Coach Emma Hayes tempered expectations as the United States cruised to a 4-1 win over Germany for a spot in the quarterfinals at the Paris Olympics. (Full Olympics Coverage | More Sports News)
Sophia Smith had a pair of goals for the America𝄹ns, who have won their opening two mat൩ches in France. Mallory Swanson and Lynn Williams also scored against Germany.
The Americans are playing their first major tournament under Hayes, who 𝐆took ov💫er the U.S. team in late May.
Hayes is tasked with leading the Americans as they seek to distanceᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ themselves from the disappointment of last summer's Women's World Cup, when they crashed out in the☂ round of 16.
The United States i🃏s the winningest team in the Olympics, with four gold medals. The Americans won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Games under former coach Vlatko Andonovski, who resign🌄ed following the World Cup.
Smith started for the United States af💮ter leaving the opener in the first half with what appeared to be an ankle injury. Ten minutes into the match, Smith struck a cross from Trinity Rodman that sailed past German goalkeeper Katrin-Ann Berger.
Giulia Gwinn equalized in the 22nd minute with a low, bouncing shot from well outside the penalty area that eluded diving U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.
Swanson put the United States back in front in the 26th. Berger punc🌜hed out an attempt from distance by Smith, but Swanson picked up the rebound for a goal. It was Swanso♎n's third goal of the Olympics.
Swanson is the second player to score three goals in the group at an Olympics, ☂joining Abby Wambach in 2012.
Smith scored her second♛ in the 44th minut🔜e on a high-arcing shot that hit the far post and caromed into the goal.
Williams, a substitute,😼 added the final goal i💝n the 89th minute.
U.S. defender Tierna Dav👍idson left the match with an injury and was replaced by Emily Sonnett.
Alexandra Popp left in the 76th minute with what appeared to be a right leg inju📖ry🀅. It was a blow to Germany, which was already playing without midfielder Lena Oberdorf (knee).
The United States plays Australia in Marseille on Wednesday to conclude group play. Germany, which defeated Australia𝓰 in itsꦚ Olympic opener 3-0, plays Zambia in Saint-Etienne.
Canada 2, France 1
Vanessa Gilles scored in the 12th minute of stoppage time against F༒rance to keep alive Canada's hopes of advancing.
Canada looked to be heading out of the tou𝓀rnament before its final Group A match when the game was tied 1-1 in Saint-Etienne.
A six-point deduction for the drone-spying scandal mea🅠nt only a win w⛄ould be enough to give the defending Olympic champion any chance of advancing.
Gilles converted via the post♌ from close range to seal the comeback win after Jordyn Huitema's shot was saved.
Marie-Antoinette Katoto h⛎ad put France ahead i൩n the 42nd and Jessie Fleming evened the match in the 58th to give the Canadians hope.
🅠The win still leaves Canada on zero pꦏoints despite back-to-back wins because of the sanctions by FIFA.
Canada was looking into an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sporಌt over the ruling.
Australia 6, Zambia 5
Australia produced a stunning comeback to beat Zambia in Nice and boost its chances of advancing to t♔he quarterfinals of the tournament.
Michelle Heyman's goal in the 90th minute at Stade de Nice settled a thrilling match that Zambia led 5-2 early in the second half, with Barbra Banda s🌳coring a༒ first-half hat trick.
An ow🔯n goal by Ngambo Musole sparked Australia's fightba✨ck in the 58th.
Two more goals from Catley — a free kick in the 65th and a penalty🐬 in the 78th — evened the score and set up the dramatic finale.
Heyman had come on as a substitute in the 57th and slotted home the winner for the Mati🌞ldas, who weꦯre World Cup semifinalists last year.
Australia lost 3-0 to Germany in its opening game in Group B and was looking set for a second defeat♑ after Zambia raced to a commanding lead.
As well as Banda's hat trick, Racheal Kundananji scored twice. Alanna K🦂ennedy and Hayley Raso scored in the first half for Australia🧸.
Japan 2, Brazil 1
Momoko Tanikawa scored a long-r🐈ange goal deep in stoppage time to clinch Japan's comeback win over Brazil.
The spectacular goal followed Saki Kumagai's equalizer from the penaltꦍy spot a✅fter Yasmin was called for a handball at the end of regulation at Parc des Princes in Paris.
Brazil was leading 1-0 after Jheniffer's goal in the 56th minute until Japan's late goals, capped with Tanika🎃wa's strike from well outs🔯ide the top of the box that caught Brazilian goalkeeper Lorena out of position.
Ma🌼rta put her head in her hands in disbelief on the bench. A victory would have all but assured Brazil a spot in t༒he knockout round.
Brazil started Marta, the t♎eam's longtime captain who is pla💧ying in her sixth Olympics.
Every time that the 38-year-old got a touch on the ball Sunday night the Paris crowd cheered.
She nearly scored in Brazil's 1-0 victory over Nigeria in the team's opener, but the goal was called back by video review. But the win over Nigeria was a valuable three points for the Brazilians who woღn't know their fate in Paris until after the last group matches on Wednesday.
Braz﷽il dominated possession i꧋n the opening half. Mina Tanaka had a good chance for Japan in the 19th minute, but her shot went just wide. Later in the half she missed on a penalty. Tanaka has 37 goals in 82 appearances for Japan.
Spain 1, Nigeria 0
World cha🧸mpion Spain beat Nigeria to make it two wins from two in Group C and advance to the quarterfinals.
Ale🌠xia Putellas scored in the 85th at Stade de la Beaujoiꦉre in Nantes to leave Spain three points clear at the top of the group, ahead of Japan and Brazil.
The game was goalless going i🍎n to the final stages when Putellas curled a long free kick past goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie into the top corner.
