In a commanding display, Emma Hayes’ USA side secured a 3-0 victory over Zambia in Nice, earning their first three points in the Paris 2024 Olympic group stages last night.
Mallory Swanson and Olympic debutant Trinity Rodman made a strong impression, scoring goals that wrapped up the USWNT’s opener within just 25 minutes, sending a clear message to their competitors.
Leading up to the game, there was widespread conversation and anxiety among fans, as this marked the first U.S. Olympic team since women’s football debuted in 1996 without a previous gold medal winner on the roster. However, these concerns quickly proved unfounded as the USA showcased their dominance from the start.
In the first 15 minutes, the team unleashed a barrage of attacks, demonstrating their fierce offensive capabilities. They hit the woodwork, narrowly missed shots, and forced Zambia into a desperate goal-line clearance.
The relentless pressure paid off when Rodman opened the scoring in the 17th minute. Receiving the ball from Lindsey Horan in the box, Rodman expertly shrugged off two defenders and slotted it past Copper Queens’ goalie Ngambo Musole, marking a moment of glory in her Olympic debut.
With the momentum firmly in their favor, the USWNT quickly extended their lead with two goals from Swanson in rapid succession, assisted by Horan and Sophia Smith. These strikes tripled the USA’s advantage within just a minute, effectively sealing the game with 65 minutes still to play.
The victory was a dream start for Emma Hayes, who took over the USWNT this summer following her successful tenure at WSL champions Chelsea.
The only concern for Hayes was the forced substitution of youngster Sophia Smith, who suffered an injury just before the end of the first half.
For Zambia head coach Bruce Mwape, the match didn’t quite live up to prior hopes.
Although the Copper Queens managed to prevent the USA from increasing their tally in the second half, the damage had already been done. Especially as disaster struck in the 34th minute when Pauline Zulu received a straight red card for a foul on Swanson in the box, making the rest of the match an uphill battle.
Fan favorite Racheal Kundananji and star striker Barbara Banda were both kept quiet by the USA’s backline on the night, and neither player managed to pose much attacking threat.
Nevertheless, the Zambians have much to look forward to for their next game against Australia on Sunday, and as no strangers to bouncing back, will remain hopeful of earning a result from the exciting clash.
Zambia currently sits at the bottom of Group B with Australia, while the USA and Germany are joint top and will also play each other on Sunday.
Starting XIs:
USA: Alyssa Naeher (GK), Emily Fox, Naomi Girma, Trinity Rodman, Crystal Dunn, Mallory Swanson, Lindsey Horan, Sophia Smith, Tierna Davidson, Rose Lavelle, Sam Coffey
Zambia: Ngambo Musole (GK), Lushomo Mweemba, Siamfuko Esther, Pauline Zulu, Kabange Mupopo, Grace Chanda, Barbra Banda, Martha Tembo, Prisca Chilufya, Hellen Chanda, Racheal Kundunanji
Featured image courtesy of Erik Drost via Flickr. No changes were made to this image. License details found here.
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