Throughout the Paris Olympics soccer tournament, the front three of the United States women’s national team have shouldered the responsibility of providing the decisive touch to secure their victories. This final was no exception, with Mallory Swanson netting the winning goal for the Americans in the second half against Brazil capping off what has been a high quality Olympics.
As with the previous matches, this game proved challenging for the Americans, with their opponents identifying and attempting to exploit weaknesses but ultimately failing to capitalize on their opportunities. Despite the tough competition throughout the tournament, Emma Hayes’ side once again emerged victorious.
The U.S. had quite a few positives but also their share of negatives in this game. In truth, we might have seen a Brazilian win if they’d taken their chances in front of goal — especially in the first half — and then we’d have been talking about the flaws in Hayes’ tactics. It’s important to discuss the reasons behind Brazil’s success on the ball given the obvious opportunities but also touch on the positive aspects of the game for the U.S.
Tactically, the Brazilians found a way through the USWNT and while there was some excellent wing play by the South Americans, it was partially down to the questionable team selection by the Americans.
Want even more women’s sports coverage?
Subscribers to The Equalizer save 50% on their subscription to our partner publication, The IX. This newsletter has experts covering the latest news in women’s soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics. Each sport has its own day, which means you’ll receive The IX in your inbox six days a week.
The most glaring and only change was in central midfield, with Korbin Albert being brought in for Rose Lavelle. This selection moved Lindsey Horan to the No. 10 position with Albert and Sam Coffey occupying the double pivot. This is where the problems started to appear.
In theory, this setup should have worked — moving Horan into a more natural position would allow her to exert influence higher up the pitch. Meanwhile, two defensive-minded, pressing midfielders would hold the lines, cover midfield space and shield the center-backs.
However, it didn’t work that way in reality as Albert and Coffey spent much of the first half chasing shadows, struggling to maintain their positioning between the lines which led to numerous chances created by the Brazilians.
Brazil opted to play a 3-4-3 in possession with an aggressive approach to pushing the U.S. full-backs into their own half. This allowed their wingers — Ludmila, Adriana, and Gabi Portilho — to apply pressure and isolate both Emily Fox and Crystal Dunn into pockets, dragging the center-backs out of the central areas and creating space between the defenders. This is where Coffey and Albert needed to drop deeper and create a 2-2 base with the center-backs and patrol the half-spaces to help Fox and Dunn.
Brazil’s two central midfielders — Vitória Yaya and Duda Sampaio — covered so much ground whilst controlling the two No. 6s of the U.S.. Both Albert and Coffey were having to do more off-the-ball work because the defenders were short on passing options and any time they opted to go directly to Swanson or Rodman, they were promptly blocked off.
There were too many times in the first half where the Brazilian wingers isolated the full-backs and took on their player to beat them with crosses into the box. This left the strikers and opposite-side winger free to receive the service or challenge the other defenders. The offside goal when Naomi Girma was left against Ludmila was a clear example of where the No. 6s needed to be to prevent Brazil from getting into that goalscoring position.
Ludmila had a chance as early as the second minute when she missed a golden one-on-one chance against goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. The Brazilian attack looked to play close to the American defenders, and knowing that they bypassed the holding midfielders, they wanted to force Fox and Dunn to commit before making a move past them as well. The questionable foul on Adriana by Dunn was a clumsy challenge, but one forced by Adriana’s positive move forward.
Another pressing concern in midfield was Horan’s performance. Her struggles have persisted throughout the tournament as she seems ill-suited to this system. Whether it’s the system itself or the make-up of the midfield, Horan has looked far from her best in this Olympics.
One of the issues in the first half was the lack of control from the midfield and given that the team captain is arguably the best technical player in the team, it’s hard to imagine why she wasn’t able to get a hold on the game.
Lavelle had been the best American midfielder of the tournament and it was only injury that’s seemingly kept her out of the starting eleven. Her off-the-ball work as well as her close-quarters control of the ball gave the U.S. a lot of control and creativity going forward.
Horan, by contrast, wasn’t able to influence the game as well as she’d hoped for. A couple of enticing through balls aside, the balance between the three midfielders just didn’t work.
Save 24% for the 2024 Paris Olympics
In honor of the 2024 Paris Olympics, we are offering a discount on new annual subscriptions to The Equalizer. Use code Paris2024 at checkout or follow the link below.
Coupon valid through the closing ceremony on Aug. 11.
While the self-proclaimed ‘triple espresso’ of attack have been touted as one of the reasons for the USWNT’s solid campaign, it’s the defense who have been at the core of their success.
The back five have been impressive and arguably the best unit in several years, consisting of Girma, Fox, Dunn, Tierna Davidson and Naeher. Girma has been the best center-back by far — bar a few nervous moments in the final — while Naeher came in clutch with crucial saves in key moments.
This final, however, was really about Dunn and Fox. The outside back pair often like to foray forward, with Dunn usually operating as a lone faux left-winger at times, but both were forced to play more defensively Saturday.
If it weren’t for the tactical mismatch in midfield, they would have probably had far more success in defending and going forward. Despite this, both Fox and Dunn regrouped in the second half and played closer to their center-back partners with the forwards dropping in to help secure the overloads.
Hayes’ debut major tournament brought the U.S. their first world championship victory in five years. However, the tactical challenges remain nonetheless and the limited squad size has been a hindrance. The injury to Jaelyn Shaw before the tournament significantly reduced their midfield options and this greatly impacted the team’s overall influence on the games.
Having said that, if these early games are any indication — and with more time to refine her tactics and access to a broader roster — Hayes could very well guide the U.S. back to the top of the world rankings and consistently compete for the major honors once again.
