USWNT tops Australia to cruise into Olympics quarterfinals

The U.S. women’s national soccer team cruised to the top seed in their group at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Pulling out a 2-1 win over Australia in the Group B finale on Wednesday at Stade de Marseille, Team USA made it three victories in three group stage games for just the second time in eight Olympic appearances and the first since their gold medal-winning run in 2012. 

They are now slated to face Japan in the quarterfinal match on Saturday. 

The scorching hot frontline of Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman remained ablaze to put Team USA up 1-0 in the first half. 

Off a corner kick, Smith headed the ball down through traffic toward the side of the net, where Rodman stepped up and buried it at the 43-minute mark.

The score was briefly up in the air, however, when VAR appeared to be unavailable and Australia head coach Tony Gustavsson enthusiastically called for a replay in a bizarre 10-minute sequence. 

Gustavsson was hit with a yellow card, but the official was ultimately able to review the play. Despite midfielder Sam Coffey being offside, it was determined that it did not impact the play and the goal was upheld. 

Rodman and Smith have scored or assisted on all eight of USA’s goals through three games this Olympics. 

After subbing in and immediately earning a yellow card, Korbin Albert blasted an insurance goal from just above the penalty arc in the 77th minute to double Team USA’s lead.

“I was trying and hoping for a goal,” Albert said after the game, per the Associated Press. “I’ve been working at it in practice and mentally, just trying to focus on it. And then it just happened. I actually closed my eyes and then I opened them and I was like, ‘Oh my God it went in.’”

Competing in her first Olympics, Albert has been mired in controversy in the previous weeks for promoting anti-LGBTQ+ content on social media. 

2024 PARIS OLYMPICS

The Americans fended off an aggressive Australian attack immediately after, but Alanna Kennedy got her country on the board in the first extra minute to keep the game competitive through the final stretch. 

The U.S. did take a future personnel hit early, when Coffey was assessed her second yellow card of group play in the fourth minute after she stood on Katrina Gorry’s leg when going into a tackle.

As a result, the 25-year-old will miss the quarterfinal knockout match against Japan – after which yellow cards are cleared 

It was questionable for head coach Emma Hayes to have Coffey start the match.

Not only was she facing the possibility of an accumulated yellow card suspension, but a slew of unfortunate circumstances would have had to happen for Team USA to lose the group. 

Losing Coffey, who has been strong in her defensive midfielder role, puts the U.S. in a tough spot.

Hayes could insert Albert in Coffey’s place, while moving Emily Sonnett into a holding midfield spot could be another option if Tierna Davidson recovers from her knee contusion in time for the quarterfinal. 

After Wednesday’s victory, Hayes remains unbeaten at the helm of the USWNT with a 6-0-1 record through her first seven matches.