US female soccer team
Photo: Google

The U.S. women’s national soccer team beat Brazil, 1-0, on Saturday courtesy of Mallory Swanson strike to take gold at the Paris Olympics.

Swanson scored for the U.S. women in the 57th minute and they stayed their nerves to deny Brazil any comeback. The US team, however, have their goal keeper to thank as she made pointblank saves in the course of the game.

The United States entered this Olympic final as a team transformed from just a year ago, when it made an early, round-of-16 exit at the 2023 World Cup.

The new coach, Emma Hayes, practically revamped a team with sagging morale and the result is a resurgent team of emboldened ladies ready and willing to fight with the American spirit.

The team won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics and only won their last gold medal in 2012.

In an interview with NBC’s Mike Tirico, U.S. Coach Emma Hayes hailed her players’ fortitude. “We got more aggressive as the game went on. I was encouraging that,” she said. “The heart, the determination, the grit — everything about these players is so unbelievable. I’m so proud.”

After Hayes told Tirico she was “desperate to do well for this country,” the English-born manager — who began her coaching career with stints in charge of a Long Island semi-pro team, Iona University and the Chicago Red Stars — was asked why she wanted to win gold for the United States.

“I love America,” she responded. “It made me.”