PARIS: A resurgent USA under new coach Emma Hayes will hope to re-establish themselves as a leading force in women's international soccer with a gold medal in Saturday's Olympic final against Brazil and their legendary captain Marta.
The U.S. entered the Olympics with a revamped squad and a point to prove after a poor performance at last year's World Cup, where they were eliminated in the round of 16.
They have also performed below par at each of the last two Olympics, missing out on medals at Rio 2016 before claiming bronze three years ago in Tokyo.
But the arrival of renowned English coach Hayes from Chelsea gave the USA the boost they needed, and they were inspired by the exciting attacking trio of Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman on their way to the final.
They each scored three goals in the tournament, with the USA winning all three group games against Zambia, Germany and Australia before sending Japan and Germany to extra time in the knockout round.
They now hope to add four golds to their women's football record and win the title for the first time since London 2012.
“Emma came on so fast before this tournament, so we knew it was going to be a challenge, but she just came on fire and we love her so much,” said Smith, the Colorado-born forward who turns 1 on the day of the tournament. 24 years old. final
“She worked every day to build our trust and show us that she cared about us. She is such a great coach and such a great teacher.
“We are a completely different team and a lot of credit goes to Emma. She conveyed everyone's roles very clearly. We are very happy that she will be our coach for a very long time.”
After last year's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, where a brilliant Spain team led by Aitana Bonmati were crowned champions, the USA's position as the undisputed global force of the women's game seemed to disappear for a while.
However, Spain missed out on adding Olympic gold to that title and the UEFA Nations League after a surprise 4-2 victory over Brazil in the semi-finals in Marseille on Tuesday.
Instead, the Brazilians will face the USA in the gold medal match, and they will be looking for third time lucky after losing to the same opponents in the finals in Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008.
Both those finals were won by the USA in extra time and both featured Marta, the Brazilian legend and multiple winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year award.
Now 38, she is competing in her sixth and possibly final Olympics, and is hoping to win a gold medal to go along with her two silver medals.
Marta missed the quarter-final win against hosts France and the semi-final against Spain due to suspension after being sent off for reckless play in Brazil's final group game, also against Spain.
“Now she will be able to finish her Olympics in the final, where she deserves to be. I hope she will be able to win the gold medal,” said Gabi Portillo, who scored in the quarterfinals and semifinals.
It remains to be seen if the final will be Marta's farewell to the international stage for her country, or if she could be tempted to keep going until the 2027 World Cup, which will be hosted by Brazil.
“Marta changed the game of soccer around the world,” Rodman said of Marta, who spent most of her club career in the United States.
“She's such a talented soccer player, but also a great person. I always looked up to her. She has an eternal legacy, but we want that gold.”
