U.S. women’s national team players celebrate a goal by Trinity Rodman against Germany during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games in Marsielle, France. (Photo credit: Luisa Gonzalez | Reuters via USA TODAY Sports)
The U.S. women’s national team dominated in a 4-1 victory over fourth-ranked Germany on Sunday in the team’s second Olympic match to take command of the Group B standings. And while containing the heavyweight contender on the opposite side of the pitch took a team effort, it is the USWNT’s front line that has stolen the show so far in France and begun to define the young squad’s new identity as both refreshingly alive and contrastingly controlled.
With the same starting eleven as the team’s opening match — including Sophia Smith back from a minor injury that had her substituted early against Zambia as a precaution — the Germany game again saw head coach Emma Hayes’ favored forward trio of Smith, Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman shine. And shine early they did, setting the tone for the match in its…
