Early Swanson double gives USWNT comfortable win over Zambia in Olympic opener

Mallory Swanson scored two goals in quick succession in the first half and the United States opened its Olympic campaign with a 3-0 victory over Zambia on Thursday night, giving new coach Emma Hayes a win in her first major tournament with the team.

Trinity Rodman also scored for the US, who are hoping to add a record fifth gold medal to their Olympic collection.

Zambia were outclassed from the start and were reduced to 10 players in the 33rd minute when Pauline Zulu was sent off with a red card. Hayes’ side dominated the early parts of the match, keeping 70% of the ball and creating 13 shots with a 3.4 xG in the first 25 minutes.

Zambia, brimming with attacking talent, struggled to create chances before finding themselves in a three-goal hole. Star players Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji failed to register a shot in the first half and could manage just three attempts on target in 90 minutes.

Banda is a proven scorer, having scored 12 goals in 12 games this season for the Orlando Pride in the National Women’s Soccer League. At the Tokyo Games, Banda had two consecutive hat-tricks in the group stage.

Hayes took over the U.S. team in late May after finishing the season with Chelsea in the Women’s Super League. She shook things up a bit with her Olympic roster, leaving star player Alex Morgan, a veteran of three Olympic Games, at home.

Hayes has been tasked with leading the Americans as they attempt to move away from the disappointment of last summer’s Women’s World Cup, when they were eliminated in the round of 16. It’s been a strong start. In her first four games as coach, the U.S. has kept four consecutive clean sheets. That defensive solidity was matched by attacking flair in the coach’s first competitive match as a coach, with the U.S. finishing with eight shots on target.

Rodman, making her Olympic debut, scored in the 17th minute. U.S. captain Lindsey Horan passed to Rodman, who deftly slotted the shot past the onrushing Zambian goalkeeper Ngambo Musole.

Swanson scored twice within 70 seconds in the 24th and 25th minutes to give the Americans a 3-0 lead in the Group B match in Nice.

It was the fourth straight game that the US national team kept a clean sheet under Hayes’ leadership.

U.S. forward Sophia Smith left the game with what appeared to be an ankle injury late in the first half and was replaced by Lynn Williams. Williams was originally a replacement on Hayes’ Olympic roster, but Catarina Macario was unable to play in France due to a minor knee injury.

It was the first time the US had faced Zambia on the international stage. Next up is Germany on July 28 in Marseille, while Zambia will face Australia in Nice on the same day.