PARIS — They spilled out onto the Parc des Princes pitch, euphoric, golden, and for most of the U.S. women’s national soccer team, Olympic celebrations had to begin with one woman.
It wasn’t Mallory Swanson, who’d completed her comeback from injury with the only goal of Saturday’s 1-0 win over Brazil.
It wasn’t Trinity Rodman, the hero of the quarterfinals; nor Sophia Smith, the winner of the semis; nor captain Lindsey Horan.
It was the quietest, simplest and oldest member of the youthful team that won Olympic gold medals here on a glorious Parisian evening:
It was Naeher, in part, because it is often Naeher, a late-blooming, crossword puzzle-loving goalkeeper who hardly got a shot to play for the USWNT until her 30s.