Olympic Soccer Bracket 2024: USA Beats Brazil to Win Women's Gold Medal

The United States Women's National Soccer Team won their first Olympic title in 12 years Saturday, defeating Brazil 1-0 in the gold medal match at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Forward Mallory Swanson made the difference for Team USA, taking a long pass from Korbin Albert and beating Brazilian goalkeeper Lorena in the 57th minute for the first and only goal of the match:

There was some question regarding whether Swanson was offside when the pass was made, but it was upheld, and it proved to be all the USWNT needed to prevail.

Brazil was unquestionably the better team throughout the first half and ultimately won the possession battle 57 percent to 43 percent, but the Americans weathered the storm and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher made a couple of huge stops.

Naeher also saved Team USA's bacon in stoppage time, turning away a header at close quarters that could have tied things up:

In the end, Team USA won its first Olympic gold medal since 2012 and its fifth gold medal overall, solidifying it as the most decorated country in the history of Olympic women's soccer.

When it comes to major international tournaments, the U.S. ended a five-year title drought Saturday, as it had not won a top-flight event since the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Since then, the United States has gone from the unquestioned world power in women's soccer to a somewhat inconsistent program.

The Americans were ranked fifth in the world entering the Olympics, but with two wins over No. 4 Germany and a victory over No. 10 Brazil to clinch the gold medal, that figures to change.

After Team USA crashed out in the round of 16 at the 2023 Women's World Cup, head coach Vlatko Andonovski stepped down, and that proved to be the start of a new and exciting era for the USWNT.

Longtime Chelsea head coach Emma Hayes was hired as Andonovski's replacement, and she seemed to have the United States on the right track entering the World Cup.

Even so, she had only four matches as the team's coach before the World Cup, so there were plenty of unknowns regarding how the team would perform.

Six matches later, the Americans are Olympic champions once again, and they now have more all-time major titles than all other countries combined in women's soccer, per OptaJack:

While Team USA's time in Paris ended in jubilance, it marked another disappointment for Brazil on the international stage.

Few expected Brazil to contend at the 2024 Olympics, so a silver medal has to be considered a fantastic result, but losing to the United States in big matches has become a trend for the South American power.

Brazil lost to Team USA in the gold medal match at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, and it happened for a third time this year, making it the most common result in Olympic women's soccer history.

Although Brazil has a bright future thanks to a young, talented roster, much like the United States, Saturday was the last hurrah for women's soccer legend Marta.

The 38-year-old came off the bench in the second half of Saturday's match in search of her first Olympic gold medal, but she had to settle for a third silver in her final international tournament.