What to watch for USWNT at the Paris Olympics: schedule, live stream, start time, what you need to know

The U.S. women’s national team returns to the Olympics with a point to prove, even if they may not be the favorites to win the gold medal in Paris. This summer’s trip to France will be a chance for redemption for the team, a year after their round of 16 appearance at the Women’s World Cup, a tournament that showed a new world order exists in women’s football. The US has eagerly tried to return to the top echelons of women’s football over the past year, opting to do so with a hard reset. Previous head coach Vlatko Andonovski and several experienced players, including Alex Morgan, left, and ex-Chelsea boss Emma Hayes and a host of exciting young talents came in.

Hayes’ preparation for the Olympics was less than ideal; she coached just four USWNT matches this summer after ending her successful 12-year spell at Chelsea in May. Many will argue that it’s too early to go for gold in the Hayes era, 12 years after the team last won it, but the US are adamant about proving they can still claim top honors in the women’s football, even though the field is becoming increasingly competitive.

Here’s what you need to know before you tune in.

USWNT’s group stage schedule

Always US/Eastner

• July 25: USWNT vs. Zambia, 3 p.m. (USA Network, Peacock, NBCOlympics.com)
• July 28: USWNT vs. Germany, 3 p.m. (Peacock, NBCOlympics.com)
• July 31: Australia vs. USWNT, 1 p.m. (Peacock, NBCOlympics.com)

A new team

Hayes will bring one of the USWNT’s youngest-ever rosters to France, including seven players who did not make the World Cup roster, while all four alternates for the Olympics also missed last year’s roster. However, that doesn’t mean this team is inexperienced; All but four of the eighteen have major tournament experience with the US and offer a nice mix of youth, experience and current form.

The group of forwards on the roster alone offers a lot of promise. Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman have become national team regulars in recent years after one impressive NWSL season after another, and they are finally joined by Mallory Swanson after she tore her patellar tendon last year. Swanson has rightfully earned her place at the center of the USWNT’s attack, but the trio are ready to share the spoils if they deliver on their promise.

Jaedyn Shaw, meanwhile, is the team’s most exciting newcomer. The 19-year-old burst onto the scene in the NWSL with the San Diego Wave and has barely missed a beat since becoming the first player to score in her first five USWNT starts. She may play more of a role off the bench than in the starting lineup this time around, but the Olympics will provide valuable experience well before her peak years. Reigning NWSL Rookie of the Year Jenna Nigshwonger is also a notable newcomer, wasting little time in becoming the team’s starting left back, playing a crucial role in building their attacks.

Offensive battle

The USWNT has traditionally been an attacking team, but in recent years things have become more complicated. Last year they scored just four goals in four games at the World Cup, going goalless for 238 minutes before being knocked out by Sweden. These issues still linger a year later, as the team’s final friendlies before the Olympics have shown.

The team defeated Mexico 1-0 and drew Costa Rica 0-0 earlier this month, struggling to find the back of the net both times. In both matches they had a habit of misplacing a crucial pass in the penalty area or sending an impressive shot wide of the goal. Hayes and his colleagues have openly admitted that finishing is one of the key areas for improvement, although they also insist they are on the right track. The issue highlights the tug-of-war between the present and future of the USWNT under Hayes. The head coach is realistic about the fact that she was hired with the long term in mind, but the pressure to deliver results now always follows the four-time Olympic gold medalists.

Whether it forces Hayes to make some personnel changes in France is a big question. She seems to be happy with Smith, Swanson and Rodman starting in the front three and even without the goals they could still be the top contenders for the job at the moment. However, American midfield is just as much a question. The head coach appears to favor Sam Coffey, Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle for now, but Coffey and Horan both lack the creative spark that the team seems to be lacking.

A new world order

The USWNT have historically been the cream of the crop in women’s football, but a bronze medal in Tokyo and a round of 16 finish at the World Cup were a stark reminder that the rest of the world has caught up. The team is realistic about the increased competition brought on by increased investment and attention to the women’s game in recent years, and is working to prove they can rise to the top in a new landscape.

There may be a few teams standing in the way of the gold medal, including Spain. They may be making their first appearance at the Olympics, but Spain have made incredible progress in recent years, announcing their arrival by winning the World Cup for the first time last year. The team features an all-star roster that includes not only the stars of tomorrow, but also the best players of today. Look no further than Aitana Bonmati, who won the Golden Ball at the World Cup.

Ultimately, the biggest question after the USWNT in France this year is how high they can go, especially given the circumstances. There are reasons to believe that a deep run is still possible, and there are also sources of optimism for the future. Whether they can actually take home the gold this time around is another story, but this edition of the Olympics will act as a benchmark by which the USWNT can judge themselves as they begin to truly map out their post-Paris future.