Marietta native Emily Sonnett wins gold with US women's soccer team at Paris Olympics

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August 10th, 2024

Brazil's Marta, left tries to get past Mallory Swanson of the United States, center and Emily Sonnett during the women's soccer gold medal match between Brazil and the United States.
Brazil's Marta, left tries to get past Mallory Swanson of the United States, center and Emily Sonnett during the women's soccer gold medal match between Brazil and the United States at the Parc des Princes during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

The U.S. women’s soccer team is golden again.

The U.S. defeated Brazil in the gold medal match of the women’s soccer tournament at the Paris Olympics. The 1-0 victory gives the Americans their fifth Olympic gold medal and Atlanta native Emily Sonnett her first gold medal.

It’s a reversal of fortunes for the U.S. team, which has not won an Olympic gold medal since 2012 in London. Sonnett, playing with the U.S. team, was knocked out in the quarterfinals at the 2016 Games in Rio, and had to settle for bronze in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Previously, Sonnett played for the winning U.S. team at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She began playing soccer at the North Atlanta Soccer Association in 2003 and was part of the team that earned Georgia State Cup Championships in 2007 and 2008. She then served as the captain of the varsity soccer team at the Fellowship Christian School in Roswell, Georgia, and went on to play at the University of Virginia.

Saturday’s victory win comes under the leadership of a new coach, Emma Hayes, and a revamped roster. The team has been transformed by a trio of young players: Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson.

The game was scoreless until the 57th minute, when Swanson, playing in her 100th match for the Untied States, scored, putting the U.S. on top.

Swanson is the eldest of the powerhouse trio of Americans, at 26 years old. She was a substitute on the 2019 team that won the Women’s World Cup in France, but she did not make the Olympic team in 2021. Then, in 2023 she tore her left patella tendon, months before the Women’s World Cup and faced a long recovery.

The game was also expected to be the final turn for Brazilian superstar Marta with her country’s international team. Playing in her sixth Olympics, she said it was time to hand the team over to the next generation.

Marta was not in the starting lineup, but came into the game in the 61st minute.

With the win, the U.S. takes the gold, Brazil takes the silver and Germany received the bronze.

WABE’s Meimei Xu contributed reporting.

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