Sophia Smith lifts USWNT to victory over Germany in semifinals of Paris Olympics

LYON, France – Forward Sophia Smith’s 95th-minute goal propelled the U.S. Women’s National Team to a 1-0 victory against Germany and a spot in the gold medal match at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The late heroics came after 90 minutes of scoreless action, just three days after fellow forward Trinity Rodman sent the U.S. to the semifinals with her 105+2nd-minute game-winner in a 1-0 victory vs. Japan.

While the USA had more of the game than Germany, leading in shots (19-15), shots on goal (10-7) and possession (58%-42%), this win was about the tremendous mental and physical toughness of the U.S. team that kept its patience, kept battling and finally found a way through an excellent Germany team just five minutes into the first overtime period.

Smith’s effort to beat her defender to the ball and slide to shoot past the onrushing German and NJ/NY Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger proved to be the difference in the latest installment of a historic rivalry between the teams. It was the first time the USA had ever played long-time world power Germany twice in a world championship tournament and thus, the first-time the U.S. Women have ever beaten Germany twice in a world championship event.

The goal was created by forward Mallory Swanson, who played a deft ball into the penalty area for Smith as the dynamic U.S. attacking trio of Rodman (22-years-old), Smith (23) and Swanson (26) continues to light up the scoreboard at Paris 2024, scoring nine of the USWNT’s 11 goals and 10 of its 11 total goal contributions in France.

With the win, the USA advances to the gold medal match for the sixth time in eight Olympic appearances and the first since London 2012. The USA will be aiming for its record fifth Olympic gold medal. The USWNT will face the winner of Brazil-Spain at the historic Parc des Princes in Paris on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET / 5 p.m. local. It will be the USA’s 11th final at a world championship event across the 17 that have been contested.

Today’s semifinal featured a showdown between two powerhouses of the women’s international game with the United States and Germany being two of three nations to have won a FIFA Women’s World Cup and Olympic gold medal. It was also the USA’s first match back at the Stade de Lyon since it capped off a dominant tournament to claim its fourth Women’s World Cup title with a 2-0 win vs. Netherlands in 2019.

Hayes made two changes to the team that took down Japan in dramatic 1-0 fashion in the quarterfinals, reinserting midfielder Sam Coffey back in the squad after serving her suspension for yellow card accumulation and center back Tierna Davidson, who missed the last two U.S. matches with a leg contusion. Coffey had an excellent match as did Davidson, but she only played the first 45 before giving way to Emily Sonnett, who was solid in helping the USA close out the game. It was the same XI that dispatched Germany 4-1 during the nations’ group stage clash on July 28 in Marseille.

Razor-thin margins have defined the knockout stage of the Olympic Women’s Soccer Tournament thus far, with three of four quarterfinals decided in or after overtime, including two penalty kick shootouts, and this evening in Lyon was no different with a tense, back-and-forth affair between the two heavyweights.

The USWNT did get off on the front foot as Davidson put a header on frame in just the second minute of play off a corner kick, while a nice run from Rodman set midfielder Rose Lavelle up for a shot just two minutes later that was saved by Berger.

The Germans grew into the game as the half wore on. Germany found its best early chance in the 24th minute as winger Jule Brand drove past the U.S. defense on the left side and put an effort on target before it was swallowed up by a diving Alyssa Naeher. Naeher finished the night with seven saves, her most ever in a World Cup or Olympic match, as she recorded her third shutout of the tournament. Naeher’s three clean sheets at Paris 2024 are tied with Hope Solo (2008 and 2012) for the most by any USWNT goalkeeper at a single Olympics.

Playing rather physical defense, the Germans made a number of hard tackles that led to free kicks in advantageous positions, but the U.S. was unable to capitalize. In the 31st, a promising ball into the box from Lavelle ended with Berger easily handling a header from captain Lindsey Horan and in the 37th, Germany stopped a shot from Swanson after a nice cutback pass from the ever-active Rodman.

