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Good morning! I hope your boss is cool with “Gold Zone” being on all day.
Turnarounds: The USWNT is so back
The U.S. women’s national team scored more goals yesterday than it did in the entirety of the 2023 World Cup. Let that sink in. Sure, Mallory Swanson was injured then — but it’s clear, with her fit and a new coach in place, this is not the team of the last few years. Some takeaways from yesterday’s 4-1 wipeout of (a very good!) Germany:
- The Americans have now guaranteed their place in the quarterfinals, with Swanson and Sophia Smith proving to be extremely dangerous.
- Add in Trinity Rodman, who scored in the opener against Zambia, and the U.S. front line is looking like a true three-headed monster. And, oh, you’ve got Rose Lavelle adding to the attack? Sheesh.
- Lynn Williams — who, remember, was originally an alternate for this squad — came off the bench late to ice the game. Ice it she did.
- Coach Emma Hayes went with the same starting lineup for the first two games, and didn’t make non-injury-related subs until Williams entered in the 85th minute. It feels likely she’ll give some starters a rest in the next…
