The U.S. women's national soccer team beat Germany 4-1 on Sunday to clinch the top spot in their Olympic group, giving them plenty of breathing room ahead of their next match against Australia later this week.
The U.S. women were tied for first place prior to the match against Germany, but the gap in the standings on Sunday morning was quickly closed after Australia scored six goals against Zambia later that afternoon.
But the U.S. played well under pressure, keeping possession and forcing the German defense to spend most of the game in their own half, and Sophia Smith, who made her World Cup debut just last year, scored two goals to showcase her pure attacking prowess.
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Veteran Rose Lavelle also proved to be a fan favourite, appearing all over the field and at moments all over the place as a midfielder.
There's no question that Germany was the equal of the Americans in Sunday's match, but they couldn't break down the Americans, who had possession of the ball for more than 60 percent of the first half. Julia Gwinn managed to put the ball in the back of the net in the first half, but that was the only time U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naher allowed the ball in.
Germany gained momentum in the second half but couldn't capitalize on their chances against a U.S. team that played in a much tighter game than the match against Zambia a few days earlier.
Both teams came into today's match needing to bounce back after several struggling years on the international stage. The U.S. team became the fastest team in history to be eliminated from the World Cup last year, eliminated in the round of 16 just a few years after winning consecutive FIFA tournaments.
Meanwhile, the German women's team was eliminated in the group stage of last year's World Cup, just a few years after they failed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.
Once considered the world's darling, the U.S. women's team is facing increasingly tough competition as other countries invest in the women's sport as recent U.S. stars, including former champions Megan Rapinoe, Ali Krieger, Kelli O'Hara and Ashlyn Harris, age out of international competition.
The current line-up is made up of a young, fresh crop of players and a new coach, Emma Hayes, who took over in May after more than a decade in charge of the Chelsea FC women's team.
Hayes has been criticized for using a roster full of young players who have never played in an Olympic game, with some fans especially infuriated when former national team star Alex Morgan was not selected for this year's team.
But the strategy seems to be working, as the team has demonstrated a newfound attacking prowess this tournament, which, combined with careful control, is paying off.
Barring a major upset late on Wednesday during the third day of group play, the U.S. team is all but guaranteed to advance to the Olympic quarterfinals. Germany currently sits second in Group B, closely followed by Australia.
