There was an air of inevitability to the U.S. women’s national team at the height of its most recent run of success, one that evaporated over the past few years as the squad struggled to keep up with emerging world powers.
It returned with vengeance on Sunday.
The USWNT defeated Germany 4-1 on Sunday to clinch a berth in the knockout rounds of the 2024 Olympics in Paris. It was the USWNT’s most emphatic and important victory since head coach Emma Hayes was hired in November, and it served as a warning to the rest of the Olympic field — and, perhaps, self-confirmation to a squad that endured historic lows throughout the past year — that the U.S. is back as a true contender.
Forward Sophia Smith scored twice, and Mallory Swanson scored her third goal of the tournament as the Americans jumped on Germany and scored three first-half goals for the second straight match. Lynn Williams came off the bench in the final minutes and added a fourth goal within minutes.
Smith’s second goal, the dagger just before halftime, was emblematic of the type of fortune for a team that saw everything bounce its way: The shot took a wicked deflection and the ball hit the post to create such an unfathomable backspin that it guided itself across the goal…
