The United States' women's national soccer team defeated Brazil on Saturday 1-0 to take the gold medal at the Olympics.
This is Team USA's fifth gold in the Summer Games and its first since 2012.
Any poor result for the U.S. Women's Soccer Team is always accompanied by a barrage of questions, but rarely have they been louder than in the aftermath of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup last summer.
The US stumbled out in the round of 16—its worst finish ever at a major international tournament.
Key stalwarts like Megan Rapinoe and Julie Ertz retired; fans and critics wrung their hands about an uncertain future.
It's amazing how much more defined the future is now, as the gold medal match at the 2024 Olympics will start Saturday.
Twelve years after last playing Olympic finals, the U.S. takes on Brazil in Paris under head coach Emma Hayes, a team reborn but with a young roster making the squad its own.
How did that happen in one year? It starts with Hayes, who came into the U.S. job after winning trophies for years at her former team, Chelsea FC.