Mallory Swanson strike hands US their fifth Olympic women’s football gold against Brazil

PARIS – Mallory Swanson scored the winning goal as the United States edged out Brazil 1-0 in the Olympic women’s football final on Aug 10 to claim the gold medal for a record-extending fifth time.

Brazil fought hard on a hot afternoon at the Parc des Princes, but the US struck just before the hour mark when Swanson – on her 100th cap – ran through to finish past goalkeeper Lorena.

It is the first time the US have taken the Olympic title in 12 years, their gold in Paris adding to those won in 2012, 2008, 2004 and 1996.

The Americans have now beaten Brazil in three of those finals, with the South Americans again having to settle for silver, just as they did in 2008 and 2004.

“I am just in awe of how hard everyone has worked to get here,” said US winger Trinity Rodman.

“I believed the entire time, but to finally be able to hold (the gold medal) is so amazing.”

It was not quite the ending that legendary Brazil captain Marta was hoping for, as she bowed out of her sixth and last Olympics aged 38 with a third silver medal.

“We surpassed ourselves throughout the competition to get to the final. That was our main objective, to come away with a medal,” Marta said.

Brazil were never expected to get this far, while the Americans’ victory confirms their renaissance under new English coach Emma Hayes.

She

arrived from Chelsea

only in late May but has worked wonders in a short space of time with a team that a year ago were sent packing from the World Cup in the last 16 for the first time.

“I am very emotional. It has been a dream of mine to be in this position,” Hayes told broadcaster Eurosport.

She described her team as “tremendous people and players and role models, I love them”.

That World Cup campaign in Australia and New Zealand was the

international swansong for US icon Megan Rapinoe,

who was among the crowd for the final on Aug 10, as was actor Tom Cruise.

Much of the talk in the build-up to the final was about Marta, who was free to return for a farewell Olympic appearance after serving a two-game ban for a red card in her team’s last group outing.

But the six-time Fifa World Player of the Year was left on the bench for the start of the game and played only the final half-hour.

Coach Arthur Elias said he is unsure whether he can convince Marta to change her mind and stay with the team until the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.

He said: “It’s her decision... it’s an incredible pride to have the privilege of working with someone who is the best ever...”

A younger Marta had played in Brazil’s defeats in the 2004 and 2008 finals, both of which came in extra time.

This was also the second clash between the nations in a final in 2024, after the US won 1-0 in the Concacaf W Gold Cup in San Diego in March.

The US subsequently welcomed Hayes as coach and she oversaw wins against Japan and Germany in the knockout rounds to get to the Olympic final.

Brazil, meanwhile, scraped through their group as a best third-placed team, before surprise wins against hosts France in the quarter-finals and World Cup holders Spain in the last four, both achieved without Marta.

Their direct approach posed problems to the US defence in the first half, and they had the ball in the net just over a quarter of an hour into the game.

Ludmila turned Naomi Girma inside out in the box before finishing, but the goal was disallowed for offside.

Swanson was denied at the other end by Lorena after flying down the left wing and bursting into the box, yet it was Brazil who had the best chance of the opening half.

Captain Adriana crossed from the right in stoppage time for Gabi Portilho to divert the ball towards goal, but Alyssa Naeher produced a fine save.

The Americans boasted the more dangerous attack, though, and they went ahead on 57 minutes when Korbin Albert released Swanson to advance and finish expertly for her fourth goal of the tournament.

AFP, REUTERS