Sophia Smith leads USWNT to emphatic win over Germany, books place in Olympic quarterfinals

Emma Hayes and her USWNT were handed their biggest test of this new era on Sunday. The Stars and Stripes didn't just pass it, they made a statement, cruising past Germany 4-1 in the second group stage match of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

It was the USWNT's first triumph over a top-five team in the FIFA World Rankings since beating Germany on Nov. 13, 2022, in New Jersey.

Similar to the Zambia game, the USWNT got off to a fast start, breaking through before the 20th minute for the second match running thanks to Sophia Smith. Germany would go on to equalize as a result of a stunner from distance by Giulia Gwinn. Hayes' team immediately responded, restoring its advantage four minutes later by way of a Mallory Swanson rebound. A gnarly deflection of a Smith shot put the United States up two heading into the locker room. Toward the end of what was quite a professional second half by the Stars and Stripes, Lynn Williams made it four to cap off the night in Marseille.

Sophia Smith scores two goals in USWNT's 4-1 win over Germany

We've seen the USWNT pass some pop quizzes — beating the Korea Republic and Mexico. This was the first real challenge. It was like that first unit test your teacher usually gives you a few weeks into the semester. With the whole world watching, the U.S. made mistakes but when it mattered the most, the group delivered once again in an area many on the outside had questions about just a few short weeks ago.

It was all about the "Triple Threat" of Swanson, Smith, and Trinity Rodman. The trio shined once again in incredibly fluid roles in the attack, constantly linking up with Rose Lavelle to cause issues for a top-five FIFA-ranked outfit from the off. Talk about that first goal. That's the connectivity fans were craving for last summer. The forward line is oozing with confidence at the moment, playing with joy we never saw during the final months of Vlatko Andonovski's tenure.

It's not stagnant. It's not boring. For Chelsea fans, it's all too familiar. This is "Hayes Ball" and with even more time to work, there is no telling the exact ceiling of this team.

After Swanson's brace against Zambia, it was Smith's turn to do the same against Germany. Smith is now up to two goals while Swanson has three. Rodman rounds the group out with one through 180 minutes of tournament football. We can't forget about Naomi Girma, who was just sublime, per usual. Not only did the San Diego Wave FC defender tie Crystal Dunn for the most defensive actions on the team, but she also completed 48 of her 51 attempted passes (94 percent pass accuracy).

Per Opta, it was the first team that the United States scored three goals in the first 45 minutes against the Germans since March 1996. Carla Overbeck, Cindy Parlow, and Brandi Chastain were the first three goal scorers in that 6-0 drubbing.

The second half was all about control. While Horst Hrubesch's side certainly created chances, they found themselves repeatedly thwarted by Alyssa Naeher, who once again proved her worth as an impenetrable wall in goal. The U.S. had an answer for every German attack.

The three points launched the four-time Olympic gold medalists into the quarterfinals with just a draw needed vs. Australia to finish atop the group. That means they'll cross paths with one of the sides from Group C, the "group of death" in the final eight. As they say, you're going to have to beat the best in order to be the best.

The United States returns to the pitch on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. ET on Peacock for a meeting with Tony Gustavsson's Australia.