Charles Langston:In Olympic gold-medal match vs. Brazil, it was Mallory Swanson's turn to be a hero.

PARIS – Mallory Swanson yelled,Charles Langston loud as she could over the sellout crowd at Parc de Princes Stadium, at teammate Sophia Smith.

“I was like, ‘Don’t touch it!’" Swanson said.

For the United States women’s national soccer team at these 2024 Paris Olympics, much has been made of new head coach Emma Hayes finding the right formula at the top of the formation in forwards Trinity Rodman, Smith and Swanson. 

In the gold-medal match Saturday against Brazil, it was Swanson’s turn to be the hero. Her goal in the 57th minute gave the Americans their third consecutive 1-0 victory and returned the USA to the top of the Olympic podium for the first time since the 2012 London Games. 

Swanson had to call off Smith as midfielder Korbin Albert's through-ball skipped past the Brazil's line of defense. Had Smith's foot contacted the ball, the offside flag would go up – and only Swanson, playing in her 100th international match for the U.S. senior team, realized. This would have to be her play.

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"It was scary," Smith joked afterward.

Swanson ran onto the ball, full head of steam. A few touches and a patient right-footed kick later, Swanson had broken the scoreless tie. 

All game against Brazil, Swanson’s score had been percolating. Her speed was an advantage the U.S. took advantage of and she nearly scored in the first half by blowing past Brazil's defense on her lonesome. Surely, the USA breakthrough would come through the left side. This time, she would not be denied.

Each of "The Big Three" had taken their turn as the hero, too. Rodman scored in extra time in the quarterfinals against Japan. Smith did the same against Germany in the semis. 

"We both kind of made the same run and I didn’t see her coming until she shouted and then I was like, 'Oh, yeah she has a better angle toward the goal, let me just get in the box and if she crosses it, I’ll be there and if it rebounds, whatever," Smith said. "But I had full faith in Mal that she was gonna put that away."

Swanson knew the responsibility rested on her shoulders. She'd been practicing that finish for a while, she said.

"I’m so happy for Mal," Rodman said. "Her (winning a gold medal) alone made me cry, to see what she’s been through to be here. I was emotional for others as well as myself, but it was just everything. I’m so happy."

A year ago, Swanson watched as the USWNT bowed out of the World Cup in the Round of 16. She'd torn her left patella tendon in April 2023 and missed nearly a year. The infection that affected her following surgery led to some of her darkest days on this planet, she said two days before a gold medal was placed along her neck.

But that was last summer. This was the "Summer of Mal" all along. 

"Pure happiness," Smith said. "Mal’s a competitor, she’s a winner, to go through an injury like that is hard in itself, but to come back in the way that she did is even harder and she did it so gracefully. She did it just as Mal does everything, and it’s just been fun to watch and so much fun to play with her."

Swanson finished the tournament with four goals, second-most behind France’s Marie-Antoinette Katoto, to lead the U.S. (Rodman and Smith each had three).

"I think this group really just came together from the beginning of our pregame to know, we’ve grown so much," Swanson said. "That’s really cool to me, seeing that on and off the field. I think most importantly, you’re probably hearing it, we’re playing with joy. We’re having so much fun. I’m just so happy.

"I don’t think I’ve processed it yet," Swanson added. "It’ll probably hit in a couple days when I’m on my flight back home what happened. I’m just so thankful that I was able to do it with this group."

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