Team USA won a record fifth gold medal at the Olympics by beating Brazil 1-0 Saturday in the closing match for women’s soccer at Parc des Princes in Paris.
Mallory Swanson scored the U.S. goal in the second half. The forward, along with Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman, had 10 of the U.S.’s 12 goals during its six games in France, and each put in a winner in the knockout stage. They also combined for five assists.
The U.S. last took home gold in women’s soccer in 2012, in London. They also won at the 1996, 2004 and 2008 games.
Brazil challenged first, but the U.S. answered the call. Ludmila got past defenders in the second minute, but sent her 10-yard shot directly at goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. Her shot made it past Naeher 14 minutes later, but the Brazilian was called offside on her approach to the goal.
Swanson’s goal came in the 57th minute, her fourth at the Olympics. The U.S. almost padded the lead, but a shot by Smith, on her 24th birthday, went wide to the left.
Naeher also kept the Brazilians off the board late and in stoppage time when she jumped to her right to block a header from Adriana in the 94th minute.
She also set a benchmark, becoming the first goalkeeper in women’s soccer history to have clean sheets in the prestige finals – the World Cup and Olympics.
“We’ve grown on and off the field,” Swanson told the Associated Press. “And you keep probably hearing this – we’re playing with joy.”
The U.S. team includes Naomi Girma and Jaedyn Shaw of San Diego Wave FC.
The U.S. made it to the final without a setback. Brazil, despite two losses in the group stage, reached the gold-medal match with upsets of France and Spain. It was the third straight time the U.S. has denied Brazil at the Olympics, following wins in Athens in 2004 and Beijing four years later.
Germany secured a bronze medal by defeating Spain 1-0.
