An incredible Trinity Rodman goal vs Japan in extra time of the Olympics quarterfinal saved the United States women’s national team in a poor showing on Saturday.
The USWNT were untouchable in the group stage sweeping Zambia, Germany and Australia while scoring a team record nine goals in the three games.
Saturday was a drastically different performance as head coach Emma Hayes deployed an exhausted side that were off the pace and tremendously struggled to break down Japan’s defense which utilized a brick wall 5-4-1 defense.
The breakthrough didn’t come until 106 minutes with a piece of brilliance from Rodman.
Trinity Rodman goal vs Japan
TRINITY RODMAN TAKE A BOW.
THAT IS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. THE USWNT LEADS IN EXTRA TIME.#ParisOlympics | USA and Peacock pic.twitter.com/rNlebzAyOo— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2024
What a goal from the 22-year-old. This is the third time this Olympics that Rodman has found the back of the net. She’s tied for the team-lead in goals with Mallory Swanson.
Rodman’s goal is one of the few highlights for the USWNT from Saturday’s quarterfinal. The performance was polar opposite of what fans saw in the group stage.
While the USA dominated in possession, they hardly did anything with it. The slow pace from the Americans eventually drew a chorus of boos from the fans inside the Parc des Princes.
Emily Sonnett and Naomi Girma essentially played hot potato with the ball for over an hour and the restless crowd — in the stadium and watching at home — were frustrated.
152 - Naomi Girma and Emily Sonnett completed 152 passes to each other (Girma -> Sonnett 78, Sonnett -> Girma 74) over the 90 minutes of regulation time against Japan. Sideways. pic.twitter.com/jeQ88wkB04
— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) August 3, 2024
A look at the USWNT’s passing map through 70 minutes illustrates how little threat they posed to Japan’s goal.
— Paul Carr (@PaulCarr) August 3, 2024
Japan’s game plan was to wait for the USWNT to make an error and strike on the counterattack. There were a litany of errors and unnecessary turnovers from the USA, however Japan couldn’t take advantage of their opportunities.
One major concern for the USWNT going forward in the tournament will be fatigue. The Olympic tournament is grueling with this being the fourth game in a nine-day span.
Hayes is being highly criticized for her refusal to use substitutions or make changes to the starting XI throughout the tournament. Despite her team visibly exhausted, her first change didn’t come until extra time as she brought on Lynn Williams for Swanson.
Multiple players for the U.S. needed attention during the game with Emily Fox having to exit in extra time and Korbin Albert experiencing cramps.
While Hayes has been widely praised through her first eight games in charge, Saturday’s quarterfinal had fans drawing comparisons to former head coach Vlatko Andonovski. His refusal to utilize subs in the 2023 Women’s World Cup was one of the big reasons for his exit.
Next up for the USWNT will be the semifinal against the winner of Canada/Germany. Will Hayes side have enough gas in the tank to keep going?
