PARIS — The U.S. women’s soccer team arrived at these Olympics more than three weeks ago with both a marvelous portfolio and tempered expectation. It seemed incongruous that the sport’s standard-bearers would not carry championship aspirations, but with a new coach finding her way and young players inheriting key roles, a medal was not the certainty it once was.
Everything, though, began falling into place sooner than anyone expected, and on the penultimate day of this Paris spectacle, the United States returned to the pinnacle of women’s soccer with a 1-0 victory over Brazil at sold-out Parc des Princes.