The United States women's national team has entered a new era.
No longer is the team the same powerhouse that won four Olympic gold medals in five Summer Games. It's a new squad led by a trio of forwards that'll play for the fifth Olympic gold medal in the program's history.
Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson make up the USWNT forward line, scoring nine of the team's 11 goals entering the gold medal match on Saturday, Aug. 10.
The trio has impressed, notably late in games during the knockout stage. Rodman scored an extra-time goal in the 107th minute against Japan in the quarterfinals, and Smith netted the game-winner in the 95th minute against Germany in the semifinals.
SOPHIA SMITH STRIKES IN EXTRA TIME FOR THE USA. 💥🇺🇸#ParisOlympics | 📺 USA Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/XyzQZQTEEG
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 6, 2024
Rodman, Smith and Swanson have earned a few nicknames since their arrival on the international stage, but they created one for themselves ahead of the final.
Here's what they came up with as well as the other nicknames fans have given them.
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USWNT 'Triple Espresso' nickname, explained
Rodman, Smith and Swanson created a new nickname for themselves, hoping to go by the moniker "Triple Espresso."
The trio debuted the nickname live on TV in an interview with Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie on NBC's "Today." They didn't explain why Triple Espresso was their creation, but it seems to be based on their potent attack.
Three shots of espresso is a lot of caffeine and is certain to wake someone up. Perhaps that's what the trio was going for — three excellent attackers hitting the defense all at once.
Each player has scored three goals at the 2024 Paris Olympics with the other two goals coming from Korbin Albert and Lynn Williams.
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"Triple Espresso" isn't the only nickname of the USWNT forward line. Previously, the trio had been referred to as the "Trident," once again a play on the three points of attack. They've also been called the "Trifecta."
Although the three forwards provide the majority of the team's scoring, they aren't the only notable names on the offense. Jaedyn Shaw, Mia Fishel, Alyssa Thompson and Catarina Macario are all young players who make for a crowded forward line on the USWNT.
When is the USWNT Olympic gold medal match?
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 10
- Time: 11 a.m. ET
The USWNT plays for its fifth Olympic gold medal and first since 2012 on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 11 a.m. "Triple Espresso" leads the way, having scored nine of the team's 11 goals at the Paris Summer Games.
Brazil's squad features 38-year-old Marta. The U.S. trio spoke about their excitement to play against her but emphasized that they still want to win gold.
"Marta's for sure the player I looked up to growing up," Smith said. "Whenever I'd watch highlights of players with my dad, it was always Marta's. ... To play against her in this game — in this magnitude of a game — I think is so special. I know she would want us to give her our best game. That's the highest level of respect you can give someone.
"We wouldn't be here probably without a Marta, who did change the game forever and is continuing to change the game."
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When was the last time USWNT won Olympic gold?
The USWNT hasn't won an Olympic gold medal since the 2012 Olympics in London.
The 2024 squad is a much different look, but it returns to the gold medal match for the first time since 2012. The United States made the final in every year from 1996-2012, winning in all but one year (2000).
A gold in 2024 would be the program's fifth in history since women's soccer began at the Olympics in 1996.
