USWNT 4-1 Germany: U.S. finds scoring groove to take top spot in Group B at 2024 Olympics

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James BAOUCH
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The U.S. women’s national team of a summer ago is gone. The current group has found its scoring shoes.

At the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the USWNT scored four goals in 390 minutes and was eliminated on penalties in the round of 16 against Sweden. On Sunday, the team scored four against Germany — the first to do so against Germany in a competitive match since 2008 when Brazil did it in the Olympics semifinals, according to Opta. Forward Sophia Smith scored a brace, while forwards Mallory Swanson and Lynn Williams added a goal apiece as the U.S. took down Germany 4-1 in Group B.

Jeff Rueter and Steph Yang dissect how the U.S. took the top spot in Group B with one game to go.

What is the key to the USWNT’s frontline success?

If there’s only one thing you can write down in a tactical binder, it should be, “Make sure Swanson and Smith look connected and you’ll profit.”

Indeed Swanson and Smith looked like a dynamic duo again on Sunday, reading each other’s movement and providing opportunities for each other in front of goal. Swanson crashed the box for the second U.S. goal, catching Smith’s rebounding shot off of German goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger. Then Swanson almost put Smith through a few minutes later, picking her out in traffic in front of goal. Combine this with Trinity Rodman’s ability to take on one-v-one and cross as well as Rose Lavelle pushing high out of the midfield, and you’ve got a stew going.

Rodman alone was clearly afforded a high level of respect by German defenders, taking on at will when she wasn’t being fouled to try and stop her. In the first half, she attacked Germany’s left side with defender Emily Fox. In the second half, she started by attacking their right with midfielder Crystal Dunn. But Rodman also came centrally when Smith was wide, and then switched to the right with Smith back at the No. 9. With all three able to function in the winger space as necessary, the U.S. can create opportunities all over the box and did so in the first half. In the second half, everyone was clearly looking tired, especially with no rotation in the starting XI from the first game. But Lynn Williams came in with fresh legs to finish the USWNT’s scoring.

Steph Yang

What did Lynn Williams provide off the bench?

Although Williams has spent much of 2024 dealing with a thigh injury, she’s had just enough time to make it a year for the ages in an already storied career.

For a second straight game, Williams was brought on late to ice the game as a pressing-minded forward. This time, she had a little attacking to show for her industry. Williams drifted to the left on a break and benefited from a flat-footed German defense keeping her onside, placing a shot beyond a sliding defender and underneath Ann-Katrin Berger to cement the United States 4-1 statement win over a fellow pre-tournament favorite.

It’s a bit of just desserts for a player who so often is overlooked for flashier alternatives and left to do more thankless tasks along the forward line. It also provided the USWNT with peace of mind that simply drawing against Australia would be enough to win Group B outright.

Williams became the NWSL’s all-time leading goalscorer in May, bagging her 79th tally in league action to claim sole custody atop the charts. Despite being unavailable for Emma Hayes’ friendly windows, she made the roster of alternates for these Olympics, then was called into the 18-player squad after Catarina Macario was ruled out of the tournament.

Perhaps that fact will make Hayes more willing to trust the remainder of her squad. Through two games, Hayes has kept an identical starting lineup and held off on making subs on Sunday for an awfully long time. Players were visibly winded by the 70th minute, as noted by an on-site Meg Linehan in our live blog, but the first replacement (not counting Davidson’s injury-caused exit) didn’t come until Williams checked in the 85th minute.

The Olympics are notoriously grueling on soccer players, both for the three-day turnaround between group games and the limitations of an 18-player squad cap. If there’s ever been a game where ample rotation seems advised, it’s a group finale where a draw will be enough to finish first in the group. We’ll see if players like Jenna Nighswonger, Korbin Albert, and Croix Bethune (or, if healthy, Jaedyn Shaw) are given a start to rotate out first-choice options.

Jeff Rueter

How did Germany score against the U.S.?

While Sam Coffey is a defensive midfielder by trade, Lindsey Horan’s view of a pitch inevitably tilts toward the opponent’s goal. It isn’t a bad thing, per se — Crystal Dunn also has to do some thankless stuff any time she’s shunted to left back instead of playing further up.

Unfortunately, both Horan and Dunn were simultaneously out of sync as Germany pressed for an early equalizer. Coffey was left to cover the entire central channel in the final third as Horan — who lined up to Coffey’s left in the team’s base defensive formation— strayed far toward the right in hopes of springing a break in a similar area of the field as Rodman and Lavelle. Dunn was fixed to a left back’s usual plot of land, losing track of the build-up in a spot she could have better contained.

Defender Tierna Davidson did her best to converge on Giulia Gwinn immediately after the midfielder received the ball from Sjoeke Nüsken, but the fact that Nüsken was Davidson’s primary responsibility left Gwinn entirely unmarked. The Bayern Munich mid uncorked a perfectly placed shot from nearly 31 yards out, and Alyssa Naeher was unable to read its angle in time to parry the shot.

Inevitably, Hayes will sort out her best midfield calibration. Coffey has made herself the program’s top defensive option, and Lavelle and Horan have made themselves into must-select options for years. However, the pair of attacking-minded options can leave Coffey with too much ground to cover on her own. Germany showed the danger of giving opponents even a split second of unmarked possession just beyond the box and exploited their defensive indecision.

Jeff Rueter

What is the impact of Tierna Davidson’s injury?

Davidson had to leave the game in the 44th minute after a knee-on-knee collision with Jule Brand. The center back appeared to hold her right knee and made an impact gesture with her hands to the referee afterward. Emily Sonnett replaced Davidson at left center back, the back four spread wide in an attempt to pull Germany out of their compact low-to-mid block.

Davidson was clearly Hayes’ preferred starting center back partner with Naomi Girma and was the half of the duo more likely to step high as a focal point for building out of the back, while Girma was able to cover with her superb runs to shut down space.

Sonnet’s substitution demonstrates clearly why she was brought along; Hayes has previously talked about her belief in Sonnett’s ability to play multiple positions, and dropping her into center back after also having played her in deep-lying midfield instantly demonstrates the value of versatility in an 18-player gameday roster.

Ultimately, Sonnet looked the part throughout the second half. She held her resolve whenever Germany bore down toward the box and made up for a dip in passing quality compared to Davidson by willingly shuttling the ball into midfield on her own dribble. Davidson’s status will be closely monitored, but given the state of Group B, Hayes has the potential luxury to rotate Davidson out for Emily Sams and keep Davidson fresh for the knockouts.

Steph Yang

What next for USWNT?

Wednesday, July 31: vs. Australia at 1 p.m. ET (Stade de Marseille) — Australia kept its Olympic hopes alive with a thrilling 6-5 win over Zambia. on Sunday. The U.S. is in a strong position to advance to the knockout rounds

 

(Top photo: Getty Images)



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