MARSEILLE, France (July 28, 2024) — The U.S. Women’s National Team is through to the 2024 Olympic quarterfinals with one group stage game to spare thanks to Sunday’s electrifying 4-1 win against Germany in Marseille. The Group B showdown between the two most decorated nations in women’s soccer lived up to the billing and was decided in large part by the Americans’ devastating front three of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson, who each contributed either a goal or assist for the second consecutive match.

The USA (2W-0L-0D; 6 points) will enter the first-round finale against Australia knowing it’s already through to the Aug. 3 quarterfinals. The top two teams in each four-team group, along with the two best third-place finishers, move on to the knockout rounds. The USA and defending World Cup champions Spain, which beat Nigeria, 1-0, today are the first two teams to secure their spot in knockout phase.

A win or a draw against the Aussies will clinch first place in the group, but the USA carries a plus-6 goal difference into the match, with Germany at even and Australia at minus-2, meaning the USA could finish top of the group and earn a trip to Paris even with a defeat. Either way, the quarterfinals are assured.

Group stage games don’t come much tougher than the clash at the Stade de Marseille where the fourth-ranked Germans and fifth-ranked Americans met for the sixth time at a Women’s World Cup or Olympics. The winner of the first five went on to claim the title (the most recent was the 2015 Women’s World Cup semifinal won by the USA), but each of those previous meetings occurred in the knockout rounds. On Sunday in the south of France, both sides were looking to build on opening game victories and, perhaps, secure their quarterfinal status.

To that end, U.S. head coach Emma Hayes started the same lineup that began the 3-0 defeat of Zambia on July 25, although Lindsey Horan sat a bit deeper in midfield alongside Sam Coffey. Germany almost scored first in the fourth-minute as a wayward back pass was intercepted by dynamic attacker Jule Brand. She then fed a wide-open Lea Schüller, whose point-blank shot was blocked by an alert Alyssa Naeher, the first of several key saves for the U.S. goalkeeper on the night.

The USA answered that wake-up call as Horan and Coffey reclaimed control of midfield and the potent attacking trident quickly went to work. In the 10th minute, a give-and-go between midfielder Rose Lavelle and Rodman created ample space on the right with Rodman’s pin-point cross on the ground finished by the crashing Smith. The Germans leveled the score 12 minutes later on a long-range blast by defender Giulia Gwinn, who was beaten by Smith on the opening goal. The shot snuck through the legs of U.S. center back Tierna Davidson, who had to leave the game near the end of the first half after suffering a lower leg injury, before tucking inside the left post. It was the first goal yielded by the USA in six matches under Hayes, but it appeared to galvanize, rather than deflate, the group.

It was Swanson’s turn in the 26th. She helped create Smith’s opener with a smart run toward the near post that pulled apart the German defense. Smith then returned the favor as the Americans reclaimed the lead. Smith won the ball off Germany’s Kathrin Hendrich, held her off and then sent a left-footed shot toward goal that Germany and NJ/NY Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger parried away, but couldn’t hold. Swanson raced toward the left post in pursuit of the rebound and was first to the ball, poking it past the scrambling Berger for her third goal of the tournament and fourth of her Olympic career.

The USA doubled its lead near the end of the first half as Smith’s second of the game came off a shot that deflected off a defender’s leg, looped over Berger, hit the right post and bounced across the goal line, but the sequence followed some outstanding short passing off a short corner on the right that helped set the up the Americans.

Germany pushed forward as expected, but the U.S. defense held strong, and the European powefailed to threaten much apart from a 62nd-minute chance from Chelsea FC player Sjoeke Nüsken that was snuffed out by Naeher. Smith was substituted in the 85th minute and her replacement, Lynn Williams, tallied the Americans fourth on a play created by, who else, Rodman and Swanson. Rodman won the ball deep in the U.S. half as stoppage time approached and quickly launched a counterattack. She fed Swanson, who calmly found Williams in the left side of the penalty area. Williams easily won the battle between Gotham teammates with a low left-footed striker into the far post to cap a brilliant night for American attackers.

After two matches at this Olympics, Swanson has three goals and one assist. Smith has two goals and one assist and Rodman has one of each, in addition to several important contributions, passes and runs — like that 89th-minute tackle and pass — that generate goals but don’t show up on the scoresheet.

Now the USA will seek to top the group. The group stage will conclude Wednedsay, July 31 back at the Stade de Marseille where the USA will meet 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup host and semifinalist, Australia (1 p.m. ET; USA Network, Universo and Peacock). The 12th-ranked Matildas (1W-1L-0D) defeated Zambia, 6-5, in a wild game in Nice earlier Sunday to stay alive in the tournament.