Amidst defensive struggles, Australia head coach Tony Gustavsson did his best to keep the USWNT from scoring, but the task was just too tall against the most ferocious attacking side in the world.
It took the United States just a half to break down the Matildas’ low block as Trinity Rodman’s opener sent the United States women on their way to a perfect group stage finish, winning Group B with a perfect three-for-three performance by beating Australia 2-1 in Marseille.
The USWNT was methodical in attacking the passive setup from Australia, with Gustavsson adding an extra defender to the starting lineup in the hopes of silencing the U.S. They conceded enormous possession and were eventually punished for doing so, as Rodman’s opener left them undone.
Korbin Albert came off the bench to add her mark on the scoreline with a stunning strike for her first international goal, and the Aussies had little way back from there.
Australia made things nervy at the end, throwing central defender Alanna Kennedy forward in desperation to great effect as the Man City star scored early in stoppage time, and should have had a second moments later, but came up just short.
With the result, Australia are left vulnerable on the edge of knockout stage qualification, now waiting nervously for the group stage to finish to learn their fate. The USWNT, meanwhile, top the group and advance to the quarterfinals where they will meet Japan in Paris on Saturday.
MORE: Full schedule, results, and bracket for men's and women's soccer at 2024 Olympics
USWNT vs. Australia final score
| Score | Goal scorers | |
| USA | 2 | Rodman (44'), Albert (77') |
| Australia | 1 | Kennedy (90+2') |
Kickoff: 9p.m. local (3p.m. ET / 12p.m. PT)
Location: Stade Orange Velodrome (Marseille, France)
Referee: François Letexier (FRA)
Starting lineups:
USA (4-3-3, right to left):1. Naeher (GK) — 2. Fox (Krueger, 65'), 4. Girma, 14. Sonnett, 7. Dunn (Nighswonger, 46') — 16. Lavelle (Albert, 65'), 17. Coffey, 10. Horan — 5. Rodman (L. Williams, 65'), 11. S. Smith, 9. Swanson (Bethune, 80').
Australia (5-4-1, right to left):1. Arnold (GK) — 12. Carpenter, 14. Kennedy, 15. Hunt, 7. Catley, 3. Torpey (van Egmond, 60') — 16. Raso, 6. Gorry (Heyman, 60'), 8. Cooney-Cross (Wheeler, 46'), 9. Foord — 11. Fowler.
USWNT vs. Australia live updates, highlights from Olympics
FULLTIME:USA 2-1 Australia
Australia gave it a great fight at the death, but it finishes with all three points to the United States, who earn their second-ever perfect Olympic group stage performance. A very strong overall showing for Emma Hayes, who see the United States advance to the knockout round with ease!
90+3 min: Chance, Australia!Goodness, Alanna Kennedy, a central defender thrown forward in desperation, nearly scores a second just moments after her first! She snuck past Emily Sonnett and got her head to the ball on the doorstep, but she somehow put it wide!
90+2 min: GOAL! AUSTRALIA!The Matildas are alive! A knockdown header from Michelle Heyman falls right into the path of Alanna Kennedy who splits the center-backs and pokes it into the net! It makes the finish to this game a lot more interesting than it seemed to be!
At the very least, that could be a huge goal for Australia in terms of goal difference for the third-place qualifying tiebreakers!
90th min:Seven added minutes are shown as Australia pour numbers forward in a desperate late attempt to find a goal. So far it has not troubled Alyssa Naeher's frame too much.
82nd min: Chance, USA!How did that not go in????? A deflected shot from Sophia Smith hits the near post, rolls along the goal line, hits the far post, and pops out into the arms of the goalkeeper! That's incredibly unlucky!
79th min: Chance, Australia!The Matildas have finally woken up, and Casey Krueger makes a sliding block on the edge of the six-yard box to prevent a possible goal! It did appear that Alyssa Naeher was in good position to make the stop had it gone through, but safety first!
Mallory Swanson will exit, as Croix Bethune enters for the United States as the last change for Emma Hayes.
77th min: GOAL! USA!Korbin Albert puts the game away with a brilliant debut international goal! She gets the ball on her right atop the penalty area and pulverizes it into the top corner! There's no stopping that!
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) July 31, 2024LET IT RIP, KORBS!!! 🚀🚀🚀
72nd min:The U.S. has taken its foot off the gas a bit and are allowing Australia to have a bit more of the ball. This is in part to protect the lead, and also in part to conserve energy for the coming knockout round. They've not been troubled to this point by the Matildas possession.
