The women’s Olympic soccer final competition of 2024 is scheduled to culminate in Paris on Saturday, with the United States as well as Brazil facing off in the Olympic soccer final. Under new manager Emma Hayes, the USWNT has dominated the competition, winning all of its games; meanwhile, Brazil battled in the group round before defeating Olympic soccer final champion Spain and their hosts, France, in the last eight.
Will the redesigned USWNT earn its first gold medal at the Summer Olympic soccer final since 2012? Or would legendary Marta of Brazil Olympic soccer final bring home the global trophy with her the nation? Even if the United States has already defeated Brazil, anything may take place in a soccer tournament.
Before the championship game on Saturday, ESPN’s Sam Brown and Jeff Kassouf analyze the match-up, address the most important queries, and make their predictions.
Why might the Olympic soccer final USWNT win:
Whatever moniker you choose to give them (though “Triple Trouble” appears to have the most traction these days), Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson, the speaker and Sophia Smith have been this team’s engine throughout the entire competition. Nine of the 11 goals by the Americans in the five games played in France have been scored by this trio, and they have done so in a variety of ways, including long-term shots, cutbacks, through balls, and scrambles.
To defeat an element of strength like Brazil, the United States will undoubtedly have to work as a team, but any victory would probably depend on one of their front-line attackers pulling off a miracle. Is Swanson’s turn in the deciding match? Rodman got hers in the Olympic soccer final before facing Smith in the semifinals. — Borden
How come Brazil might triumph:
Brazil’s attacking skill pool is big enough to allow 2023 NWSL MVP Kerolin, who scored in the closing minutes of stoppage time despite in some way making the squad despite injuring her ACL last fall, to come off on the sidelines in the semifinals. They also arrived here missing Marta for the previous two and a half games. Marta has really cried a lot recently as she has fought her last on-field fights for this Brazil squad, and it is an epic storyline that she will return from punishment for her Olympic soccer final game.
Which duel that you think will decide what will happen in the end:
The USWNT’s front three will receive much-deserved attention, and if Brazil sticks with the three-back, there should be plenty of personal matchups as the game progresses. However, I’ll start with the less obvious answer, which is that the midfield will set the tone for this game. Brazil will try to overload those central parts with a rotating cast, much like Germany did in the USWNT semifinal, so the U.S. the middle trio of Sam Coffey, Lindsey Horan, and Rose Lavelle needs to find effective ways to get possession of the ball and share it with more accuracy.
After a tremendous year for both club and country, Marta has taken a look significantly younger than 38. She will be determined to cement her imprint in one more big game facing one of her old foes from more than two decades ago. — Kassouf
I absolutely disagree with you as well, Jeff, and I believe that the midfield is the one area in which the United States has struggled in France. To put it plainly, Horan and Lavelle have proved to be reliable at all. Though I’m searching a little farther back for a matchup, Naomi Girma has performed excellent throughout the contest and will need to spearhead yet another solid defensive effort.
As you have already noticed, Brazil poses a serious offensive danger, especially when they come off the bench, and their athletic trainer, Arthur Elias, encourages his players to push high and frequently. The United States will need to perform better if it hopes to win, as Spain was unable to withstand the pressure from players such as Gabi Portilho and Priscila. — Borden
A player to watch on the USWNT:
Rodman, Trinity. While it’s difficult to ignore Girma as she establishes herself as the top center back in the world, I believe that Rodman will draw in more viewers as they learn about this game. It’s hard to pick just one player from the front three of Rodman, Smith, and Swanson, but Rodman has a unique energy. As she roams the right wing, she never stops proving that she is fitter than almost anyone on the pitch.
In addition, she has frequently served as the impetus for USWNT attacks that go beyond her three goals. The USWNT is in this game thanks to a team effort, but Rodman is the player who is most likely to Olympic soccer final this championship. — Kassouf
A player from Brazil to watch:
Marta. See, how do you choose someone other than Marta? If they genuinely love women’s soccer, even the biggest USWNT supporter has a small part of them that wishes Marta would eventually get her break. The 38-year-old Queen of Football, who is competing for Brazil in her sixth Summer Games, has an unrivaled resume but has never taken home an Olympic soccer final or World Cup trophy. The Brazilian squad doesn’t play through Marta the same way it used to, as one might anticipate, but she will return to the stage for one more, must-see performance after missing the previous two and a half games due to a straight red card. — Borden
Score prediction
USA 2-1 Brazil. It wasn’t widely anticipated that either of the two teams would get to this game, and whichever club won would provide an amazing story. A fitting finale to the sport’s greatest player for Brazil and a chance for the United States to atone for their catastrophic World Cup defeat last year. Both teams will make mistakes due to fatigue, but I believe the American front three is more equipped for punishing Brazil in those situations. — Kassouf
Brazil 3-2 United States. Jeff, I agree with you that there should be either a fantastic conclusion for Marta or a fantastic beginning for Hayes. I may be overly optimistic about the game because international Olympic soccer final are rarely played in vast open spaces, but I believe there could be more goals scored.
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