year, it’s still fun to brainstorm. Cast your vote for what you think befits the forwards.
While Smith and Swanson liked Christen Press’ suggestion of “Triple Trouble,” we can rule out the “Holy Trinity.” Rodman didn’t like that one: “I don’t want it to be just, like, my name,” she said after the Australia game in the group stage. “So, we’ll try something else.”
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(Top photo: Claudio Villa / Getty Images)
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