67th min:Korbin Albert has only been on the field a few minutes but picks up a yellow card for a needless foul on Caitlin Foord. That's poor from the U.S. midfielder who now will be at risk of a suspension with another booking in this tournament.
59th min:Australia makes a few changes as forward Emily van Egmond comes on with Australia needing a goal, and Michelle Heyman also enters. Kaitlin Torpey and Katrina Gorry are withdrawn, indicating they will switch back to a four-defender system.
Emma Hayes will make a triple substitution in response, with Lynn Williams, Korbin Albert, and Casey Krueger set to enter in place of Rose Lavelle, Trinity Rodman, and Emily Fox.
56th min:The USWNT get away with one here as Sam Coffey produces a dangerous tackle stepping over the ball and onto the ankle of an Australian midfielder. At the least, that's a second yellow for Coffey and might even be a straight red, but somehow the French referee does not punish the American midfielder, and VAR does not recommend a review. That's a very poor decision, and probably should have seen the United States reduced to 10.
52nd min:The U.S. has picked up right where they left off in the first half, maintaining a huge possessional dominance and pummeling Australia. They've won multiple corners, the latest seeing Naomi Girma come extremely close to scoring her first international goal from atop the penalty area, but drags it wide.
2nd half kickoff:They're back under way in Marseille, and Emma Hayes has finally looked to rotate her squad a bit. Jenna Nighswonger comes onto the field to replace Crystal Dunn, but Trinity Rodman remains on the pitch for now despite being one booking away from a suspension.
Tony Gustavsson withdraws Kyra Cooney-Cross and brings Clare Wheeler on in her place.
HALFTIME: USA 1-0 Australia
Trinity Rodman's goal is an important one for the United States, as it gives them a lead and forces Australia to open up from their low block. The USWNT is seeking just its second-ever perfect three-for-three Olympic group stage finish.
As it stands, Australia are in serious peril of elimination from the Olympics. They are, for the moment, the final third-place qualifier to the knockout stage, but that is pending the Group A matches to come, where most outcomes see them fall out of a quarterfinal place.
45+5 min:After all that, 10 minutes of added time are shown, mostly for the VAR fiasco we just witnessed.
44th min: GOAL! USA!The USA has found the opening goal just before halftime, as they finally break Australia down and go in front!
A corner is swung in to the near post and flicked on laterally, where Sophia Smith gets her head to it. The effort is driven down into the ground and fails to get through the trees, but it falls to Trinity Rodman who pokes it into the open net!
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 31, 2024GOAL USA. ⚽️🇺🇸
Trinity Rodman gives the USWNT the lead over Australia! #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/j20VmPyrb5
There's a long VAR check which holds up the restart, because Sam Coffey is offside on Sophia Smith's header, but she's in no way interfering with the goalkeeper. Incredibly, however, the referee appears to try and review the call, but cannot? Is the review system not working? Tony Gustavsson is furious, and gets booked for his protests. Letexier motions that the goal stands!
Ok but then....the referee has come back over to the touchline, and he puts on a headset. Is he going to try and review this call over a headset without video of the incident? It's entirely unclear what is going on. Now, he goes over to review the play on a screen that does appear to be working!
AND THE GOAL STANDS! The French official finally does review the footage, and decides to let the goal stand! What a mess, but it results in the opener!
40th min: Chance, USA!THE USWNT COMES SO CLOSE TO THE OPENER! Lindsey Horan gets on the end of a deep cross to the doorstep, and heads it on frame, but Mackenzie Arnold saves the ball off the crossbar and away!
39th min: Chance, USA!Finally the U.S. gets out on the counter after Australia turn it over, and Crystal Dunn nearly profits off an error from Mackenzie Arnold! Her right-footed blast from the top of the penalty area is saved well by Arnold, but her effort to push the ball over the crossbar comes up short, and she has to scramble back to keep it from looping up and into the back of the net.
36th min:There's still been very little goal mouth action. Australia, understandably, are selling out in an effort to secure the point they need to advance. That's making it extremely hard for the U.S. to find any attacking space, leaving them to dominate possession but fail to create chances.
So far, it's working for Australia.
25th min: Chance, Australia!In the Matildas' first real dangerous move forward, Mary Fowler drags a shot just inches wide of the far post! She rips one through the legs of Naomi Girma and beats the goalkeeper but just barely beats the post! Playing in their low block, they won't get many looks like that, but it won't matter if they can finish one or two of them off!
