Emma Hayes leads USWNT back to familiar territory with Olympic soccer gold | Paris 2024 Olympic Games

The U.S. women's national team has won a record five Olympic gold medals, their first since 2012. A goal from Mallory Swanson in the 58th minute sealed the deal in a thrilling final against Brazil on a sunny afternoon in southwest Paris.

Less than a year after being held to four goals in as many games in a disappointing World Cup, raising questions about whether they had lost their status as the gold standard in women's soccer, the Americans are back on top under new coach Emma Hayes. She is the star of American soccer after just nine games in which her team has not trailed.

I'm very emotional. It's a dream of mine to be in this position, Hayes said after the game. I have to thank my dad because he's the one who pushed me to this point to be able to coach an incredible group of players who have welcomed me so well and have taken on everything I've asked. They're great people and players and role models. Yeah, I love them.

It wasn’t always comfortable for the Americans, who went into Saturday as favorites but were the worst team for almost an hour after needing extra time to reach the quarterfinals and semifinals. But they leave the French capital as deserving Olympic champions behind a stunningly rejuvenated attack of Swanson, Trinity Rodman and Sophia Smith, the front line known as Triple Espresso and a four-man defence led by centre-back Naomi Girma, the only bright spot from last summer's failed World Cup run, who at 24 confirmed her status as one of the world's best centre-backs.

Underdogs on merit after narrowly escaping the group stage as one of two third-placed teams, the Seleo flew out of the box early in the game and immediately dispelled any concerns that they would be in a low block. They should have taken the lead in the second minute when Ludmila made an effort from 10 yards, only for her shot to deflect into the arms of Alyssa Naeher. A brief spell of US possession resulted in a flurry of corners, but it wasn’t long before Ludmila was at it again. The Chicago Red Stars forward looked to have scored beautifully from a tight angle on the quarter-hour mark, only for the goal to be ruled offside. Then she narrowly missed a long cross from Gabi Portilho for a third near-miss in the opening 18 minutes.

Playing before a raucous, well-lubricated crowd that broke out every few minutes with warring chants of USA! and Bra-zil!, the U.S. were careless in possession while their backs were overrun by a stubborn Seleo attack. Brazil's attacking tenacity seemed to wear down a U.S. team already burdened by the condensed Olympic schedule and Hayes' reluctance to sit on her bench. The breakthrough came out of nowhere in the 58th minute when Korbin Albert, Hayes one change from Tuesday's semifinal win over Germany, played a perfectly weighted through ball to Swanson, who coolly fired a right-footed shot past Lorena to mark her 100th international appearance in style. Swanson's fourth goal of the Olympics was the final coup for a partnership of Rodman and Smith that wound up scoring 10 of the team's 12 goals during their run to gold.

That was the cue for Brazil coach Arthur Elias to bring on Marta, but her introduction did little to slow down the bold Americans, whose chances came in quick succession. Ten days after her international career seemed doomed to end with the shame of a red card, the six-time FIFA Player of the Year did everything she could to lead Brazil to a first major championship in half an hour.

What could have been Brazil's last chance came in the 88th minute after Martas' free kick from a dangerous area curled just over the woodwork. But Naeher was called into action for the final time during a agonizing 10 minutes of injury time, capping a sensational tournament with an acrobatic save from Adriana's header. The save preserved Naeher's fourth clean sheet of the competition, including the entire knockout stage. By then, the American fans in the stands were beginning to celebrate.

Three hundred and seventy-one days after being eliminated from the World Cup on penalties after Megan Rapinoe blasted her effort over the bar, the US completed a dramatic overhaul in sensational fashion, celebrating in a jumping crowd as Rapinoe raised her fist in the air from the stands.