The U.S. women's national team began their Olympics journey on a high, beating Zambia 3-0 on Thursday at Stade de Nice. All of the action came in an eventful first half, with Trinity Rodman scoring the game's opening goal in the 17th minute after combining with Lindsey Horan and Sophia Smith. Mallory Swanson scored her first-ever goal at the Olympics just seven minutes later as Horan notched another assist, and then Swanson added a second just 66 seconds later.
The USWNT were dominant from the start but gained a further advantage in the 34th minute when Zambia's Pauline Zulu was shown a red card for denial of a goalscoring opportunity. Despite the player advantage, the U.S. took a foot off the gas in the second half and produced fewer quality chances.
Emma Hayes' side did not come out of the match unscathed, though. The new head coach made early substitutions, taking Smith off shortly before halftime and Rose Lavelle off at the break. Both substitutions seem fitness-related but the severity of a potential injury is unclear.
The U.S. are tied on points and goal differential in Group B with Germany, who opened their Olympics campaign with a 3-0 win over Australia earlier on Thursday. The Group B leaders next face each other on Sunday at Stade de Marseille.
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It may have been a slower second half but still, the USWNT get the job done with three goals and 27 shots against Zambia. They're tied on points and goal differential with Germany, who they face on Sunday in a high-profile matchup.
90' Now it's Zambia's turn to attack and Rachel Kundananji is close to goal but Casey Krueger, shortly after being on one end of the pitch trying to create goals, has dashed all the way back to cover Kundananji's shot. She sends it out for a corner, which the USWNT handles with relative ease.
89' Lynn Williams and Casey Krueger combine for a promising opportunity, which ends with Crystal Dunn getting a header on it at the far post. Unfortunately for Dunn, though, she's unable to put the chance on frame and so the USWNT's best chance to score a fourth misses the mark.
71' It's been a fairly lackluster second half from the USWNT so far, who have not registered a ton of quality chances despite being the dominant team since the break. Most of the team is in the attacking half, though, and seem to be showing signs of life now as the likes of Crystal Dunn, Lynn Williams and even Emily Fox get close to scoring. The search for a fourth goal continues, though.
66' Emma Hayes makes her last changes of the game, bringing on Casey Kruger, Jenna Nighswonger and Emily Sonnett for Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Lindsey Horan. The tactical shifts mean Crystal Dunn has been pushed into attack and Lynn Williams is now playing in the No. 9, where Swanson was.
56' The USWNT are on the search for goal no. 4, this time with Trinity Rodman taking a couple of promising opportunities in a short space of time. The Zambia defense is able to keep the ball out of the back of the net for now, but the question is how long they can last in this second half.
54' Kabange Mupopo plays a nice ball to Barbra Banda, which Emily Fox is unable to chase. Banda has eyes for goal but Tierna Davidson makes a crucial tackle in the penalty area to keep the in-form striker at bay.
The USWNT make one change at halftime, bringing on Korbin Albert in the place of Rose Lavelle. This could be fitness-related -- she was taken out of the lineup in their send-off game last week with a minor injury, and again, it isn't worth the risk to keep her on when the team is up three goals and a player. Lindsey Horan will take the attacking midfield role that Lavelle previously occupied, while Albert and Sam Coffey will be tasked with shoring up midfield to keep the likes of Barbra Banda and Rachel Kundananji at bay.
The USWNT are well and truly in charge of this game, courtesy of goals from Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman. The objective of the second half will be to run up the score for the sake of goal differential, which might be easier to do now that Zambia are down to 10. The African side are not without their glimpses of potential, though, and as long as Banda and Kundananji are on the pitch, there's a chance they can cause trouble on the break.
The lone downside of the first half for the U.S. is that Sophia Smith came off with an injury. It's unclear how serious it is but fair of Emma Hayes not to risk her fitness any further with the team already up by three goals.
45' Trinity Rodman nearly grabs a second courtesy of a header but can't find the finish needed to put the ball in the back of the net. On the flip side, Zambia counter quickly but Naomi Girma steps up to the plate to keep their impressive attackers at bay.
44' Trinity Rodman picks up a yellow card for a sloppy challenge from bheind.
43' The USWNT are forced into an earlier-than-desired substitution as Sophia Smith comes off with an undisclosed injury. Lynn Williams -- who was originally named as an alternate before Catarina Macario was ruled out with an injury of her own -- will come on in her place.
37' Zambia make two changes, likely in response to Pauline Zulu's red card a few minutes ago -- Avell Chitundu comes on for Grace Chanda and Esther Muchinga enters the game for Prisca Chilufya.
33' Pauline Zulu initially gets a yellow for a foul but after a lengthy VAR check, that card is upgraded to a red for denial of a goalscoring opportunity. Zambia are now down to 10, which makes a bad day worse.
25' Mallory Swanson wastes no time, scoring a second goal in the space of a minute. The USWNT officially have their commanding lead, which is definitely good news for their goal difference at this Olympics. It's especially good news for Swanson, who was destined to be the focal point of the USWNT's attack but missed last year's Women's World Cup after tearing her patella tendon. She's also been waiting eight years for her first goal at the Olympics, and now has two.
24' And just like that, it's two for the USWNT. This time Lindsey Horan plays a stellar ball to Mallory Swanson, who's waiting in front of goal to pull of the easy finish.
