LYON, France — When Trinity Rodman came into the locker room after the U.S. women’s national team victory over Australia last week at the Paris Olympics, she was carrying a piece of paper that a fan thrust at her as she’d walked off the field. The paper had printed on it the names of the three starting American forwards — Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson — and then, in big, colorful letters, the words: “THE HOLY TRINITY.”
Rodman was torn. While very much appreciative of the sentiment behind the sign, she remained optimistic (hopeful, even?) that a different nickname for the trio could be found. “I don’t want it to be just, like, my name,” she said. “So, we’ll try something else.”
That lack of an obvious (and catchy) moniker for the USWNT’s front three is perhaps the only issue they’ve had over the past four games. As the U.S. prepares for its Olympic soccer semifinal here Tuesday against Germany, the Americans can take comfort in knowing that their primary scorers have been doing exactly that: scoring.
After Rodman’s outrageous, extra-time game winner into the upper corner in the 1-0 quarterfinal victory against Japan, she and Swanson share the team’s scoring lead…
