ESPN.com · Aug 10, 2024
Olympic gold medal helps USWNT restore respect for program
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Rumors of the United States women's national team's demise were greatly exaggerated.
One year ago -- nearly to the day -- the USWNT had reached its nadir, crashing out of the 2023 Women's World Cup in the round of 16 for the first time. The results and the mostly dire performances at the tournament sparked existential questions about the USWNT's place in women's soccer's world order.
The Americans punctuated their extended rebuttal to such narratives by returning to the sport's summit on Saturday when they defeated Brazil 1-0 in the 2024 Olympic women's soccer gold medal match to win their ninth major tournament title.