21st min:Australia is sitting extremely deep in its five-defensive low block, and it's causing trouble for the United States who are poking and prodding looking to find spaces and coming up empty. Attacking a low block is extremely difficult, and that's the whole point. As a result, though, Australia's had basically nothing going forward themselves.
9th min: Chance, USA!Trinity Rodman forces a good save from Mackenzie Arnold, and then Sophia Smith blasts the rebound miles over the crossbar! Rodman could have picked out a better finish but hit it right at the goalkeeper on her regular right flank, and Smith's follow-up came on a bouncing ball making it a very high degree of difficulty on the volley.
The U.S. is finding lots of space cutting inside after building down both touchlines.
6th min: Chance, USA!Trinity Rodman takes a shot from a very tight angle and the ball is spilled by goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold! The Australia shot-stopper is very lucky the ball didn't fall at the feet of three charging American attackers, but instead ends up in no-man's land between them and is cleared. An early mistake but it goes unpunished.
4th min:An early blow for the U.S. sees Sam Coffey booked just four minutes into the match, meaning she will miss the quarterfinal match due to yellow card accumulation. That's a risk Emma Hayes took by refusing to rotate the side, and they've been punished.
Kickoff:They're under way in the final group match of the women's Olympic soccer tournament! The U.S. has already qualified but is fighting for finishing placement, while Australia needs a point to confirm qualification of their own.
USWNT vs. Australia: Pre-match commentary, analysis, more
15 mins to kickoff:The match today will be in Marseille, the same place where the U.S. beat Germany last time out. It's a nice perk for the USWNT that they didn't have to travel between games!
📍 here pic.twitter.com/ZBpTKImJA7
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) July 31, 2024
30 mins to kickoff:Australia have sorely missed injured superstar Sam Kerr. The on-field loss of one of the world's best players is an obvious issue, but her absence within the squad is also having its effect.
“I literally felt like someone had stabbed me in the stomach,” said stand-in captain Steph Catley back in February about when she learned Kerr had torn her ACL. The Aussies have looked devoid of ideas at times up front — they scored six on Zambia, but that's the norm against Zambia, and it required a late comeback. They were smothered by Germany in the opener, and have really missed Kerr's playmaking abilities.
45 mins to kickoff:In honor of Sophia Smith's two goals for the U.S. so far in this tournament, one behind the Olympic leaders to this point, enjoy this exceptional (and ruthless) Nike ad featuring Sophia Smith putting a defender on blast.
— Nike (@Nike) July 28, 2024🎥 @sophsssmith will make sure you feature in the highlight reel.
You’re welcome. #WinningIsntForEveryone #Paris2024 @Olympics pic.twitter.com/u6789uzJ1a
1 hour to kickoff:There's been a shockwave sent through the sport in today's opening Olympic matches. Brazil legend Marta, one of the greatest players in women's soccer history, may see her illustrious international career come to an end with a straight red card.
The 38-year-old, who is set to retire after the Olympics, was sent off against Spain just before halftime for a very high boot near the head of an opponent. Overcome with tears as she walked off the pitch, Marta will need her side to reach the semifinals to see the field again, as she will be suspended for the next match should Brazil qualify for the knockout stage.
Sporting News ranked Marta as the greatest player in women's soccer history.
— Sincerão (@oficialsincerao) July 31, 2024Simplesmente Marta expulsa…
Possivelmente este foi seu último momento em Olimpíadas. pic.twitter.com/NZUw4XgVSg
1 hour 15 mins to kick:Lineups are in, and there's some surprises on both ends. For the U.S. the surprise is that Emma Hayes has refused to rotate anyone in the starting lineup despite the condensed and grueling nature of the Olympics, as even 32-year-old Crystal Dunn remains in the XI with Jenna Nighswonger still on the bench.
For the Matildas, an extra defender in Kaitlyn Torpey comes into the starting lineup with an attacker sacrificed as Tony Gustavsson looks to shore up their defensive woes against one of the world's most in-form forward units.
1 hour 30 mins to kick:For all their illustrious Olympic history, the U.S. women have only enjoyed a perfect three-win group stage once ever at this competition. That came in 2012, when they secured wins over France, Colombia, and North Korea en route to winning their fourth and latest gold medal.
1 hour 45 mins to kick:There has, reportedly, been significant discontent in the Australia women's camp this summer as the Matildas flounder at the Olympics. A report by The Australian claims a source within the Australia camp described this Olympics as "a sh*tshow" and claimed head coach Tony Gustavsson's tactics are "disorganized."
