Super Alex Morgan, Golden-Baller Jaedyn Shaw and the winners and losers of the USWNT's W Gold Cup triumph

Back to their winning ways. Not completely, to be fair, but it's a heck of a start. Last year's World Cup disappointment remains on the mind of everyone associated with the U.S. women's national team but, if you were looking for a reason for optimism ahead of this summer's Olympics, this Gold Cup run was it.

It wasn't perfect, not by a long shot. The loss to Mexico showed that this is still a team with flaws that can be exposed by good teams. The response after that, though, showed that this team has the heart and soul to play past those flaws in ways we didn't see Down Under last summer.

By the end, the U.S. hadn't dominated the Gold Cup as much as they'd survived it. There were moments of domination, yes, but those were to be expected. What wasn't expected was how this team responded to the moments of adversity. Physical battles, rain, setbacks, injuries... this tournament threw plenty at the USWNT and, by and large, they didn't flinch.

That'll be the big takeaway from this summer's Gold Cup when it comes to the big picture. This is a team that needs to rediscover itself, and this was a step toward doing that. From a different point of view, though, this was also a tournament that offered a glimpse into which players will be around to do that this summer when the Olympics kick off.

Summer will be here before you know it. The Olympic games are just a blink or two away. The USWNT knows that as well as anyone. Preparation has began, and this round of preparation ended with a trophy that should provide a much-needed lift to a program back on the rise.

GOAL takes a look at the biggest winners and losers from the Gold Cup...