Match in Focus: USA and Emma Hayes take home gold

In another tight encounter in the Paris finale, Mallory Swanson's goal returned USA to the top in the first major tournament under the leadership of Hayes...

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So, 10 games is all it took.

A year on from a nightmare World Cup and a rebuild both on and off the pitch, less than a dozen games and just shy of three months is all it has taken for Emma Hayes to take the USA back to the top, with an Olympic gold medal around their necks after another fraught and tense encounter against Brazil in Paris.

They rode their luck, especially in the first half, but Hayes seems to have brought back the mentality we saw from the USA in many tournaments gone by, of getting across the line no matter what.

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After the semi-final win over Germany, Hayes spoke about 'pain caves' and wanting her players to 'suffer', and they undoubtedly had to again in the sweltering Paris heat, and had a combination of goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, the offside flag and some wayward Brazil finishing to thank, before Mallory Swanson became the hero of the evening, scoring the winner with 32 minutes of play left to go, slotting home to send the fans, players and staff into raptures.

There will be elements of the game and the tournament Hayes won't be happy with, but given she is learning on the job, that's no surprise. She already has a foundation to work off with three years now until the 2027 World Cup, and what a foundation it is.

Not only does she have a fearsome front three, she has a time which has remembered - or in some cases learned - how to win, and that combination with Hayes at the helm is a potentially dangerous one.

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

End of one era, and the start of a new one

Mere moments after the full-time whistle confirmed USA's status as Olympic gold medallists again, Hayes and Marta shared an embrace on the pitch.

As Marta bows out of major tournament football after a series of near-misses and a third silver medal, this match signalled ends and starts of eras on both sides of the halfway line.

Yes, Marta has defined a generation of the women's game all around the world, not just in Brazil, but this brave, fearless new-look Brazil side went further than many thought they could, and have given a nation a much-needed shot in the arm under new head coach Arthur Elias ahead of hosting the World Cup in 2027.

While Marta departs, there is much to be excited about, such as the likes of Lauren, Tarciane, Jhennifer, Vitoria Yaya and others, and this will give Brazil plenty of momentum and three years to build on it.

As for the USA, what can't Hayes do? The former Chelsea coach has been in charge less than three months and just 10 games and she's taking home a gold medal, which is almost certainly already up there with one of her most remarkable feats.

While others have been preparing for this for a year or even more, Hayes has - as she admits - been learning on the job, getting to know her team game by game all while trying to bring a team who faltered 12 months ago back to the top of the world game, and she's done it at the first time of asking.

“I turned to Sophia on the podium and said ‘think about what we can do by 2027’”, said team captain Lindsey Horan after the game, on the belief flowing back through this team.

Hayes added, “I cocur with Lindsey, I’m so exicted by our potential and what we can do. We’re delighted with gold but we want so much more, we’re only about 75 days in baby…”

USA got away with a key switch, but Brazil didn't punish them

Hayes hasn't tweaked much unless she's felt the need to do - or had to through either injury or suspension - so it was at least a small surprise to see her make a decisive switch in the midfield ahead of the Olympic gold medal match, with Korbin Albert replacing Rose Lavelle.

There's two elements which could have swayed Hayes' thinking. A) Lavelle has been managing a small issue throughout the tournament, and B) the same midfield duo - playing deeper with Lindsey Horan in the number 10 role - played against Brazil in the Gold Cup earlier this year.