The United States women's nation team will compete for a gold medal against a familiar foe on Saturday. The USWNT will face surprise finalists Brazil for the third time in an Olympic final as the two teams begin two chapters for their respective programs. One team will walk away as Olympic champions and the others will earn a silver medal after a grueling tournament schedule. Longtime Brazilian legend Marta announced her upcoming retirement from the national team earlier this year and will be available for selection, while new USA head coach Emma Hayes has led her squad to the gold medal round after just three months on the job.
Let's take a look at the USWNT's opponent:
Rivalry overview
The two nations last played in the gold medal match during the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2008 Bejing Olympics. The USWNT won the gold medal in each of those meetings, and Marta was a key figure on both of Brazil's silver medal-winning rosters. The rivalry between the teams can be directly tied to Marta's arrival to Brazil's national team and the two teams have faced each other in high-stakes moments ever since.
Marta's Brazil famously eliminated the United States during the 2007 FIFA World Cup semifinals, and the United States returned the favor during a penalty shootout in the 2011 World Cup quarterfinals. The North and South Americans have frequently played each other during international windows and cup tournaments as well, with meetings during the SheBelieves Cup, Tournament of Nations, and most recently -- the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup final where the United States defeated Brazil 1-0.
The rivals have even played in a precursor to the W Gold Cup, the 2000 Concacaf Women's Gold Cup final, an eight-team tournament that featured Brazil and China as guests. Saturday's 2024 Olympic gold medal game will be the fifth meeting all-time between the two sides in a final and the U.S. won each of the previous four finals by a one-goal margin. The USWNT lead the all-time series with 32 wins, five draws and three losses in 40 previous meetings.
How they got here
Brazil's path to the gold medal match wasn't without high drama. Manager Arthur Elias named an 18-player roster with an emphasis on a younger generation who mostly play their soccer with domestic club teams in Brazil. A handful of players, including Orlando Pride's Marta, feature with NWSL clubs in the United States and have extensive experience playing against North American players.
They had one win in the group stage, a narrow 1-0 victory against Nigeria, and had a one-goal lead before conceding a late-game comeback to Japan for their first group loss. They wrapped up the preliminary round with a 2-0 loss to Spain and could only watch as Marta exited the match on a red card after she fouled Spain's Olga Carmona with a high boot to the head. Their three points were enough to advance into knockouts as a third-place group finisher.
Without their most prolific player, Brazil played motivated against France and eliminated the tournament hosts in the quarterfinals. Rejuvenated, they delivered another historic upset in a group rematch against Spain and ousted the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup champions from the Olympics during the semifinal with a lopsided 4-2 scoreline.
Players to watch
Marta: The veteran missed the quarterfinal and semifinal due to a red card suspension and her teammates have rallied through the knockouts in an effort to make sure she can compete once more. She'll be rested and motivated to go out with Olympic gold.
Lorena: The goalkeeper has gotten stronger in net as the knockouts have gone on, and despite managing an injury, she came up with key saves down the stretch of the semifinal to deny any comeback by Spain.
Gabi Portilho: Stepped up huge for the squad during the knockout rounds. Came up with a game-winner against France and provided Brazil with a second goal during the semifinal.
What to expect
The coaching staff has shifted things tactically depending on the opponent in front of them. It didn't always pan out in the group stage, but it worked out during the knockout rounds, especially against Spain where they were effective with a strong counter-press, higher up the pitch to distress Spain's shape, and were clinical in their counters.
They might change things up against Hayes' United States, especially with an attacking trio featuring Mallory Swanson, Sophia Smith, and Trinity Rodman. The top-line triple threat has been lethal in front of goal during the tournament and has a well-balanced offense with three goals a piece for nine of the USNWT's 10 Olympic goals.
Still, it's the Olympic final, and recent history between the two sides could mean that fans get an exciting game with a narrow scoreline.
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