The USWNT is the Olympic champion again after beating Brazil 1-0 in Paris on Saturday.
The Americans , who are now coached by former Chelsea boss Emma Hayes, won their first gold medal in the Olympics in 12 years thanks to Mallory Swanson's second-half winner. Yet it was a controversial goal , with Sophia Smith appearing to be offside.
Korbin Albert played a ball through the heart of defense, which Swanson and Smith both ran toward. The latter was standing in an offside position and curbed her run, allowing Swanson to latch onto the ball in plenty of space before easily finding the net.
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The Brazilians furiously appealed to the referee by suggesting Smith was interfering with play. If Smith did not run toward the ball, the defenders could've swarmed around Swanson and potentially stopped her from scoring the winner at the Parc des Princes.
Despite the protests, the video assistant referee (VAR) did not review the goal. Brazil failed to equalize after the controversy, as the USWNT became a five-time Olympic champion. The team has also won gold in 1996, 2004, 2008, and 2012.
The Americans picked up a silver in Sydney in 2000 after losing 3-2 to Norway, with a bronze coming in Tokyo last time around. The USWNT didn't even pick up a medal at Rio in 2016 after losing in a penalty shootout to eventual runner-up Sweden.
Saturday's win marks the first piece of hardware for new USWNT head coach Hayes, who took over the job in May after a 12-year spell with Chelsea. She is arguably the most successful coach in women's soccer, having won 16 trophies during her time with the Blues. Hayes was named as the best women's soccer coach in the world by FIFA in 2021.
With a gold medal now secured, American fans can now look forward to more success under Hayes. Winning the World Cup in Brazil in three years' time is Hayes' main objective.
Speaking to NBC after Saturday's game, an emotional Hayes was asked how she turned the USWNT into a winning team again. She replied: "Just love. I come from a place of wanting players to enjoy themselves.
"I'd been at a club for 12 years where I'd had huge success, but I was desperate to do well for this country. And I'm so emotional because it's not every day you win a gold medal."
Hayes, while fighting back the tears, was then asked why she was so desperate for the United States to be successful. Although Hayes is a Londoner, she coached teams in New York and Chicago before getting her big break with Chelsea. The Brit replied: "I love America, it made me. And I always say that. It definitely made me."
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