The USWNT commenced their Paris 2024 Olympic campaign with an impressive 3-0 victory over Zambia. However, the team’s spirits were tempered by an injury setback to Sophia Smith. Additionally, Jaedyn Shaw, who had previously sustained an injury and did not participate in the match. In terms of recent developments regarding them, there is some good and some bad news.

First up is Sophia Smith who during the match against Zambia, experienced an ankle issue and was substituted in the 43rd minute for Lynn Williams. Ahead of the upcoming match against Germany, head coach Emma Hayes has provided encouraging news. The 23-year-old is back in training and will be available for the match against Germany. However, it remains unclear how many minutes she will play or if she will start.

Conversely, there are less favorable updates regarding Jaedyn Shaw’s condition. The talented 19-year-old suffered a leg injury before the Olympics began and consequently was removed from the roster for the opening game. Emma Hayes has revealed that the San Diego Wave star is still not back in training.

This means she is going to at least miss the Germany clash too. Croix Bethune will be replacing her for the Germany clash similar to how she did in the Zambia match. The prevalence of injuries has become an increasingly concerning issue within women’s sports. Similarly, Germany is not without its own challenges on this front.

Some other injury news ahead of USWNT vs Germany

Initially regarded as a lesser contender heading into the tournament, the German women’s team disproved expectations with an impressive 3-0 victory over Australia in their opening match. This performance positions them as a serious competitor to the US Women’s National Team ahead of their upcoming encounter.

Notably, there was encouraging news for Germany as Giulia Gwinn has returned from her ACL injury. However, they have commenced their Olympic campaign without star midfielder Lena Oberdorf due to a severe knee injury sustained during Euro qualifying matches. In addition to these developments, USWNT’s Catarina Macario suffered an injury to her right knee and will be sidelined for the duration of the Olympics.

Despite these setbacks on both sides, anticipation builds around the forthcoming matchup between USWNT and Germany. It will be intriguing to see whether Emma Hayes can maintain momentum or if these underdogs can overcome favorites in what promises to be a thrilling contest.