U.S. women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes has been encouraging Trinity Rodman to cut inside and shoot with her left foot since taking over in May. This strategy paid off spectacularly in the Olympic quarterfinal match against Japan.
Though it may seem unconventional, considering Rodman is a right-footed winger known for her precise crosses and dynamic dribbling on the flanks, Hayes wanted her to take more shots from distance. Before Hayes’ arrival from Chelsea, Rodman had not scored for the national team in 2024.
Hayes’ approach has proven successful. By the time Rodman faced Japan in the quarterfinals, she had already scored twice, positioning herself as a top contender for the Golden Boot. In the crucial match, she added another goal with a stunning strike that secured the USWNT’s place in the semifinals.
Trinity Rodman’s Goal Breakdown
During extra time at Paris’ Parc des Princes, Rodman opened the scoring with a powerful shot. The game had been tied at 0-0 through regulation.
Rodman received a cross-field pass from Crystal Dunn and initially seemed set to deliver a cross. However, Japanese defender Hikaru Kitagawa was caught off guard when Rodman cut the ball onto her left foot and moved into the box. After a missed left-footed shot earlier, Rodman made no mistake this time, firing a precise shot into the top corner. Despite Japanese goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita’s best effort to save it, the ball found the net.
Rodman’s goal made her the youngest player to score in extra time at the Olympics since Heather O’Reilly did so as a teenager in 2004. It also brought her closer to France’s Marie-Antoinette Katoto in the Golden Boot race.
With this goal, Rodman has now scored nine of the 10 goals for the USWNT that have come from either her, Sophia Smith, or Mallory Swanson, making them the most prolific attacking trio of the tournament.
Rodman’s decisive goal ensures that the USWNT will advance to the semifinals, where they will face either Germany or Canada. Given Rodman’s current form, the upcoming opponents will have a formidable challenge ahead.