U.S. women's Olympic soccer FAQ: Top scoring options, defensive star

At the Paris Olympics, which officially begin July 26 and conclude Aug. 11, the United States Women's National Soccer Team aims to bring home its fifth Olympic gold medal.

With global women's soccer at the height of its parity, this could be one of the USWNT's most difficult tournaments.

Here are frequently asked questions before the tournament begins Wednesday, two days before the opening ceremonies.

When do the Americans open in the Olympics?

The USWNT, which is in a group with Australia and Germany, opens its gold-medal campaign against Zambia on Thursday at 3 p.m. ET., a day before the opening ceremonies.

The Americans must get off to a strong start against the African country, which recently reached its all-time highest world ranking at No. 64 and has one of the hottest strikers in the world, Barbra Banda.

The Orlando Pride star has 12 goals in the National Women's Soccer League this season, good for a league-high 1.18 goals per 90 minutes.

Who are the Americans' top scorers?

New head coach Emma Hayes' roster has strong attacking talent in Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Jaedyn Shaw, who should give opponents headaches.

The USWNT’s best scorer, however, is Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Swanson. Her speed, combined with her ability on the ball, gives the United States a versatile weapon. In the NWSL, she has seven goals with three assists.

Who is the Americans' defensive star?

Two-time NWSL Defender of the Year Naomi Girma is the Americans' most important defender. Arguably the USWNT’s best player at last year’s World Cup, the 24-year-old is lauded for her maturity and consistency.

Girma’s adaptability is good for the U.S. Whether paired with Julie Ertz in the World Cup, Abby Dahlkemper in the NWSL or Tierna Davidson recently with the USWNT, she is not fazed.

Girma's game is well-rounded enough to handle the unpredictability inevitable in major tournaments.

Who is the X factor?

The last major tournament the United States won was the 2019 FIFA World Cup. The player who scored the winning goal was Rose Lavelle, a 29-year-old forward for the New Jersey/New York Gotham FC in the NWSL.

After being hindered by injuries early in the club season, Lavelle appears to be hitting her stride. Her ability to finish from outside the box proves vital in major tournaments.

As a World Cup winner, Lavelle provides the group championship experience. As the third midfielder alongside Lindsey Horan and Sam Coffey, she could be the glue that connects the build-up to the attack.

What is the Americans' main competition?

With both teams in the same group this Olympics, Germany presents the USWNT with the greatest challenge.

Germany overtook the Americans for the No. 4 spot in the world rankings, bumping the U.S. to fifth, its lowest ranking ever .

Runner-ups in the 2022 UEFA Women’s European Championship, Germany is in good form coming into this summer’s tournament and looks to emulate its gold-medal finish of 2016.

The Germans will miss midfielder Lena Oberdorf , the Women's EURO 2022 Young Player of the Tournament , due to a knee injury.

Who else is competing for gold?

Joining the United States and Germany for gold-medal contention is last year's FIFA World Cup champion Spain , the current world No. 1.

Led by Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati, the Spanish are the best possession-based team in the world. The Spaniards, who won the World Cup last summer and UEFA Women's Nation's League in February, are expected to dominate.

Host France shouldn't be dismissed, but its inconsistent European Championship qualification performances make it difficult to deem it a genuine contenders.

Don't count out defending gold-medalist Canada, which returns 13 members from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Canada remains the only nation to have medaled the past three Olympics.

The Canadians' championship experience and a good run of recent results sets it up well for a tough group battle with France, Colombia and New Zealand.