Germany came out reinvigorated after the half, continuing its bruising defense while making more forays into the U.S. final third. Brand and center forward Nicole Anyomi caused trouble on the right side for the U.S., but the back line held strong, led by another outstanding performance from center back Naomi Girma. She beat her mark to win a header on a dangerous ball into the six in the 55th minute and stymied another run from Anyomi in the 67th.

The U.S. looked primed to tally the opening goal in a breakaway on the 62nd, countering after a German attacking run. Left back Crystal Dunn played it to Swanson on the run and she drove forward, wheeling around the diving Berger toward the end line and an empty net. With the two German center backs tracking back, Swanson wasn’t able to convert from the tight angle and hit it into the side netting. It wouldn’t have counted anyway as the flag was up for offside.

Another series of chances came for the USWNT late as it pushed for a winner in regulation. In the aftermath of a corner in the 79th, Coffey and Girma did well to keep the ball alive in the air and play to Horan in front of goal near the six. There, the captain put a header on-target near the post that was saved by Berger with a dive to her right.

Ninety minutes of deadlock meant that the USWNT would go to overtime for just the second time in back-to-back games at the Olympic Women’s Soccer Tournament, doing so 20 years prior in the semifinal and final at Athens 2004.

Germany had the first few looks of extra time as Girma defused a promising attacking run in the 93rd and Naeher swallowed a hard-hit shot in the 94th, but the USA’s fearsome front three finally broke through in the 95th. Swanson played to Smith, where the forward chased the ball around her mark and chipped it over the sliding ‘keeper, sending the U.S. back to Paris where it will aim for its first gold medal since 2012.

The USA had two more golden chances to extend the lead as Smith got in on breakaways, but Berger saved them both to keep the game tight.

The drama wasn’t done as Naeher made an amazing kick save near the end of overtime off a German header to preserve the win.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN

USA – Sophia Smith (Mallory Swanson), 95th minute: Midfielder Sam Coffey played to Swanson just past the center circle, where she took a touch before playing Smith cutting in from the right wing. It was a chase between the striker and German defender Felicitas Rauch for the ball and Smith got there a moment sooner, sliding to lift the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper for the decisive goal. USA 1, GER 0

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• No player on this current Olympic roster has won gold, though eight players – Tierna Davidson, Crystal Dunn, Lindsey Horan, Casey Krueger, Rose Lavelle, Alyssa Naeher, Emily Sonnett and Lynn Williams – won bronze at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
• The USWNT has yet to trail at the Paris 2024 Olympics or at any point in its nine games under Emma Hayes. The last – and only — time the USWNT went an entire Olympics without trailing was during its run to the 2004 gold medal in Greece. The USWNT has won three World Cups – 1991, 2015 and 2019 – without trailing at any point in the tournament.
• This is the USA’s 11th final all-time at a world championship event (six Olympic finals, five Women’s World Cup finals). No other nation has reached more than four world championship finals (Germany – three World Cup finals, one Olympic final).
• By reaching the gold medal match, the USWNT is assured to win its seventh Olympic medal, having previously won four gold medals (1996, 2004, 2008, 2012), one silver (2000) and one bronze (2020). Germany has won the next most Olympic medals all-time with four (one gold, three bronze).
• The USA will face the winner of Spain vs. Brazil on Saturday, August 10 at Parc des Princes in Paris (5 p.m. CET / 11 a.m. ET). The USA has played Brazil two times previously in the Olympic gold medal match, winning both meetings in extra time in 2004 and 2008. The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Champions, Spain is making its Olympic debut.
• This was the USA’s 11th extra time match at the Olympics and just the second time that the USWNT has ever gone to overtime in back-to-back instances at the Olympics. The only other occurrence came in the semifinals (2-1 win over Germany) and final (2-1 win over Brazil) of the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
• The USA is now 8W-1L-2D all-time at the Olympics in extra time matches, including two overtime victories over Germany.
• The U.S. improves to 25W-5L-7D all-time against Germany, including a perfect 3W-0L-0D at the Olympics and a 5W-1L-0D record in the knockout stages of the World Cup or Olympics. The winner of each of the previous five knockout round meetings at the World Cup or Olympics between the USA and Germany went on to win the tournament. The USA has now beaten Germany five times in knockout round play at major tournaments, including four times in the semifinals. The only other team to defeat Germany more than once at the Olympics or World Cup is Norway.
• The USWNT has now won 13 consecutive matches in France dating back to the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, its longest winning streak in any country outside of the United States. Three of those wins have come in Lyon, all in the knockout rounds (2019 World Cup Semifinal vs. England; 2019 World Cup Final vs. Netherlands; 2024 Olympic Semifinal vs. Germany)
• Smith’s goal in the 95th minute was her third of the tournament, all of which have come against Germany. Smith is now tied with Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman for the team lead in scoring at this Olympics with three goals.
• Smith has now been directly involved in a goal five of the USA’s five matches at the 2024 Olympics and leads the team with 12 goal involvements in 2024.Smith leads the USA eight goals this year and is tied for the team lead with four assists.
• Hope Solo recorded three clean sheets during the USA’s runs to gold in both 2008 and 2012. Naeher now has four career clean sheets at the Olympics – one in 2020 and three in 2024 – tied with Briana Scurry for the second-most in USWNT Olympic history.
• Lindsey Horan made her 155th international appearance, moving into a tie with Michelle Akers and Christen Press for 23rd on the USWNT’s all-time caps chart.
• Mallory Swanson made her 99th international appearance and is now just one cap away from becoming the 44th player in USWNT history to reach the 100-cap milestone.

