The U.S. women’s national team has started the Olympics in devastating form, and forward Sophia Smith offered a warning to any future opponents after a 4-1 rout of Germany.
This team hasn’t yet hit its peak.
Smith and her front-line partners Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson have been impossible to stop at the Olympics so far, as the U.S. cruised past Zambia 3-0 before putting global power Germany to the sword on Sunday.
The trio has combined for six goals and three assists at the Olympics, with the USWNT already clinching a spot in the quarterfinal ahead of Wednesday’s group-stage finale against Australia.
Speaking to reporters after Sunday’s game against Germany, Smith insisted that her side still had another level to reach.
“This is probably only game six or seven of us playing up front together,” Smith said in quotes on The Athletic.
“We’re clicking really well, really fast. I think this is only like 70 percent of what we can do.”
The USWNT’s front three had only started one time together before pre-Olympics friendlies this month, but have already formed a partnership that is borderline unstoppable.
With Smith as a nominal No. 9 and Swanson and Rodman to either side, the trio interchange liberally and cause fits for defenders who have to account for their constant movement and overloads.
The team’s attack stands in sharp contrast to last summer’s World Cup, when the U.S. beat Vietnam 3-0 to kick off the tournament and then proceeded to score just one more goal in its final three games en route to a last-16 exit.
This time around, the U.S. has already netted seven times in two games — and there appears to be much more to come.
“We have a lot of really special players and we’re finally starting to connect,” midfielder Rose Lavelle said. “But we know we still have another level in us.”
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