For the first time since 2012, the U.S. women’s national team is back in the Olympic gold-medal match. It took a Trinity Rodman extra-time goal against Japan to send the Americans to the semifinal in their first major tournament under coach Emma Hayes. Sophia Smith scored in extra time against Germany in the semifinals to advance to the gold medal match. A win would clinch their fifth Olympic gold medal.
The team seemed loose ahead of the final against Brazil, spending much of Friday’s pregame news conference debating who on the team is the best at karaoke. (Hayes’ go-to song: Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby.”)
The attacking trio of Rodman, Smith and Mallory Swanson — who decided on the nickname “Triple Espresso” this week — each have three goals in the tournament.
