Hoping to make it third time lucky after being beaten in the final in 2004 and again in 2008, Brazil manager Arthur Elias surprisingly left the now-available Marta on the substitutes bench – despite one, if not the most decorated player ever to grace the hallowed turf for the Canarinhas making her final bow in a major international tournament.
Meanwhile, the United States sought a record-breaking fifth Olympic Crown – potentially their first in 12 years – in former Barclays Women’s Super League Chelsea manager Emma Hayes’ maiden tournament as new Head Coach.
BRA: Lorena; Thaís, Tarciane, Lauren; Yasmim, Sampaio, Yaya, Adriana; Jheniffer, Portilho, Ludmila
USA: Naeher; Fox, Girma, Davidson, Dunn; Albert; Coffey, Horan; Rodman, Swanson, Smith
Ominously, unable to celebrate a head-to-head victory since December, Brazil flew out of the traps looking for the love of a gold medal as Ludmila inexplicably shot straight into the arms of Alyssa Naeher after two minutes when the sold-out Parc des Princes expected to hear the ball rattle the back of the net.
The Chicago Red Stars striker then saw a fierce effort rightly disallowed for offside after straying marginally beyond the shoulder of the last defender shortly before the quarter-hour after dismissing the defensive threat of Naomi Girma.
Mallory Swanson – The Stars and Stripes’ joint top scorer at the tournament with three goals – called Lorena into her first significant moment of the match in the 26th minute with an admittedly routine save for the balling Brazilian shot-stopper.
However, it was the likelier of the two nations to challenge breaking down the first-half deadlock in the second minute of six added on as Gabi Portilho saw a close-range effort redirected by Naeher away from any impending danger.
However, Swanson didn’t need to be told twice by Hayes how to get her name on the scoresheet again, as the accomplished forward-thinker instinctively timed her run against the offside trap in the 57th minute before sublimely slotting the ball beyond Lorena.
In response, Elias called upon a hat-trick of substitutions from the bench – including Marta – who instantly took over the Canarinhas’ captaincy on her final curtain.
Following a period of inactivity in front of goal for both nations, USA captain Lindsay Horan and the recalled figure of Korbin Albert respectively fired wide of the mark from a distance.
Nonetheless, the best chance of the second half fell to Brazil’s Adriana, who could only turn away in dismay – with the sands of 10 minutes in second-half stoppage time continuing to tick away – as Naeher expertly kept her clean sheet in-tact.
Ultimately, the departing Marta – who has now brought the curtain down on an awe-inspiring career at major international tournaments – and the Canarinhas were forced to settle for another silver medal, as a new-look generational USA side claim their fifth Olympic gold medal under the stewardship of Emma Hayes.
