The Top 10 Moments in Women’s Soccer at the Paris Olympics
What. A. Tournament! The women’s soccer portion of the Olympics has officially concluded, and it is one we will be thinking about for years to come. Between the trifecta—or the Triple Espresso, as they like to be called—Canada’s coaching staff being the drama, Alyssa Naeher’s magic shot-blocking foot, Brazil’s upset over Spain, and so many more incredible events we just had to write about it. So here are the top ten moments in women’s soccer from the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Triple Espresso
Honestly, we could go on and on about the new USWNT magic that is Swanson, Rodman, and Smith–aka Triple Espresso. These three were the standout for not just this team, but this tournament. No other team got as much buzz as this new front line, and for good reason. Of the 12 points scored during the USWNT run at the Olympics, all but one either came off the foot of or was assisted by one of these absolute superstars.
Alyssa Naeher
Where would we be without Alyssa Naeher? First, there was that incredible star jump save with the tip of her foot, and then that stretched-out slap in the Brazil game, plus every incredible read and save in between. With that final clean sheet, Naeher became the first keeper in women’s soccer history to get a shutout in a World Cup and Olympic final. Alyssa Naeher, we salute you.
Barbra Banda’s hat trick
Barbra Banda is truly in a league of her own. In Tokyo, she scored back-to-back hat tricks, one of which was all the points for her team. In Paris, she kept that streak going by getting herself yet another hat trick, this time against Australia. Even though they lost that game, Banda is clearly setting a legacy for herself.
Spain’s comeback
Despite being the reigning world champions, Spain had plenty of fighting to do. In their match against Columbia they were down 2-0 until Hermoso put them on the board in the 79th minute. With new life in them, Paredes sent her team to PKs by slipping one last point in the 97th. Spain kept their momentum and then some with an incredible finish with a perfect round of PKs.
Berger’s PK
PKs are always the best and worst of times, and Canada vs. Germany was no exception. After a nil-nil finish, the two went to PKs, and German keeper Ann-Katrin Berger was in rare form. She blocked two cleanly and had one heartbreaker that spun right off her hands. But right after that she stepped up to take a shot of her own and scored the 4th PK for Germany, sending them through to the semis.
Brazil’s Spanish upset
Both of these teams are titans in their own rights. Spain is the reigning World Cup champion, and Brazil is, well, Brazil. This game was huge; this was the match to determine who would go for gold and who would go for bronze. Unfortunately for Spain, the match started with an own goal, and Brazil didn’t let up after that. Brazil scored two before Spain had one, and then they went tit for tat until the final whistle, ending with Brazil upsetting the champs 4-2.
Germany’s bronze medal
After the last World Cup, it was a given that certain teams would be under more scrutiny than others coming into the Olympics, and Germany was among them. After failing to advance out of pool play for the first time ever in the World Cup, Germany fought their way to the bronze medal match and managed to come out over the current FIFA champions, Spain.
Marta’s standing ovation
Even though she never got gold, Marta is an absolute legend. A member of the Brazilian squad through six Olympics, she scored in every single one and was always a game-changer. It was a beautiful moment to see her receive that standing ovation after the final whistle.
Team Canada
They received plenty of negative attention during these games, and no matter how you feel about the coaching staff’s actions, this team really proved themselves. Playing against a six-point deficit, they managed to make it out of pool play and take Germany to PKS in the semifinals.
Australia vs. Zambia
This game was so rare and such a joy to watch. First of all, it was the highest-scoring game of the tournament at 6-5. These two were going point for point until extra time before the half, and Zambia pulled ahead with 4-2. Zambia kept the momentum at the start of the second half and brought the score up to 5-2, but after a round of substitutions, Australia got a huge second win. Netting four unanswered points, Australia came out on top with a final score of 6-5.
Featured image via Getty Images
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