Gustavsson's contract is up after the tournament, and the reports seem to indicate there's a decreasing chance of it being renewed. Even he admitted it "might be my last camp on home soil."
You can read more about the questions within Australia from our Sporting News Australia team here.
— 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 Australia (@sportingnewsau) July 31, 2024Is there discontent brewing in the Matildas camp ahead of their crunch clash against the USA?
2 hours to kickoff:Filling in for Tierna Davidson at center-back is veteran Emily Sonnett, who has played a number of different roles for the USWNT over the last few years.
Sonnett has rotated between defense and midfield her entire career, dating all the way back to her college days with Georgia where she was named second-team Best XI by TopDrawerSoccer.com in midfield before moving back to see time at both center-back and full-back.
She was one of the options trialed by Vlatko Andonovski to replace the retired Julie Ertz in midfield at the 2023 Women's World Cup, but will now have to play at the back once again in a pinch. Sonnett told retired USWNT star Kelley O'Hara that she's not thrilled about the inconsistency but knows that's a big part of why she's in the squad to begin with.
— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) July 28, 2024Emily Sonnett talked to Kelley O’Hara before the Olympics about her multi-purpose role on the @USWNT.
She’s now in for Tierna Davidson at center back. pic.twitter.com/SVH7eVOnFx
USWNT vs. Australia kickoff time
This group stage match at the2024 Summer Olympics kicks off from the Stade Orange Velodrome on Wednesday, July 31 at 9 p.m. local time in Marseille, France.
Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories around the globe:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA/Canada | Wed, Jul. 31 | 1 p.m. ET |
| USA/Canada | Wed, Jul. 31 | 10 a.m. PT |
| UK | Wed, Jul. 31 | 6 p.m. BST |
| Australia | Thu, Aug. 1 | 3 a.m. AEST |
| India | Thu, Aug. 1 | 10:30 a.m. IST |
Group B standings at 2024 Summer Olympics
| Pos. | Team | GP | Points | W-D-L | Goal Diff. | Goals For | Goals Against |
| 1. | USA | 2 | 6 | 2-0-0 | +6 | 7 | 1 |
| 2. | Germany | 2 | 3 | 1-0-1 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 3. | Australia | 2 | 3 | 1-0-1 | -2 | 6 | 8 |
| 4. | Zambia | 2 | 0 | 0-0-2 | -4 | 5 | 9 |
USWNT vs. Australia lineups, team news, starting 11
The biggest question for the United States in the run-up to this match was the fitness ofTierna Davidsonwho was withdrawn late in the first half of the win over Germany. The USWNT defender was taken off after suffering a knee contusion, and will miss the game, US Soccer confirmed.
The center-back depth for the USWNT behind Davidson is thin. Emily Sonnettisthe replacement alongsideNaomi Girma, while uncapped alternateEmily Samsis the only other natural center-back on the roster.
Jaedyn Shawwill also remain out, having missed all group matches due to a leg injury suffered in training.Cat Macariois not with the team in France after withdrawing from the squad before the tournament due to a flare-up of her knee issues.
USA starting lineup (4-3-3): Naeher (GK) — Fox, Girma, Sonnett, Dunn — Lavelle, Coffey, Horan — Rodman, S. Smith, Swanson.
USA subs (9):Murphy (GK), Nighswonger, Krueger, Sams, Albert, Bethune, L. Williams.
Australia head coach Tony Gustavsson has no known new injuries to worry about as of now but remains withoutsuperstarSam Kerrwho is sidelined long-term with an ACL tear.
Matildas wingerCortnee Vinestarted the first match against Germany and played an hour but was benched for the shootout against Zambia. Against the United States, Gustavsson has also sent forwardEmily van Egmondto the bench in favor of an extra defender inKaitlyn Torpeyto try and shore up the defensive issues.
Australia starting lineup (5-4-1): Arnold (GK) — Carpenter, Kennedy, Hunt, Catley, Torpey — Raso, Gorry, Cooney-Cross, Foord — Fowler.
Australia subs (9):Micah (GK), Heyman, Polkinghorne, Yallop, Wheeler, Vine, van Egmond.
USWNT vs. Australia live stream, TV channel
| TV Channel | Streaming | |
| USA | E!, Universo | Fubo USA, Peaco*ck, NBC Sports website/app |
| UK | — | — |
| Australia | — | 9Now, Stan Sport |
| Canada | — | CBC app/website |
| India | — | — |
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