Match in Focus: Emma Hayes takes USA to the gold medal match

It was another close-fought encounter, but for the second game in a row the USA came through extra-time and with another clean sheet to book their spot in Paris and a shot at gold...

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It’s taken just nine games of her USA era, but Emma Hayes is already heading to Paris for a gold medal match.

Four friendlies, three group stage games and two brutally long extra-time knockout games see Hayes on the verge of already adding a gold medal to her array of personal silverware, and returning the USA to the top of the international game.

It was another gruelling encounter against a Germany side who did their best to learn lessons from last week’s 4-1 defeat, and once again both sides played out a 0-0 draw as they both did three days ago, going all the way again to the full 120 minutes, with Sophia Smith’s calm finish the difference.

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Hayes spoke post-match about wanting her to team to “suffer”, for it not to be easy as she continues to learn more about a group of players she has known less than three months.

The timespan involved makes it barely believable Hayes and the USA are here, even if it always felt like a match made in heaven. But Hayes pointed out post-match how little time she has had, how she is learning on the job, and the day before the game said she is “accelerating everything” to have a chance of success.

One thing’s for sure, she’s guaranteed an Olympic medal one way or the other, and so are her players.

Here’s five key takeaways from the match in WFC’s view…

An intriguing tactical battle

It was far from the goal-fest we got just over a week ago, but perhaps that was no surprise given the brutal nature of the schedule since and both these sides going through gruelling 120-minute match-ups just three days ago.

Hayes said the schedule “is what it is” after the game, and sarcastically celebrated the fact her team gets three clear days to prepare for the final, the first time a team will have had more than two days all tournament.

On the game, by the time Smith broke the deadlock minutes into yet another dose of extra-time, the lessons both had taken from that 4-1 last week were evident. USA to an extent matched Germany's 4-4-2 shape, with Rose Lavelle very often pulling out to the left, with Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson central as a pair.

Germany, without Alex Popp and Lea Schüller, tweaked what they could within their own 4-4-2 system they've deployed throughout the tournament, but with a couple of key changes. Jule Brand, often used out on the right, was more often than not found up front alongside Nicole Anyomi, drafted from the alternates list straight into the starting eleven in place of Schüller, while Sydney Lohmann, in for Popp, played out on the right to help Giulia Gwinn defensively against USA's rapid attack.

For so long, they cancelled each other out, and bar the odd save neither Alyssa Naeher or Ann-Katrin Berger were overly troubled, and it was interesting throughout to see the subtle changes both sides used either through system tweaks or personnel changes to try and get the upper hand.

Even heading into the second half of extra-time, when Germany threw caution to the wind and went to a back three, played with wing-backs and pushed them as high as possible, it was a game of blow and counter blow between two top sides.

"It's unbelievable,” said defender Emily Fox. “When we first started this tournament it was taking one game at a time and now we're here it's unbelievable. It's taken every player and staff to get us here, we're so proud of everyone.

“We knew Germany had very talented forwards and wingers and knew they’d pose a threat. For us in the back line it was winning our battles, trying to stop crosses and credit to Alyssa who made a big save at the end.”

When all was said and done, it was the pace and clinical nature of Smith's run and finish which did the business, but another solid USA defensive showing was pivotal.

USA's triple-edged sword won out

It's the most obvious statement in football, but goals win matches, and with Germany lacking the firepower of Schüller and the quality of Popp to add to it, there was always a feeling throughout the game the potent USA front three might just be the difference, and they were.