17' The USWNT have their opening goal of the Olympics, courtesy of Trinity Rodman. Sophia Smith keeps the ball alive on the left flank and passes it centrally to Lindsey Horan, who has Mallory Swanson and Rodman as choices and opts for the latter, who makes her way into the box and scores from close range. It's her first goal for the USWNT since December, and must come as a big relief for her since she was eager to increase her goal count at the international level this year.
15' The USWNT have three shots in a row blocked by the crossbar and by Zambia's defense, including efforts from Crystal Dunn and Trinity Rodman. They are doing all they can to score but the breakthrough hasn't come yet.
The broadcasters reveal that Gianni Vio, soccer's first professional set piece coach, is in France with the USWNT helping them improve their performances on those opportunities. Vio has been working with the USMNT since last fall and has a pretty strong résumé -- his first gig was with the Italy team that won the men's Euros in 2021, as well as with Tottenham's men's team when Antonio Conte was the manager.
8' Another early chance for the USWNT, this time from Trinity Rodman. The forward receives a pass while standing in the penalty area and has a clear look at goal, but is unlucky to hit the crossbar before the ball goes out. It's clear the U.S. are causing problems for an unorganized Zambia defense -- it's still early but it will be crucial for them to actually finish their chances unlike in their last match, a 0-0 draw with Costa Rica.
5' Sophia Smith has the best shot of the first half so far, finding herself in the box and taking a shot straight at goal. Goalkeeper Ngambo Musole makes the stop but this continues to be a strong start for the USWNT.
2' And just like that, we get a flash of Barbra Banda's excellence. Zambia go for goal fairly early and Banda gives Tierna Davidson some trouble, forcing the U.S. to concede a freekick from decent range. The U.S. are able to keep Zambia at bay but we're already seeing how good Banda is, especially considering her current form.
1' Almost immediately from kickoff, the USWNT go for goal and almost have their opening goal of the tournament. Both fullbacks Crystal Dunn and Emily Fox get involved, with the latter playing a strong pass to Lindsey Horan, who stretches to get the ball but can't get it on frame. The ball was close to landing on the right side of the goalpost though, so that marks an encouraging start for the US.
The USWNT kick things off in the center circle and their Olympic journey is officially underway!
The game is just minutes away so let's have some fun with a few predictions!
Pardeep Cattry: The USWNT may be far from the finished product, but they have more than enough quality right now to start their Olympics on a winning note. Defending Barbra Banda, though, is an unpleasant task for any defender. Even with players as skilled as Naomi Girma and Tierna Davidson in the back line, expect Banda to leave her mark in this game and continue her epic scoring streak that arguably has her as the most in-form striker in the game right now. Pick: USWNT 2, Zambia 1
Sandra Herrera: Banda can simply not be denied, and if she is stopped during this game, the USWNT should celebrate that. She can make even the most talented defenders look silly, so Girma and Davidson sill have their hands full and Coffey's defensive awareness will need to be on volume ten. Zambia will bring good energy but tend to concede to their opponents. Pick: USA 2, Zambia 1
Crystal Dunn may be listed as a forward on the USWNT's roster but she resumers her role as the team's longtime left back today, holding a spot in the lineup over 2023 NWSL rookie of the year Jenna Nighswonger. Her ability to play a wide range of positions speaks to her immense tactical knowledge, as her former club coach Mark Parsons said in an exclusive interview with CBS Sports.
Even before Emma Hayes began working with the USWNT at the end of May, the players were on their own mission to correct course after the round of 16 exit from last year's Women's World Cup. Rose Lavelle, who starts today, spoke exclusively to CBS Sports about the team's year-long journey to improve and their hopes of reinventing themselves under Hayes' leadership.
U.S. Soccer made an ambitious choice by hiring Emma Hayes to take over for Vlatko Andonovski, choosing the highest-profile coach in women's soccer to turn things around for the USWNT after booking their earliest-ever exit at a Women's World Cup last year. Her arrival has come with plenty of optimism from players, fans and onlookers alike, almost positioning her as the person who alone can fix the USWNT.
Hayes, though, insists she is no unicorn and believes creating a successful team means leaning on a staff of people -- and above all, building a system of success that's bigger than any one figurehead. Here's what she said about leadership in her book, A Completely Different Game, and more about her career trajectory here.
Here's who is starting against Zambia today. Looks like Hayes and company are going with Dunn over Nighswhonger at left back today, and the usual suspects up top with Rodman, Smith, and Swanson.
USWNT Starting XI: 1-Alyssa Naeher; 2-Emily Fox, 4-Naomi Girma, 5-Trinity Rodman, 7-Crystal Dunn, 9-Mallory Swanson, 10-Lindsey Horan (Capt.), 11-Sophia Smith, 12-Tierna Davidson, 16-Rose Lavelle, 17-Sam Coffey
Available Subs: 3-Korbin Albert, 6-Casey Krueger, 8-Lynn Williams, 13-Jenna Nighswonger, 14-Emily Sonnett, 18-Casey Murphy, 20-Croix Bethune
The Copper Queens will step onto the global stage for a third consecutive international tournament and the squad is coming off a recent 1-1 draw against Japan. They made their debut on the international stage during the Tokyo Olympics and participated in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. Now they'll try and improve past the group stagesthis summer led by Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda. She will keep backlines honest, and Bay FC's Racheal Kundananji will function as an added attacking threat. They're no strangers to conceding goals, so they'll need to be calculated against the USWNT.
