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Three Takeaways From USWNT’s Big Win Over Germany

Sunday’s 4–1 victory, which clinched a spot in the Olympic knockout rounds, was the squad’s most impressive showing under coach Emma Hayes.

Clare Brennan

Mallory Swanson, left, and Sophia Smith were part of a dangerous American attack in Sunday’s match.
Mallory Swanson, left, and Sophia Smith were part of a dangerous American attack in Sunday’s match. / Raquel Cunha-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to the age of Emma Hayes. The U.S. women’s national team pulled off its biggest win to date under its new coach, charging to a 4–1 victory over European powerhouse Germany on Sunday. Playing in Stade de Marseille, the USWNT followed up a convincing 3–0 win in its Olympic opener against Zambia with an utterly dominant showing over Germany to clinch a spot in the knockout rounds. Hayes stressed the importance of countering the Germans’ compact and organized set-up ahead of Sunday’s match, and her team did just that. By exploiting space behind the defense and tamping down Germany’s attack, Hayes won the tactical tête-à-tête while her squad executed on the pitch.

The result not only put the U.S. in pole position to win Group B, but also provided some insight into what the Hayes era will look like going forward.

A “telepathic” front three 

The USWNT officially has its own Big Three. The front line of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith has exhibited flashes of brilliance as the trio worked to build chemistry under Hayes. But Sunday’s game showed what the forward group could look like at the peak of its powers (and there is evidence to suggest it has yet to hit its ceiling). 

“There’s a telepathic relationship between [Swanson] and Sophia Smith. The front three in general, I thought it was their best game under me,” Hayes said after the U.S. win over Zambia. 

That connection was on display once again against Germany, with Swanson, Smith and Rodman causing a world of problems for a typically disciplined backline. Fluid and punishing in transition, the U.S. forwards exposed Germany’s high line with well-timed runs, constantly threatening to get in behind. 

The USWNT’s opening goal showed just how lethal the forward crew can be when all three get involved. Opening up scoring in the 10th minute, the play started with a savvy give-and-go between Rodman and attacking midfielder Rose Lavelle—a combination that’s proved fruitful for the U.S. Rodman then charged into the box before sending in a low cross, with Swanson drawing a cluster of defenders to the near post, allowing Smith to crash the far post and finish off the shot.

Smith added to her tally 34 minutes later, with the 23-year-old gathering a wild ball at the top of the box before turning on her defender and sending a looping—and ultimately deflected—shot over the German keeper to the far post. Dinking off the frame and into the net, Smith’s second goal put the U.S. in a comfortable position just before the break. Bouncing back after exiting the match against Zambia early with an injury, her brace was a compelling course correction for the young star.

The Americans’ other first-half goal came from the foot of Swanson. Following up on a shot from Smith, she pounced on a deflection from Germany’s keeper in a shrewd move to reclaim the lead in the 26th minute. After missing the 2023 World Cup due to a knee injury, Swanson has burst onto the scene in France, logging three goals in two games. She is now the second player in USWNT history to score three goals in the group stage of a single Olympic tournament after Abby Wambach did so in 2012, per OptaJack.

Much will be made, and rightfully so, of the Smith-Swanson-Rodman trio, but it wasn’t just the starters that got on the board. Lynn Williams, the USWNT veteran, subbed on for Smith in the 85th minute and made an impact almost immediately. Streaking into the box, Williams finished off a well-timed pass from Swanson, slamming the door shut for the U.S. in the 98th minute. Originally added to the USWNT Olympic roster as an alternate before being elevated to the 18-player squad as a replacement for an injured Catarina Macario, Williams exhibited veteran composure in another one of her count-me-out-at-your-own-risk moments, which have come to define her career.

After the U.S. scored just four goals in four games during the 2023 World Cup, any rumblings of lingering finishing woes were quieted by the squad’s performance against Germany. Equally exciting, the starting front three currently lighting up the Olympic group stage boasts an average age of 23.6, meaning the show has only just begun.

Cleaning up the midfield 

While Sunday’s 4–1 result left little to be desired, the USWNT’s midfield is still an area for improvement. Captain Lindsay Horan, Sam Coffey and Lavelle looked disjointed at times, turning over the ball in critical areas. If the midfield should act as a timekeeper for a team’s tempo, the U.S. midfield’s rhythm feels a half-step off. 

Coffey should be commended for holding down the often-daunting No. 6 position, and Lavelle took advantage of moments to connect with the forward line. On the whole, however, the midfield will likely hope to develop a more seamless relationship with the front line, playing a more integral and consequential role in the team’s build-up. Shoring up the spine of the pitch will be even more urgent if center back Tierna Davidson, who exited the game in the 44th minute after a collision with a German player, remains sidelined. 

USWNT coach Emma Hayes
Hayes’s tactics appear to be taking hold in the U.S. squad. /

New coach, new mentality 

Perhaps the most important takeaway from Sunday’s win: The USWNT displayed an energy and mentality that has eluded the group in recent years. Instead of getting defeated and overwhelmed when Germany started hot out of the gate, the young U.S. side exhibited the poise of a veteran outfit. 

The turning point of the match wasn’t necessarily Smith’s opening goal, but rather a small moment from Lavelle. After a nervous few opening minutes of relentless attacks from Germany, Lavelle made an impressive run, tracking back to interrupt a potentially dangerous play. Afterwards, the 29-year-old looked around at her relatively inexperienced team, appearing to reassure the group, encouraging them to calm down. Minutes later, Smith scored against the run of play, completely altering the complexion of the game. A 4–1 win over a formidable German side is reason enough for a confidence boost, but the way the U.S. went about it is identity-defining. 

As the team prepares for its final Group B matchup against Australia, the world continues to get a better idea of what a USWNT will look like under Hayes. It is bold, creative and free-spirited in attack. It's also anchored by the calm and steady presence of Naomi Girma on the back line. Hayes isn’t afraid to make changes, utilizing substitutes early against Zambia. She is also happy to let her starting lineup play, like she did against Germany, making her first non-injury-related change just 10 minutes before the final whistle. Most critically, though, she’s leading a team that looks hungry, eager and prepared for the intensity of the knockout rounds that await.

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Clare Brennan
CLARE BRENNAN

Clare Brennan is an associate editor for Sports Illustrated focused on women’s sports. Before joining SI in October 2022, she worked as an associate editor at Just Women’s Sports and as an associate producer for WDET in Detroit. Brennan has a bachelor's in international studies from the University of Wisconsin and a master's in art history from Wayne State University.

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