The United States women’s national team successfully hit the reset button in 2024, bouncing back in fine form from last year’s disappointment at the Women’s World Cup by winning the Olympic gold medal in Paris and reaffirming themselves as one of the best teams in the world. women’s soccer.
The gold medal, however, is just one moment in a memorable year for the world’s top-ranked team. Despite the quick move from the World Cup to the Olympics and coach Emma Hayes’ unusually short preparation for Paris, the USWNT achieved an ambitious rebuild that laid the foundation for the evolution Hayes is planning for the team. This makes 2024 a banner year for the USWNT in an increasingly competitive women’s soccer landscape, especially as the team made several notable decisions to put itself in good position as it begins the long road to the 2027 World Cup.
Here’s a look at the USWNT’s five best moments since 2024.
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5. Emma Hayes finally arrives
Although US Soccer officially announced the signing of Hayes in November 2023, his responsibilities with Chelsea meant he was not able to start his new job until the end of May. When he finally took over his first training session in Colorado, it marked the happy ending to a long wait and the beginning of an ambitious new chapter for the four-time World Cup winners.
Hayes’ arrival with just four games to prepare for the Olympics is the true origin of the USWNT’s improbable run to the gold medal, especially since he didn’t have time to modify the player pool or tactical plan much. However, the fact that she and the players were in sync from the moment they began working together is the most impressive part of the United States’ triumph in Paris and lays a solid foundation as the real work begins for Hayes. With two years and change until the 2027 Women’s World Cup, she can now present her ideas for the entire program, designed to keep the United States competitive as investment floods into women’s soccer.
4. New faces lead the way
Although Hayes has yet to make her full mark on the team, the first big decision she made as USWNT head coach was to prefer youth over Olympic experience. Now-retired star Alex Morgan stayed at home and only four players from his Paris team had more than 100 caps, while eight were newcomers to major international tournaments. Ultimately, the decision was helpful to the USWNT in the short term and likely will be in the long term, but it was also the result of a months-long project.
While the USWNT waited for Hayes, interim head coach Twila Kilgore introduced several new faces into the mix and made sure they earned valuable playing time before Hayes had to make decisions. The group that received its first caps under Kilgore is led by Jaedyn Shaw. , but Hayes continued the trend after the Olympics. Eight players under the age of 21 debuted in 2024, the most in a single calendar year since 2002, according to Opta.
3. Alyssa Naeher’s heroic penalty kicks
While the USWNT’s year was defined by newcomers and new ideas, goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher ended her international career. Although she built her reputation on being a quietly and consistently reliable closer, Naeher matched that with equal amounts of entertainment value in her final year with the USWNT and earned a fitting and memorable send-off.
There are actually several noteworthy moments in Naeher’s senior year, including an impressive foot save against Germany in the Olympic semi-finals. She really stood out in her last games with the national team as an elite goalkeeper in the penalty shootout, not only as a goalkeeper but also as a goal scorer. She became the only goalkeeper to score a penalty in the history of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, but surpassed herself in the Concacaf Gold Cup semifinals against Canada in March. Not only did he save three penalties, but he also converted his own kick.
2. Hello, triple espresso
Kilgore and Hayes’ effort to introduce younger talent into the USWNT lineup led to the team’s new all-star first line of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson. the self-proclaimed “triple espresso”.
Despite playing only a few minutes together, the trio wasted little time in living up to expectations at the Olympics. The three combined to score 10 goals in six games, accounting for all but two of the team’s goals en route to the gold medal. Their strong performance in France officially turned around the USWNT’s poor offensive showing at the World Cup, a tournament Swanson missed due to injury, and ensured that the team would once again embrace the scoring identity that has long defined them.
1. USWNT wins Olympic gold
A year of hard work and bold decisions led the USWNT to the top prize in August: its fifth Olympic gold medal and first since 2008.
The gold medal triumph inspired new confidence in the U.S. and its group of players, especially since the roster was primarily comprised of talents who had yet to win their first major international title. The experience not only created a new generation of champions to follow the USWNT’s long list of serial winners, but it also revealed the most convenient truth for the USWNT. They did not fail in the World Cup because now they are the old ladies of renewed women’s football; The USWNT simply needed some tweaks to remain competitive as their opposition gets better and better.
