Mallory Swanson jumps to celebrate with United States teammate Lindsey Horan after scoring her team’s only goal in the women’s soccer gold medal victory over Brazil at the Summer Olympics on Saturday, August 10, 2024, at Parc des Princes in Paris, France. PARIS, Trinity Rodman told herself, promising herself that she wouldn’t cry if they beat Brazil at Parc des Princes on Saturday and won the first gold medal for the United States in women’s soccer in 12 years. The U.S. women’s team has won eight World Cup or Olympic titles, but the ninth feels different. It does not come with an atmosphere of anticipation or coronation. They are just another team in this tournament that has won three knockout games 1-0, two of which required extra time, none of which were very convincing.

Mallory Swanson Golden Goal Sweatshirt

But gold is still gold, and when you haven’t won in 12 years, when you haven’t reached the final in the last three global tournaments, the champagne tastes even better. “The way we finished the World Cup obviously wasn’t great,” defender Crystal Dunn said of last year’s last-16 exit, the first time they had done that. “But I don’t think anyone was like, oh my God, the union is doomed, we’ll never be successful again. I think we thought, ‘Okay, that’s not great. Let’s get back to work. and return to our true selves.'”