– U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT –

Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Germany
Date: Aug. 6, 2024
Competition: Paris 2024 Olympics Semifinal
Venue: Stade de Lyon; Lyon, France
Attendance: 15,107
Kickoff: 6 p.m. local / 12 p.m. ET
Weather: 81 degrees, sunny

Lineups:
USA: 1-Alyssa Naeher; 7-Crystal Dunn (13-Jenna Nighswonger, 91), 12-Tierna Davidson (14-Emily Sonnett, 46), 4-Naomi Girma, 2-Emily Fox; 17-Sam Coffey, 10-Lindsey Horan (Capt.) (3-Korbin Albert, 91), 16-Rose Lavelle (8-Lynn Williams, 60); 11-Sophia Smith, 9-Mallory Swanson (6-Casey Krueger, 110), 5-Trinity Rodman
Substitutes not used: 18-Casey Murphy, 15-Jaedyn Shaw
Head coach: Emma Hayes

GER: 12-Ann-Katrin Berger; 15-Giulia Gwinn (Capt.), 3-Kathrin Hendrich, 5-Marin Hegering (4-Bibiane Schulze, 78), 19-Felicitas Rauch (13-Sara Doorsoun,106); 16-Jule Brand, 8-Sydney Lohmann (14-Elisa Senß, 91), 6-Janina Minge, 17-Kiara Bühl; 9-Sjoeke Nüsken, 21-Nicole Anyomi (10-Laura Freigang, 69)
Substitutes not used: 1-Merle Frohms, 2-Sarai Linder, 18-Vivien Endemann
Head coach: Horst Hrubesch

Stats Summary: USA / GER
Shots: 19 / 15
Shots on Goal: 10 / 7
Saves: 7 / 9
Corner Kicks: 5 / 4
Fouls: 10 / 19
Offside: 1 / 5

Misconduct Summary:
GER – Marina Hegering (Caution) 44th minute
GER – Jule Brand (Caution) 108

Officials:
Referee: Bouchra Karboubi(MAR)
AR1: Fatiha Jermoumi (MAR)
AR2:Diana Chikotesha (ZAM)
4th Official: Yujeong Kim (KOR)
Video Assistant Referee: Ivan Bebek (CRO)
Assistant VAR 1: Tatiana Guzman (NCA)
Assistant VAR 2: Khamis Al Marri (QAT)

Woman of the Match: Naomi Girma