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Parc Des Princes

Here’s another Olympic Soccer moment in the women’s gold medal match from overnight at Parc Des Princes in Paris and the USA women’s national soccer team aka USWNT has won back the gold medal over Brazil 1-0 since the London 2012 edition. It’s the fifth time they’ve done it that goes back to Atlanta 1996, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012 and now Paris 2024. What’s next now is for USWNT to win back the World Cup in 2027 where they’ve made a big name for themselves over the last two decades with four World Cup titles that goes back to 1999 on home soil over China at Rose Bowl in California.

It was quiet first half run where both teams ended up scoreless without the net. But fortunately, striker Mallory Swanson (nee Pugh) scored the one and only gold medal winning goal in the 57th minute for USWNT, as the US side defended so well including a valiant display from the keeper Alyssa Naeher towards the very end after a long 100 mins of play across two halves.

It’s Emma Hayes’s first major honour as their new head coach since the summer following a long decorated stint with the Chelsea ladies team in the WSL, which is the women’s equivalent of the men’s Premier League competition. Yes, there was doubt about a few experienced players being left out but time must go on to rejuvenate this USWNT squad with a few new youngsters coming in and it’s so far, so good with still a long way to go.

And heartbreak to Brazil with another silver medal yet again for the third time in women’s Olympic soccer history. They weren’t bad for a start in defense to keep the USWNT quiet at times, Brazil just couldn’t grasp the best out of their attacking play where things were so unlucky at times. But then time ran out against them and there’s nothing Brazil can do about it as they too also came from a long way to get where they want to be, having last done that back in Athens 2004,

Don’t forget they haven’t played in an Women’s World Cup Final since China 2007 over a 2-0 loss to Germany and with a home World Cup around the corner in 2027, it’s going to be a big opportunity for them to finally go one better when the Brazil women’s soccer team always fell short despite their early group stage and knockout success outside of these Finals.

What a way to finish off the Paris 2024 Olympics Soccer tournament with Spain breaking the host nation hearts of France yesterday in the men’s and USWNT just returned to winning ways once again over Brazil. While there’s nothing we can do about it about our Matildas’ early exit when there’s no Sam Kerr due to a ongoing ACL knee injury, a new era awaits though from here later this year with a new coach now that Tony Gustavsson recently left last week after a roller coaster last few years.

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Heartbreak from the host nation France with the silver medal following their 3-1 loss to Spain at Parc Des Princes, especially when they haven’t played in Paris at all until the one and only time now. 

So a bit like the Blackcaps really in cricket when they’ve been unbeaten in New Zealand all along until they’ve lost to the Aussies with the World Cup Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground back in 2015.

For France, gotta say the starting goal keeper should’ve done any better to save these shots at his own end – which was disappointing really when Spain got away with 2-3 easy goals. They’ve did the best though possible off the back of their good start including their late charge to unseat Spain for the gold medal honours. But again, their extra time performance was as the same as the keeper’s first half display unfortunately. Not even having less ball on their own defensive end allowed Spain to extend their lead during another half hour’s play in Paris by 5-3.

As said, you gotta feel sorry for the French attackers who did their best to give their home crowd a best possible ending for gold. But Spain holds the cards though as the end of the day for gold since Barcelona 1992, having lost to Brazil last time round four years ago at Tokyo 2020 (in 2021 due to COVID) 2-0 via extra time.

Speaking of Spain, they’ve been unstoppable from 1-0 down to 3-1 going into half-time thanks to a double Fermin Lopez strike. Yes, they may have been held up at the first attempt following a high stakes 3-3 all after 100 minutes of two halves. But again, they are the team who ran the French defenses wild thanks to their expansive attacking play that rattled the opposition keeper all day long when substitute Sergio Camello scored back-to-back late extra time goals — and that is how you finish off a gold medal performance in Olympics soccer for Spain.

Now there’s two more days to go before Paris 2024 is done and dusted with the Closing Ceremony at Stade De France.

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