You’re at the bar. One of the U.S. women’s national team’s matches at the Olympics is on the big screen.
The person next to you makes a comment about Naomi Girma as she nails yet another key defensive intervention. “Girma must be the best center back at this tournament,” they say. You nod, realizing that you’re in the presence of another soccer savant. Now, though, you look inward. The Almighty Rules of Conversation that were established before the dawn of time dictate that you now have to respond with a USWNT take of your own.
But what do you say, other than, “I want Girma to captain my life?”
Well, I’m here to help.
Today, I’m setting the table for you ahead of the USWNT’s run at the Paris Olympics.
This tournament will see 12 teams from around the world duke it out in France — the real battle, though, is the one between your clever observations and the clever observations of those around you. The person with the most smart points at the end of the tournament wins. Those are the rules. I don’t make them. I just enforce them.
To make sure you’re as prepared as humanly possible, feast your eyes on Backheeled’s mega USWNT Olympics preview down below.
I’m not going to read all of this. Can you give me the summary?
Look, if you don’t really want to be the smartest person at the bar, I can’t force you.
Here’s the quick-hit summary: the U.S. is new and improved under manager Emma Hayes, has plenty of elite talent, and has a real chance to go home with a gold medal this summer. It’s fun to be a USWNT fan again.
Have things improved for the USWNT after their World Cup failure last summer?
I’m going to spare everyone (especially Alyssa Naeher) the pain of rehashing the United States’ loss to Sweden that bounced them from the 2023 World Cup in the Round of 16. Instead, let’s talk about how things truly have improved for the USWNT since their earliest ever World Cup exit.
Vlatko Andonovski left his post as manager in August of last year, leaving one of his assistants — Twila Kilgore — as the team’s interim manager for the better part of a year. With Kilgore shepherding the program and a couple of legends enjoying send-off games, U.S. Soccer began to search for a new manager to push the USWNT forward. In November, Backheeled broke the news that they’d landed renowned Chelsea manager Emma Hayes.
Later that month, U.S. Soccer made it official.
