The USWNT won the Olympic gold medal on Saturday, beating Brazil 1-0 in a game. To win they required a stout defensive stand in the first half followed by a precise and calculated surge in the second to deny Brazil and its legendary captain Marta.

USWNT beat Brazil 1-0

It was a familiar ending to a tournament. For this win, USWNT arranged a new coach in Emma Hayes, a new front line of attackers, and a new outlook after the disappointment of last summer's Women's World Cup. Their together approach resulted in a record-extending fifth Olympic title, and first since 2012, for the U.S. women, who never trailed at any point in their six matches in France.

Sophia Smith, who wisely ducked away from the play after realizing she was in an offside position, and youthful midfielder Korbin Albert, who supplied the ball, set up Mallory Swanson's winning goal in the 57th minute with a smooth finish after racing through on goal. At the Parc des Princes, where Tom Cruise and Megan Rapinoe were among the spectators, the fans burst into excitement as Swanson curved her shot past Brazil goalkeeper Lorena.

It was Swanson's fourth goal of the tournament, the most among the Americans, and tied for second-most among all players in the competition. Brazil, which had been in command for much of the game's early stages, continued to push forward in search of an equalizer but couldn't find its way through. U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who was her team's most valuable player in the first half, did not allow a goal in the knockout rounds.

The match was played on the same field where the men's teams from Spain and France played out an eight-goal classic in their final a day earlier, and the women's teams began at a pace that at least hinted at potential offensive fireworks, too.