Few teams in sports can relate to the realities of the U.S. women's national team. Decades of dominance have led to decades of expectations. And while that may sound like a nice problem to have, it comes with pressure. Winning isn't a thing to enjoy, but rather a target to be met. Anything short of that? Failure.
That's why this summer feels different. As the Olympics kick off, those in the know understand that the U.S. women may not win gold. They are among the better teams in the Olympic field, sure, but almost certainly not the favorites. This is a team just starting a rebuild, a process that won't be complete until long after this tournament's over. Because of that, there's reason for doubt. This tournament may have just come a bit too soon.
And while the U.S. may not be the favorite, overlook this team at your own peril. This may not be a finished product, but an in-progress USWNT is still better than most of the teams in this field. They see this summer as an opportunity to reestablish themselves on the world's stage, even as team isn't close to the best version of itself.
Can the U.S. win gold this summer? Yes. Will they? We'll find out. GOAL offers six reasons to believe in this USWNT group this summer.