USWNT 3-0 Zambia takeaways: Goals from Rodman, Swanson lead U.S. to open Olympic campaign with win

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James BAOUCH
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Any worries about a scoring drought for the U.S. women’s national team went out the window in a matter of eight minutes as the team opened its 2024 Olympic tournament with a 3-0 win over Zambia.

The U.S. might have put fans back into a nervous sweat to start the game as chance after chance fell by the wayside in the first 15 minutes, including a first-minute close-range attempt by captain Lindsey Horan, but forward Trinity Rodman quelled those concerns with a spin move and the opening goal against Zambia. Mallory Swanson followed up a few minutes later with two goals in roughly 60 seconds to clear any remaining doubt.

The trio of first-half goals and a red card shown to Zambia’s Pauline Zulu was all the U.S. needed to open its Olympics with a win over the Copper Queens. The early dominance allowed head coach Emma Hayes the ability to take Sophia Smith and Rose Lavelle off before the second half — the former due to injury concerns — and add on additional defensive and offensive strength. The second half lacked the same energy of the opening half hour and was more about managing the game and player health.

Jeff Rueter and Steph Yang break down the Group B matchup…

The fast and the fluid

Rodman demonstrated her trademark pullback move to bamboozle her defender and in the time it takes a particle collider to split an atom, spun and scored the first U.S. goal of the Olympics in the 17th minute. It was a well-deserved opening after the U.S. had hammered Zambia’s goal for fifteen minutes straight, including two attempts off the crossbar and a first-minute toe poke from Horan that went just wide.

But underpinning the goal was a nice buildup from forward Sophia Smith and midfielder Lindsey Horan as they took advantage of Zambia’s ragged defensive line and quickly exploited space in the final third, with Horan playing the final ball through two defenders for Rodman on the run. It was the kind of fast, don’t-think-about-it-just-execute fluid run of play that the team has been looking for in the past few months.

Swanson’s second goal, which made it 3-0 for the U.S., was another example of how the team can quickly ping the ball around and exploit space, Zambia’s disorganized defense notwithstanding. It was the vibe-setter the team needed to open the tournament, a confidence booster ahead of what promises to be a tougher matchup against Germany based on their own 3-0 demolition of Australia.

Steph Yang

Mal’s minute of magic

Little has gone according to plan for Mallory Swanson since April 7, 2023. Coming into that day’s friendly against the Republic of Ireland, the star forward had been on an absolute tear, dominating the SheBelieves Cup and scoring 7 goals in 6 international appearances. However, a hard challenge led to Swanson tearing her left patellar tendon, ruling her out for the World Cup and the rest of the 2023 NWSL season.

She worked hard to come back in time to start the Chicago Red Stars’ season opener, and was gradually reincorporated into the USWNT without losing her ownership of the program’s 9 shirt. Although her shot hasn’t yet come in with the same zip as before, she’s one of just five players to have at least 10 combined goals and assists in the 2024 NWSL season. Coupled with a pair of goals in six international games, she had done enough to cement a starting role for these Olympics — and she provided an immediate return for Emma Hayes’ trust.

Following Rodman’s opening goal, Zambia’s defense was caught in two minds. Although they knew they’d need to be compact and disciplined to contend with considerable U.S. pressure, there was urgency to push their line of engagement higher to try forcing turnovers in pursuit of an equalizer. The additional open terrain catered to the dynamic forward line of Swanson, Smith and Rodman, as the trio weaved about to find pockets to exploit.

A pair of well-taken finishes helped Swanson triple the USWNT lead in the span of a minute. It put them in firm control before the game was even a third completed, and was a hard-earned reward for Swanson’s long road to recovery.

Jeff Rueter

Explaining Zambia’s red card

To say that Zambia was already playing with their backs against the proverbial wall when the whistle blew would be an understatement. The day’s underdog was already down 3-0 in the 30th minute when defender Pauline Zulu fouled Smith outside the box, earning a yellow card while giving the USWNT a free kick from roughly 20 yards out.

There was a bit of confusion to see the VAR process activated, as the foul was clearly a couple of yards beyond the edge of the box. However, video review deemed that Zulu’s challenge came while she was the final defender between Smith and goal. Brazilian center official Ramon Abatti intensified his call from a yellow card to a red. Zulu’s heartbreak was visible for all to see as she exited the pitch — an awful way to end a game which had begun as a career highlight for the 21-year-old center back.


Zulu was shown red for denying the U.S. a goal-scoring opportunity (Photo by Valery Hache, Getty Images)

Jeff Rueter

Assessing Emma Hayes’ decision making

There was one last-minute change to Hayes’ 18-player roster, as Jaedyn Shaw was withdrawn with a leg injury and replaced by Croix Bethune as a substitute. Other than that, Hayes’ starting XI was exactly what you’d expect based on the last four games. It’s clear she prefers that Horan-Sam Coffey-Lavelle midfield and Swanson, Smith, and Rodman have made it hard to ignore them as starters. The main question is around the fullbacks. Crystal Dunn getting the start over Jenna Nighswonger could be just as much about rotation as it is about trust. Even adding Bethune in place of Shaw is to be expected based on her recent playing time.

Substitution patterns introduced a few questions. Smith left the match in the 43rd minute and was replaced by Lynn Williams, which makes you wonder if that was planned or not. We all know rotation is the watchword but it’s a somewhat unusual substitution time, so perhaps Smith indicated she had some kind of issue and given the scoreline and bench depth, they felt they could afford to pull her early.


Hayes made multiple subs in the second half against Zambia. (Photo by John Todd, Getty Images)

A more expected, but very intriguing, change came in the 65th minute with Rodman, Swanson, and Horan out for Casey Krueger, Nighswonger, and Emily Sonnett. Again, a 3-0 scoreline against a team playing with 10 players gives you more breathing room than normal, but seeing Nighswonger move into the midfield was a real “Oh, so it’s like that?” moment from Hayes. Until now, if you saw Krueger and Nighswonger coming in you’d assume it was fullback rotation and Dunn would be getting shuttled higher up the field. Instead, we got Nighswonger slotted into Horan’s role above Coffey, looking to work the left side of the field with Krueger.

We didn’t get an inkling of that intention during the previous four friendlies but Hayes has always been cagey with her tactics, often refusing to answer tactical questions from the media. This feels like something she was keeping in her pocket for just such an occasion as a limited roster.

Steph Yang

What does the win mean for the U.S.?

Although the USWNT may have left some goals on the table, there are many positives to take from this match. The squad’s more untested members have a major tournament game under their belt, which should ease nerves against stauncher opposition. The front-three of Swanson, Smith and Rodman looked incredibly difficult to contain before Smith’s exit, and her status will be closely monitored between now and Sunday.

Before the match kicked off, the USWNT knew its toughest rivals in Group B (Germany) opened their tournament with a 3-0 victory. Having now matched that feat, the United States are on level footing heading into Sunday’s match that could prove decisive for the group standings. Goal difference is the primary tie-breaker in the Olympics, so matching Germany’s three-goal margin of victory will minimize that factor.

It’s a lot simpler to type than it is to achieve, but if the United States can win against Germany on Sunday, they will be in prime position to win Group B and face the second-place finisher in Group A. With Germany missing midfield anchor Lena Oberdorf after an ill-timed knee injury last week, look for Hayes to try beating the Germans in transition.

Jeff Rueter

What next for USWNT?

Sunday, July 28: vs. Germany at 3 p.m. ET (Stade de Marseille) — Germany defeated Australia 3-0 in their opening match of Group B.

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(Top photo: Valery Hache/Getty Images)



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