The Paris 2024 Olympics featured the perfect ladies’s soccer gamers on the earth, and their contributions on the pitch earned them a spot in our Staff of the Event.
Lower than one month in the past, 12 groups arrived in France with the hopes of successful the gold medal in ladies’s soccer on the Paris 2024 Olympics. Powerhouses like the US, Spain, and France entered the match because the favorites whereas Brazil, Germany, and Japan had been marked as darkish horses.
The competitors unfolded with loads of spotlight reel-worthy moments, together with epic saves, stunning crimson playing cards, and naturally, loads of objectives. Though just one staff might stroll away as Olympic champions, gamers from a number of totally different nations left their mark in France.
This is 90min’s Paris 2024 Olympics Staff of the Event.
GK: Lorena – Brazil/Gremio
No participant was extra impactful between the posts for his or her staff than Lorena. The goalkeeper may not have as many clear sheets because the USA’s Alyssa Naeher, however she stored her aspect in each recreation they performed with heroic efforts. The Brazilian saved a penalty in opposition to Japan and France, after which completely stood on her head in opposition to Spain within the semi-finals.
Lorena had extra to do on the again than another keeper within the match, and got here up big each single time.
DF: Ona Battle – Spain/Barcelona
Battle was the perfect defender for La Roja on the Paris 2024 Olympics. The best-back performed each second for Spain this summer season and excelled even when her fellow defenders got here up brief. The 25-year-old created probability after probability for her aspect, together with probably the most of any participant within the bronze medal match, and nonetheless managed to all the time do her job on the again.
DF: Naomi Girma – United States/San Diego Wave
Naomi Girma was the perfect center-back on the Paris 2024 Olympics. The defender was a brick wall on the again, and even when her associate, Tierna Davidson, went down with an damage, Girma nonetheless delivered and helped her aspect maintain two clear sheets within the knockout stage to ship her staff to the gold medal match.
DF: Vanessa Gilles – Canada/Lyon
Canada’s gold medal protection was riddled with controversy this summer season, however Vanessa Gilles did every thing she might to provide her staff a preventing probability after their six level deduction within the group stage. Beneath her management, the Reds solely conceded two objectives in 4 matches, and stored two clear sheets of their two must-win matches.
Gilles additionally scored the winners in opposition to France and Colombia to ship her staff to the knockout stage.
DF: Emily Fox – United States/Arsenal
Emily Fox was an integral a part of the USA’s distinctive backline this summer season. Even with a minor knee damage, the right-back began each recreation and performed the total 120 minutes within the semi-finals to protect the Stars and Stripes’ 1-0 lead in opposition to Germany. The 26-year-old’s correct passing and dominance on the fitting flank can’t be ignored, particularly with how effectively she shut down her opponent’s greatest gamers.
MF: Adriana Leal – Brazil/Orlando Pleasure
Adriana’s impression within the absence of Marta was second to none for Brazil. The 27-year-old stepped up when her staff wanted her probably the most, aiding the successful aim within the quarter-finals in opposition to France after which scoring the winner in opposition to Spain within the semi-finals.
She might need much less minutes than many of the different beginning midfielders within the match, however she definitely has two of the perfect, most vital moments for a staff on the Paris 2024 Olympics.
MF: Aitana Bonmati – Spain/Barcelona
Spain noticed their hopes for his or her first ever Olympic medal in ladies’s soccer crushed after defeats to Brazil and Germany of their closing two fixtures in France. As all the time, although, Aitana Bonmati confirmed her high quality within the midfield as she out-classed the gamers round her to push ahead and create goalscoring alternatives for her teammates.
She solely managed to attain one aim in France this summer season, however anybody who watched the reigning Ballon d’Or winner play noticed simply how nice she is, even when her staff was not.
MF: Klara Buhl – Germany/Bayern Munich
Germany wouldn’t have made such a deep run on the Paris 2024 Olympics with out Klara Buhl’s play within the midfield. The 23-year-old solely scored one aim for her aspect this summer season, however she greater than made up for it along with her service within the closing third. Actually, she would undoubtedly have extra spectacular statistics if her teammates might discover the top product within the closing third.
Nonetheless, Buhl was one of the crucial constant, dependable midfielders in the complete competitors.
FW: Trinity Rodman
Ever since Emma Hayes took over the USWNT, Trinity Rodman’s recreation reached new heights. After failing to attain within the first half of 2024, the ahead discovered the again of the online in her Olympics debut and scored the winner in opposition to Japan to ship her staff to the semi-finals. She is the guts of the USA’s assault and their most artistic participant up high, all the time searching for the breakthrough in opposition to a low block to seek out Sophia Smith or Mallory Swanson.
FW: Marie-Antoinette Katoto – France/PSG
Marie-Antoinette Katoto struggled to make a distinction within the quarter-finals in opposition to Brazil, however her dominance within the group stage nonetheless have to be celebrated. The striker scored 5 objectives in France’s opening three matches, together with the winners in opposition to Colombia and New Zealand. With out the 25-year-old up high, Les Bleues may not have even made it to the knockout stage.
FW: Sophia Smith
Sophia Smith proved she is a prolific goalscorer this summer season in France. A number of strain was placed on the 23-year-old’s shoulders after the USWNT failed to attain of their closing Olympics warm-up match, and the ahead rose to the event when her staff wanted her probably the most. Smith scored the winner in opposition to Germany to ship the Stars and Stripes to their first gold medal match since 2012.