The Paris 2024 Olympics featured one of the best girls’s soccer gamers on the planet, and their contributions on the pitch earned them a spot in our Crew of the Event.
Lower than one month in the past, 12 groups arrived in France with the hopes of profitable the gold medal in girls’s soccer on the Paris 2024 Olympics. Powerhouses like america, 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 purple playing cards, and naturally, loads of objectives. Though just one staff might stroll away as Olympic champions, gamers from a number of completely different nations left their mark in France.
This is 90min’s Paris 2024 Olympics Crew of the Event.
GK: Lorena – Brazil/Gremio
No participant was extra impactful between the posts for his or her staff than Lorena. The goalkeeper won’t have as many clear sheets because the USA’s Alyssa Naeher, however she stored her facet in each recreation they performed with heroic efforts. The Brazilian saved a penalty towards Japan and France, after which completely stood on her head towards Spain within the semi-finals.
Lorena had extra to do on the again than some other keeper within the match, and got here up enormous each single time.
DF: Ona Battle – Spain/Barcelona
Battle was one of the best 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 likelihood after likelihood for her facet, 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 one of the best center-back on the Paris 2024 Olympics. The defender was a brick wall on the again, and even when her companion, Tierna Davidson, went down with an damage, Girma nonetheless delivered and helped her facet 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 all the pieces she might to provide her staff a preventing likelihood after their six level deduction within the group stage. Underneath 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 towards 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 towards Germany. The 26-year-old’s correct passing and dominance on the proper flank can’t be ignored, particularly with how effectively she shut down her opponent’s greatest gamers.
MF: Adriana Leal – Brazil/Orlando Delight
Adriana’s affect 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 profitable purpose within the quarter-finals towards France after which scoring the winner towards Spain within the semi-finals.
She may need much less minutes than a lot of the different beginning midfielders within the match, however she actually has two of one of the best, 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 girls’s soccer crushed after defeats to Brazil and Germany of their ultimate 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 purpose 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 purpose for her facet this summer season, however she greater than made up for it along with her service within the ultimate third. In truth, she would undoubtedly have extra spectacular statistics if her teammates might discover the top product within the ultimate third.
Nonetheless, Buhl was one of the vital constant, dependable midfielders in all the 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 towards Japan to ship her staff to the semi-finals. She is the center of the USA’s assault and their most inventive participant up prime, all the time on the lookout for the breakthrough towards a low block to search out Sophia Smith or Mallory Swanson.
FW: Marie-Antoinette Katoto – France/PSG
Marie-Antoinette Katoto struggled to make a distinction within the quarter-finals towards Brazil, however her dominance within the group stage nonetheless should be celebrated. The striker scored 5 objectives in France’s opening three matches, together with the winners towards Colombia and New Zealand. With out the 25-year-old up prime, Les Bleues won’t have even made it to the knockout stage.
FW: Sophia Smith
Sophia Smith proved she is a prolific goalscorer this summer season in France. Lots of strain was placed on the 23-year-old’s shoulders after the USWNT failed to attain of their ultimate Olympics warm-up match, and the ahead rose to the event when her staff wanted her probably the most. Smith scored the winner towards Germany to ship the Stars and Stripes to their first gold medal match since 2012.
