Concerns about the U.S. national team’s scoring ability persist as the Olympics begin in Paris

Though the Americans scored three early goals, superior talent at nearly every position and a one-player advantage for 57 minutes yielded no rewards. It’s a problem that has dogged the team since Olympic camp began a few weeks ago.

In two exhibition games and Thursday’s game, all against weak opponents, the U.S. team had a huge advantage in shots (70-13), shots on goal (26-4) and corner kicks (24-5), but a slim margin in scoring (4-0).

Hayes and the players say they would be worried if they didn’t create those chances. The popular saying is, “the goals will come.”

Apart from the first 25 minutes on Thursday, everyone is still waiting.

“I’m happy we’re getting those quality chances,” captain Lindsey Horan said. “We know we’ve got to be better. We know we’ve got to put more of them in the net.”

Alex Morgan’s drop in production over the past two years was the main reason the veteran forward was not on the Olympic roster. Her replacement at center forward, Sophia Smith, scored against Mexico on June 13. Three days later, the United States dominated Costa Rica but failed to score.

Wingers Mallory Swanson (two goals) and Trinity Rodman were responsible for the goals on Thursday – all classy finishes after great build-up plays, assisted twice by Horan and once by Smith.

But the odds will certainly not be as stacked against Germany on Sunday in Marseille, which opened with a 3-0 win over Australia. The United States’ failure to beat Zambia by a larger margin could affect the final score. Should the Americans and Germans draw, Germany would be in prime position to win the group on goal difference by beating Zambia on Wednesday, while the United States face a tougher test in Australia.

Second place, however, could be a blessing. The winner of Group B would go to Paris to face the runner-up of Group C (probably Brazil or Japan). The runner-up of Group B would stay in Marseille and beat the runner-up of Group A (probably Colombia or Canada).

Hayes on Thursday attributed some of her team’s scoring woes to Zambia playing with a reduced force after Pauline Zulu’s red card. While that may seem counterintuitive, Hayes explained that: “Sometimes when you play an opponent who goes down to 10 (players) and then goes even lower (in the formation), they start doing different things. You start doing different things. So this is really a mindfulness piece for us.”

The other problem is what the American team did with enough chances in the penalty area. Although goalkeepers, crossbars, posts and goal-line clearances thwarted several attempts, the Americans were not clinical enough. Many shots were at navel height or did not require a quick reaction from the goalkeeper. Others simply missed the frame completely.

Thursday’s performance bore an eerie resemblance to the team’s opening match of the 2023 World Cup against Vietnam: two first-half goals and a 28-0 lead on shots, but only a 3-0 victory. The Americans scored just once more in the final three games and were eliminated in the round of 16, the earliest major-tournament exit in the program’s history.

Hayes may not have all of her offensive pieces Sunday. Smith, who left late in the first half with an ankle injury, will be evaluated further this weekend, a team spokesman said. Jaedyn Shaw (leg injury) was out of uniform Thursday.

Regardless of who’s on the field, the U.S. team knows the urgency to become ruthless.

“We’re not just an athletic team with fast forwards,” Rodman said. “We’re so much more than that. And I think deep down we have to believe that we can break teams down. If that’s the passing and the laying off and the stepping off each other, there’s so much more depth that we can bring. That living and breathing on the field is going to help us improve.”