Before the USWNT started their campaign at the Paris Olympics, Carli Lloyd said there wasn’t anyone in the current squad who could instantly change the dynamic of a match. That was before their first match. Six fixtures on, the USWNT has a historic fifth Olympic gold. And it’s safe to say Mallory Swanson was one of those players Lloyd was talking about, especially considering her gold medal-sealing goal in the final against Brazil. But should that have been called offside?

Offside calls are definitely the hottest topic in soccer, especially when they pop up during big matches (or, in this case, when they don’t pop up). Let’s start at the very beginning when the gold medal match between the USA and Brazil kicked off, and both teams were aggressive from the get-go. But Brazil looked more clinical, with their first goal-scoring opportunity coming in the second minute. Owing to all their chances, it looked like they’d draw first blood. But in the end, it was Mallory Swanson who came in clutch for her team, scoring in the 57th minute to break the 0-0 stalemate.

It was a beautiful play, but the only thing marring it was the calls for offside. But it wasn’t. The controversy kicked in because someone was offside, but it wasn’t the No. 9. It was Sophia Smith. After trying time and again to get past the defenses of Brazil, midfielder Korbin Albert found the perfect opening. From the center of the pitch, she played a through ball that skipped past all the Brazilian defenders, and it looked like it was going straight to Sophia Smith. But that was where Swanson came in.

“Don’t touch it!” the forward shouted, knowing that if Smith were to touch the ball, she would’ve been offside. Smith left it, but because of how close a call that was, it looked like she’d touched the ball. However, she hadn’t. That was when Mallory Swanson came in from the left, dribbled the ball into the penalty box, and in her second 1-on-1 of the match against the Brazilian goalkeeper, she scored. And the Parc de Princes Stadium erupted in cheers. Swanson looked back at the referee on the sideline, checking if the goal had been called offside. But all was good, and, just like that, Team USA was 1-0 up.

But here’s the thing. While watching the play multiple times after the fact made it clear that Sophia Smith made no contact with the ball, viewers watching on TV, including NBC’s coverage, didn’t get any replays. It’s customary for broadcasting channels to show replays of plays that have a chance of being offside. However, since there weren’t any, it led many to believe they were just trying to cover up an offside goal. Needless to say, claims like “USWNT is getting favoritism” and “It’s rigged!” arose. This raised a major question: why didn’t VAR call back the goal?

While Sophia Smith was technically offside, she wasn’t involved directly in the moments leading up to the 26-year-old’s goal. Some think she might have distracted defenders or influenced how things played out. But VAR didn’t see it that way; they ruled no interference, and since Mallory Swanson wasn’t offside, her goal counted! As for Sophia Smith, she shared her thoughts about that split-second decision to leave the ball for Swanson.

“We both kind of made the same run, and I didn’t see her coming until she shouted,” Smith shared. “Then I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, she has a better angle toward the goal, let me just get in the box, and if she crosses it, I’ll be there.’ But I had full faith in Mal that she was gonna put that away.” Adding to the occasion was the fact that this was Mallory Swanson’s 100th match for the USWNT. She said after the match, “We’ve grown so much. And that’s really cool to me. We’ve grown on and off the field. And you keep probably hearing it – we’re playing with joy. We’re having so much fun, and I’m just so happy.”

At the end of the day, Mallory Swanson’s goal was the game-changer they needed to snag their first Olympic Gold since 2012.

The USWNT defied the odds to snatch gold

It’s all about “New Era, New Coach but Same Winning Vibe!” for the USWNT. The team embraced this mindset while taking down Brazil to grab that Olympic gold medal. They didn’t just squeak by; they crushed it throughout the competition, not losing a single match along the way! And they conceded just two goals in six matches! However, people weren’t expecting much, with Emma Hayes stepping in as coach just months earlier; even some former soccer stars were skeptical.

Alexi Lalas and Carli Lloyd might have felt hopeful but weren’t exactly betting on a gold medal for Team USA. Yet here we are, celebrating! Lalas jumped on X to say, “Congratulations to the USWNT. Welcome back.” And what a comeback it was after their World Cup flop last year! Carli Lloyd also shared her thoughts on X: “Totally deserved by this USWNT side. The front 3 dynamic and productive, midfield holding it down and the back line + Alyssa all doing their part. So proud of this team.” Lloyd couldn’t stop raving about Emma Hayes and how she’s boosted the team’s confidence in such a short time.

“Congrats to everyone,” concluded the USWNT legend. This came after Lloyd mentioned that winning the Olympic gold would be a “stretch” for the roster, especially with a new coach and players who aren’t as experienced. “I think it’s going to be a stretch, honestly,” she said when Kay Adams asked Lloyd about the possibility of a fifth Olympic gold for the team on the Up & Adams Show.

While Tom Cruise was cheering from the stands, it was Emma Hayes and her squad who pulled off Mission: Impossible with this win!