Chicago's Mallory Swanson Scores Game-Winner in Olympic Gold Medal Game

Mallory Swanson scored the U.S.’s only goal as the women’s soccer team won its first Olympic gold medal in 12 years.

Jul 25, 2024; Nice, France; Mallory Swanson of United States celebrates scoring a goal with Sophia Smith against Zambia in a women's Group B match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Allianz Riviera. / Reuters-USA TODAY Sports

Mallory Swanson is coming back to Chicago with an Olympic gold medal as she scored the game-winning goal for the U.S. women’s national team against Brazil on Saturday in France.

No doubt tears were shed by her husband, Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson, who was preparing for Saturday’s Crosstown Showdown game with the Chicago White Sox.

Earlier this week Dansby Swanson told reporters that Mallory’s play at the Olympics had made him “cry.”

"The amount of times she's pretty much made me cry over the last two weeks watching her is pretty ridiculous. Just so proud of her,” he said.

The goal she scored in the gold medal game was her fourth of the tournament and it broke a 0-0 tie with Brazil.

The match was closing in on the 57th minute when she ran down a long pass at the top of the penalty area and then kicked it past the Brazilian goalkeeper to give the U.S. a 1-0 lead.

TEAM USA STRIKES FIRST—AND IT'S MALLORY SWANSON AGAIN!

1-0 IN THE GOLD MEDAL MATCH.#ParisOlympics | 📺 NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/rCEQNIbR68

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 10, 2024

The goal was reviewed as Brazil felt Swanson may have been offsides, but the goal was upheld. The goal came in Swanson’s 100th career cap, or international game.

The U.S. defense made sure it was the only goal it needed to claim its first gold medal in 12 years. The team last won gold in 2012 in London and has the most medals in the sport (five gold, a silver and a bronze). But the U.S. missed the medal round in 2016 in Rio and won bronze in Tokyo in 2020.

The win was even sweeter for Mallory, as he missed last year’s World Cup after she suffered a patella tendon injury in a friendly.

When she comes back to Chicago she’ll resume her career with the Chicago Red Stars in the NWSL. She is the league’s highest-paid player after she signed a four-year deal worth $400,000 per year, with a fifth-year option that could help her make $2 million. Recently, she and the Red Stars played the first NWSL game ever at Wrigley Field.

Dansby Swanson said that one of the reasons Chicago was a city he was interested in during free agency was that Mallory was playing soccer with the Red Stars.

He signed a seven-year, $177 million deal with the Cubs before the 2023 season. Entering Saturday’s game with the White Sox is he batting .230/.300/.356/.656 with nine home runs and 37 RBI. The two-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner won a World Series ring with Atlanta in 2021.