Anticipation. Covered eyes. Murmurs of frustration.
Those were the feelings of hundreds of U.S. Women’s Soccer supporters at two Long Beach sports bars in the early morning on Saturday, Aug. 10 as they watched — with bated breath — as the USWNT played out a shaky first half against the Brazilian Women’s National Team in pursuit of Olympic gold at Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris.
The gold-medal match, an especially tense one for both national teams who had much to prove on the international stage, was fraught with uncertainty during its first 45 minutes — as the USWNT and BWNT battled it out for control.
But in the end, it was the American women who cinched the gold medal, much to the delight of USWNT supporters at the newly-opened Watch Me women’s sports bar at the Marketplace and the iconic Legends Sports Bar on Second Street.
Doors at Watch Me opened around 7:30 a.m. — and just half an hour later at kick-off, the bar was packed with mostly American fans, donning their best red, white, and blue colors, spilling out of the sides of the building.
“This is my first time here. I’m really excited because I heard that it was really fun,” Andrea Ambriz, a Long Beach resident, said Saturday. “I got really intimidated because of the line, but it moved really fast.”
It was similarly busy at Legends by 8 a.m., with hundreds of supporters hoping to ring a USWNT win by mid-morning with other likeminded fans.
But the Americans got off to a rocky start in the first half — with an early chance from Brazil’s Ludmila, who managed to weave her way behind the USA’s back line in just the second minute of the game.
Ludmila found herself in a face-off with U.S. keeper Alyssa Naeher — but fumbled her chance on goal, sending the ball harmlessly into Naeher’s open arms.
“I’m looking for some aggressive play, some solid defense and hopefully our back line is pretty strong,” said Daniel Martinez, a Cypress resident who came to Legends to watch the game. “The atmosphere here is really awesome.”
And aggressive play he got.
U.S. forward Mallory Swanson, the team’s No. 9 striker, answered back in the 26th minute — intercepting a pass in the midfield and blowing past the Brazilian backline with her fiery pace — but the shot on goal was steered away by the keeper Lorena.
The cheers from the crowds at both Legends and Watch Me quickly faded in to signs of desperation as Swanson’s attempt was batted away.
“I just hope we win,” Ambriz said, at Watch Me, said, “because that would be really awesome.”
Still, Brazil dominated the match’s first 45 minutes, using their legendary frenetic style of play and high pressure to keep the Americans on their toes.
That strategy, further exhausting an already fatigued U.S. starting 11 — many of whom had played every minute of the team’s last six Olympic matches, including extra time in the last two — appeared as though it might launch Brazil to the top of the podium by the end of the match.
The Brazilian team, much like the Americans, came to Parc des Princes on Saturday with something to prove.
The South Americans have never won gold at Olympics since their first appearance at the 1996 games — and two of those chances at gold, not including Saturday’s gold match, were stolen away by the American team.
And to make the stakes even higher, the gold medal match marked the final international appearance in a major tournament for Marta — who is among the most highly-regarded figures in Brazilian and women’s soccer as a whole.
But the 38-year-old Marta, despite all of her accolades — including being a six-time FIFA World Player of the Year — has never won Olympic gold or a World Cup title with her country.
With Marta set to retire at the end of the year, the Saturday match marked her last opportunity to finally change that, and craft a storybook ending of her own.
Ricardo Goncalves — the sole Brazilian supporter donning the classic canary yellow jersey at Legends — stood in the mass of American supporters.
“When it comes to sports I’m always a Brazilian,” Goncalves, who has lived in Long Beach for three decades, said. “Both teams were amazing in the first half and are going head to head. I think Brazil really, really wants to win a medal.”
But there was just as much on the line for the American women, who have faced an onslaught of criticism in recent years for falling out of rank as the world’s best women’s soccer team.
The USWNT have not won an Olympic gold since in over a decade — with their last win at the 2012 games in London.
The team have also failed to clinch a World Cup title since 2019. The USWNT’s most recent performance at the 2023 World Cup, in which they were kicked out during the round of 16, marked the their earliest exist from that competition in the team’s history.
But the tide for the U.S. women has finally begun to turn, especially under the direction of new head coach Emma Hayes — who is widely considered the best women’s coach in the game.
Since Hayes took over the USWNT in late 2023, the team has experienced a resurgence. The squad, for example, has not lost a game since June under her direction, with a particular streak of dominance in their run up to the gold medal match on Saturday.
And though the first half largely belong to Brazil on Saturday, the Americans came back onto the field with a new renewed energy — helped along by the Brazilians, who seemingly opted to step down their high press, allowing the Americans to create additional chances on goal.
Drummers from the American Outlaws, the biggest supporters group for both the men’s and women’s national teams, banged drums at Legends throughout the game.
At both bars, there was a stadium-like atmosphere as the match heated up — with continual stomping, jeering, cheering, and chanting.
Swanson again created the team’s most nail-biting chance late in the second-half — overtaking Brazil’s defense with her wicked pace on a counterattack, but the attempt fell short and ended instead with an anti-climactic corner kick.
A star-studded cast of American supporters lined the Parc de Princes stadium seats in Paris, ranging from former USWNT Olympians Megan Rapinoe all the way to A-listers like actor Tom Cruise.
And it would be Swanson again — putting on the performance of her life in Paris — who scored the match-winning goal in the 57th minute.
The 26-year-old, echoing her earlier chance on goal from the first half, sprung on an intercepted pass from a Brazilian defender, rocketed down the pitch, and this time — slammed the ball into the back of the net.
Cheers erupted in Long Beach as Swanson’s shot careened past the Brazilian keeper, sending USWNT fans at both Long Beach bars into celebratory shouts as their dreams for Olympic gold zoomed into reality.
“We want gold,” USWNT supporters chanted after Swanson’s goal.
But even with that one-goal lead secured, the fatigued Americans were left a difficult challenge — fending off the the Brazilians, in all their frenetic pace and power, for 45 minutes more.
And to make matters worse, Marta, sure to leave everything she had on the field in her final major appearance, was subbed in at during the 60th minute.
Marta’s teammates mounted the captain’s armband on her arm, with applause from American and Brazilian fans — both at Parc des Princes and in Long Beach — echoed to honor the soccer legend.
And though Brazil supporters had hoped Marta’s presence would vastly switch up the energy of the game, the U.S. managed to keep ahold of the second half; notwithstanding a few close shots on goal from their opponents.
As the minutes on the game clocked waned away, USWNT fans returned to that tense state of being they’d embodied while watching the first half of the match — hoping that their team would manage to keep a clean sheet, and stave off over time or penalty kicks.
With ten minutes of additional time at the end of the match’s 90 minutes, Brazil had its final real chance on goal as the team found one last second-wind — causing chaos in the box and nearly overtaking the Americans.
But keeper Naeher, with her third major save of the game, again saved the Americans. A mere seven minutes later, the final whistle blew — putting an end the USA’s 12-year losing streak at the Olympics.
The Long Beach bars, with electric atmospheres, lit up with jubilation at the blow of the final whistle.
Screams of support for the USWNT. Drawn out cheers. Smiles all around.
One USWNT and American Outlaws member, Dorothy Vendley, even brough a miniature gold medal of her own to celebrate it.
After the final whistle, she donned it around her neck — a bite-size taste of the real thing.
“I thought it was a fantastic game. Our girls persevered and did an amazing job,” Vendley said. “I’m proud of the team — and proud to be an American.”
