USWNT player ratings: Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher's perfection punches ticket to gold medal game

Maybe it was because Germany was lacking a couple of key players. Maybe it’s because head coach Horst Hrubesch figured it was the only way his team could win. In the semifinals of the 2024 Olympic Games soccer tournament against the United States women’s national team, it was difficult to tell which sort of “football” the Germans were attempting to play.

I mean, Micah Parsons would have been jealous.

The Germans’ approach was to commit so many fouls eventually the referee would tire of calling them, and the United States would tire of being on the receiving end. It worked, for the most part. Until it didn’t, when Mallory Swanson placed pass into the box that Sophia Smith ran to collect, eluding a defender on the way, then shot past sublime goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger for a 1-0 extra time victory. The Americans are in the final for the sixth time in the eight Olympic tournaments.

Germany committed 19 fouls in 120 minutes, which is a bit surprising given they committed six in the first 18 minutes of the game. They were on a 30-foul pace (or 40 for 120 minutes). For all of that, Germany was shown just two yellow cards, only one in regulation.

Playing a second consecutive extra time game, especially one this physical, probably won’t help the USWNT in the final. But they’ll be there, maybe with a few extra bruises to show for the trip.

On to the ratings:

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Starters

Alyssa Naeher (goalkeeper): 10

We’ve seen Naeher make brilliant saves before to save the USWNT in major tournaments, most obviously when she saved a late penalty kick against England in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Is it possible this was even better? The Americans were protecting a one-goal lead late in extra time, and the word “protecting” is absolutely the correct choice – when Sophia Smith’s foul in the 118^th minute set up Germany for a free kick. That went directly into the established defensive wall, but the rebound was sent back in and Laura Freigang was able to head the ball down for what should have been the tying goal. But even as she leaped thinking the ball would come in high, Naeher was able to stick out her left foot and deflect the ball clear. If I’ve seen better saves, and I probably haven't, I don’t think there’s been one accomplished with a leg.

Emily Fox (right back): 8

Fox was guilty of some turnovers that facilitated Germany attacks, but she was so important to preserving the shutout. She delivered a terrific shot block in the 47^th minute. In the 62^nd minute, there was a superb deflection on a floated cross. Five minutes later, she broke up another big move. When coach Emma Hayes was deciding which outside back to remove to get someone fresh onto the field, she did not look at Fox.

Naomi Girma (central defender): 9.5

Playing next to Girma must be like sitting next to the kid in class who’s going to ring up 1600 on the SAT. The only play she didn’t make was in the 24^th minute, when she didn’t quite close down an attack and forced Naeher to make a fingertip save. Otherwise, the chart of this game reads like a superhero’s biography: 10^th minute, Girma clears dangerous ball to box; 11^th minute, Fox fumbles clearance, but Girma rescues her by knocking it away; 48^th minute, Coffey rescues again with reaching clearance. It goes on like that all the way through. What a phenomenal player she is.

Tierna Davidson (central defender): 6.5

It was a nice return to action for Davidson, who missed 2½ games with a knee contusion. She had a couple of important breakups on Germany moves and nearly got onto a couple of balls into the box that might have broken the scoreless tie. She was subbed at halftime, but it was not a matter of performance..

Crystal Dunn (left back): 6.5

Coming off perhaps her best game in a USWNT uniform, Dunn was less a factor against Germany. She committed a couple of turnovers in the second half that could have been costly, but she also delivered a significant clearance in the 32^nd minute. She was the beneficiary of a generous no-call in the 75^th minute, when she committed an apparent foul in an area that would have presented a dangerous free kick to the opposition. The referee allowed play to continue. (Relax: It’s not like she didn’t miss a few that favored Germany.)

Sam Coffey (defensive midfielder): 6.5

Directly after halftime, it looked as though Coffey was steamrolling toward a Blutarsky rating – you’ve seen “National Lampoon’s Animal House” I hope – as Germany dashed through the midfield to create a number of chances Girma needed to extinguish. The longer the game advanced, though, the more comfortably she asserted herself. This was especially true once there was a U.S. lead established and she could concentrate fully on the “defensive” aspect of her job description. In the 111^th minute, she did a beautiful job breaking up a Germany move near the sideline.

Lindsey Horan (midfielder): 4.5

It was to Hayes’ credit she finally acknowledged how little the USWNT was getting in midfield from their captain, and that they would require someone else to contribute in that role if this campaign was to continue. Horan struggled throughout the game, contributing a decent header in the 30^th minute but mostly committing turnovers and, in one instance in the 24^th minute, failing to pick up a move in the final third that forced a strong save by Naeher.

PLAYER RATINGS: Zambia | Germany | Australia | Japan

Rose Lavelle (attacking midfielder): 5.5

Lavelle struggled against Germany’s overly physical approach. When unchecked, taking a number of free kicks and corner kicks from the right side, she was less precise than usual.

Sophia Smith (forward): 8

With the U.S. struggling to get anything moving offensively, Smith wasn’t involved all that much. Except for the part where she was constantly fouled. A lot of Germany’s Legion of Doom-style defense was aimed at Smith, and she took a ton of punishment. Her deft move past left back Felicitas Rauch to accept Mal Swanson’s pass, and the gorgeous finish that followed, put the U.S. in command after 95 fiercely contested minutes. Although she gave away that dangerous free kick near the end, she also made a number of important defensive plays in preserving the victory, and twice challenged for a clinching goal.

Mallory Swanson (forward): 6.5

Was her ball to Sophia Smith perfectly placed, or did Smith just make it look that way? Either way, she did get an assist on the game’s most important play, and it that helped cover for what had not been a pristine performance in regulation. Just a minute before the goal, she’d committed a dreadful turnover in her own territory that required another solid play from Girma. Her most egregious error was calling for a pass forward in the 86^th minute before assuring she was onside. She scored, and that could have ended the game without extra time, but she was clearly offside and the goal was rightly disallowed.

Trinity Rodman (forward): 6.5

The plan to pin Rodman to the sideline and have her roast whatever left back or left wing is in front of her was less fruitful in this game. There were fewer opportunities created, especially in the mid-second half, when the USWNT began to lose belief in its ability to break down the sturdy Germany defense. She made an important defensive play in the box in the 30^th minute and probably was fouled on her best move of the game, deep near the end line.

Substitutes

Emily Sonnett (central defense): 8

Sonnett played the entire second half plus extra time – nearly a 90-minute match – and she was essential when immediately faced with that portion of the game where the USWNT midfield was overrun. She made a hugely important disruption of an attack in the 57^th minute. In the third minute of extra time, she forced a turnover that led to a U.S. break that Swanson misspent.

Lynn Williams (forward): 6

Williams entered for Lavelle in the 60^th minute. She did not have a huge impact on the attack, and did turn over the ball on three occasions.

Korbin Albert (midfielder): 7

Stepped in for Horan in extra time, and the flood of turnovers stopped. Once the lead was established, Albert contributed a big stop in the 109th minute and had only one shaky moment.

Jenna Nighswonger (left back): 7.5

Nighswonger replaced Crystal Dunn for the whole of extra time, and her fresh approach was most welcome.

Casey Krueger (left back): 8

Krueger entered for Swanson in the 110^th minute, signaling the USWNT were going to protect that one-goal lead with everything they had. And Krueger was a huge part of that. She made a substantial contribution in just 10 minutes, including a breakup of a Germany move near the box in the 112^th minute, bodying Janina Minge along the sideline in the 113^th minute to force a U.S. throw-in and heading forward a Germany cross in the 116^th minute that Smith cleared into safety.