The U.S. national women’s soccer team (USNWT) won a fifth Olympic gold medal at the Parc des Princes in Paris, defeating Brazil 1-0 in the final on Aug. 10, CNN reported.
The Chicago Red Stars’ Mallory Swanson scored the match’s only goal (the biggest of her career) while Red Stars goalie Alyssa Naeher made a couple critical stops in the U.S. team’s win.
Brazil looked much sharper in the first half and almost took the lead when Naeher made a dive to block Gabi Portilho’s close-range shot. In the second half, Naeher made another stunning stop in the second half, halting a header by Brazilian player Adriana.
It was the United States’ first gold-medal win since the 2012 London Olympics. Three years ago in Tokyo, the U.S. settled for the bronze medal; at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, the squad was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
The loss is more heartbreak for Brazil and its iconic star, Marta, the Chicago Sun-Times noted. The six-time world player of the year has never won a Women’s World Cup or an Olympics. This is expected to be her last major international tournament.
Actor Tom Cruise and former soccer captain Megan Rapinoe were among those in the stands.