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Paris Olympics 2024: Sophia Smith’s brace powers USWNT past Germany for 4-1 win

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Paris Olympics 2024: Sophia Smith’s brace powers USWNT past Germany for 4-1 win

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Germany was supposed to represent a step up in competition for the U.S. women’s national team as it continued group play on Sunday.

That may have been the case, but the Americans still made it look easy as Sophia Smith netted two goals and Mallory Swanson and Lynn Williams added a goal each in a 4-1 win.

Smith got things started in the 11th minute, finishing off a bounding low cross from Trinity Rodman right in front of goal.

Germany responded just over 10 minutes later with a goal from Giulia Gwinn, but Mallory Swanson reopened a lead for the U.S. with a poach of a finish shortly thereafter for her third Paris Olympics goal.

Then Smith nabbed her second goal on a wild deflection just before the break to give the U.S. a 3-1 edge.

Lynn Williams scored in the waning moments to cap things off.

The U.S. win gives the team six points in Group B play with one remaining game against Australia. Germany sits on three points along with Australia, which beat Zambia 6-5 in a wild affair earlier on Sunday.

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  • The USWNT handily defeat Germany 4-1 for second win of the group stage

    With two dominant win, both with a three-goal margin of victory, USWNT is now in excellent position to advance from Group B and continue chasing gold.

  • And that’s the game! The U.S. hold on and add a brilliant second-half goal to solidify the win.

  • Another German player is down, with a foul on Marina Hegerin giving Germany a free kick just outside the box. A big chance for the Germans, but it’s blocked by the USWNT wall.

  • One last substitution for the USWNT, with Jenna Nighswonger and Casey Krueger coming in for Trinity Rodman and Emily Fox.

  • And a nice save from Naeher, as the U.S.’s excellent play continues. With five minutes of stoppage time left, this game is just about wrapped up.

  • Lynn Williams makes it 4-1

    Lynn Williams makes it four! The fan-favorite USWNT forward, who was originally named as an alternate, just about seals the deal for the Americans. Williams scores off a great sequence for the U.S., with a Rodman steal and pass followed by a great assist from Swanson.

  • Another close chance from Trinity Rodman, which is deflected out of bounds by Berger. USWNT corner kick incoming — but first, Lynn Williams, sporting a saucy red leg sleeve, subs in for Smith.

  • Germany has sped up the game, especially in the U.S.’s half. They aren’t giving up on this game yet, but the USWNT is holding the lead with some solid defending. Naomi Girma is once again proving herself as a key fixture on the U.S. back line.

  • Alexandra Popp is down again, grabbing her knee. The German captain, who led the team to a gold medal in 2016, has limped off the field by her own power, passing the armband to Giulia Gwinn. She’s replaced by Elisa Senss.

  • Naeher clamps down on another German shot from Gwinn, who scored Germany’s sole goal. Germany has had a number of breakaways now, and the USWNT can’t afford to get sloppy at this point.

  • Germany is amping up the pressure, but Crystal Dunn has a great tackle to get the ball out of German hands. It doesn’t take long for the Germans to get another breakaway, but the USWNT defense gets it back out to the other half.

  • Phew! An escape for the USWNT as Naeher keeps the ball out of the net, but it’s a close scramble for the ball in the box. Trinity Rodman is able to defend the ball and get it out of a dangerous situation for the U.S.

  • A close chance from the U.S. as Rodman passes into the box, but Swanson and Crystal Dunn get tangled up with their defenders — and maybe got in each other’s way a bit. Nearly made it 4-1 but the U.S. plays on.

  • Another corner kick opportunity for the U.S. comes and goes without a goal. Although the USWNT hasn’t conceded any corners yet, the team has already had five corner kicks in this game, but hasn’t been able to convert on those set piece opportunities.

  • The second half has begun! The U.S. will try to add some more cushion to their score, and keep the Germans from adding goals of their own.

  • Mind-blowing stat of the day: In just a game and a half, the U.S. has now scored six goals in the Olympics so far, which is more than the team scored in the entire 2023 World Cup, where they scored four goals over four games.

  • The USWNT has largely controlled possession, holding the ball just under 65% of the game so far. The U.S. also has more shots — 9, plus 6 on goal — than Germany, who shot 7 times with 5 on target. But the Germans have been catching up, making more shots and controlling more possession towards the end of the half.

    The U.S. will have to regain some of the control and momentum to keep up this winning pace — still, a 3-1 lead is a great start to this game.

  • Mal Swanson keeps making history, with three goals in two Olympic games marking a U.S. milstone.

  • Three goals for the U.S. in the first half, and this is exactly what Emma Hayes — and the fans — hoped for from the Smith-Swanson-Rodman front line. The USWNT’s golden trio has played great together, making incredible runs and setting up great opportunities for each other.

  • Another close one from Germany, as forward Sjoeke Nusken just misses the cross in stoppage time. But the U.S. hold the score heading into halftime.

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