Despite doubters, Sophia Smith, Naomi Girma and USWNT ahead of schedule: Winners and losers from Olympic semifinal

Let's be honest: Smith probably could have scored two or three against Germany. It's OK, though. She got the one that mattered.

With the U.S. needing a hero, Smith stepped up in the 95th minute. It was a lovely finish, too. Played in by Mal Swanson, Smith placed the ball exactly where it needed to go to send the USWNT exactly where they want to be.

“I saw like a little opening of net and I was just like, `I’ve got to put it there. Just put it there,’” Smith told reporters after the match. “It was a good feeling. I know I had a few other chances this game that I should have put away. But sometimes one is all it takes.”

Smith's extra-time goal wasn't her easiest chance of the night. She had a few one-on-ones after the fact, although those were pushed away. Knowing her mentality, those will bother her, but she'll be fine considering the importance of the one she did bury.

Rodman and Smith either scored or assisted in all of the U.S. group stage games, the first time U.S. teammates had done so in an Olympic group stage since Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach at London 2012. Rodman then added the USWNT’s lone goal against Japan in the quarterfinals, and Smith did the same against Germany in the semifinals.

One of the magic things about this team is how someone new steps up every time. Last game, it was Rodman and, this time, it was Smith - who will be the hero in the Gold Medal game?

So many things went right for the USWNT on Tuesday. The midfield wasn't one of them.

For several stretches of the match, the U.S. struggled mightily in the center of the field. Sam Coffey, the lone No. 6 in the XI, was fighting for her life as Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle struggled to provide the cover she needed.

Horan has struggled a bit lately, although she is ofter unfairly criticized on social media. Her passing could be crisper and, at times, she struggled with the pace of the game defensively. Lavelle, too, had a few good moments, but those didn't cancel out the ones where Germany cut through the midfield with ease.

It was fitting, then, that, when given a chance from a free kick, Horan drilled her shot right into Lavelle. The two just weren't quite on the same page but, for players of that talent level, there's little reason for concern going forward.

She's just so good that you almost overlook it. It's so easy to take her for granted, but we won't today. Not after this performance.

Girma is the best defender in the world and, if you don't believe it, just watch these Olympics. Realistically, you could just watch her masterpiece against Germany. That's how good she was.

Defensively, there's no one better. She cleaned up mess after mess, despite playing next to two different centerback partners in the match. It's hard to see at times because she makes it look so easy, but what she does is hard as can be.

Girma's magic really comes when she's on the ball. She completed an absolutely absurd 125 of her 132 passes. No one else had more than 86. Those were passes with purpose, too, as she created two chances while playing her part in the sequence that led to the winner.

After missing out on the last game, Davidson was back in the XI. She was solid, too. Unfortunately, though, she isn't quite 100 percent.

Davidson lasted just 45 minutes before being replaced by Emily Sonnett, who replaced her in the starting XI against Japan. Sonnett was good throughout her time on the field, which stretched through 120 minutes, but all eyes will be on Davidson heading into the final.

She was seen walking around post-match, which is a good sign. There are also four days to recover for the Gold game as opposed to the three on the schedule if the U.S. had fallen to the Bronze. Will Davidson be ready? Will she be 90 minutes fit? TBD.

The Gold Medal game will almost certainly be Naeher's final competitive game in a USWNT shirt, and the U.S. are here thanks to her late-game heroics.

Naeher made a fantastic late save to keep Germany out, preserving the clean sheet and, more importantly, the USWNT lead. The goalkeeper had a few good moments throughout the match, but it was that kick-save that was the game-changer, or, to put it better, the game-saver.

Naeher has been making those types of saves for years. She has already solidified legendary status and, at some point soon, she'll be honored with a testimonial designed to recognize her achievements.

She'll have plenty to talk about and, before this summer is over, she'll look to add one more accolade: 2024 Olympic gold medal winner.

Doubters? There was no shortage before this Olympics run began for the USWNT - this writer included. The Emma Hayes era started too late, not joining from Chelsea until May, and the Olympics started too soon. There was no way they'd be ready to contend this summer, right?

Wrong. Very wrong. New coach and new era, but the standards are the same. This team is vastly ahead of schedule. Gold is on the table and, despite the doubters, the U.S. is in a position to claim it.

Hayes has transformed this team and, to their credit, this team has transformed to fit Hayes, as well. It's all happened so quickly, even if it hasn't been easy. This team has been forced to win multiple games in different ways, and now, there's only one left.

Since joining the USWNT, Hayes is unbeaten (8W-0L-1D) in her first nine matches, with the first five results - and both games in the Olympics after the group stage - coming via shutout. Hayes is looking to become just the fourth USWNT coach to win their first major tournament, with Anson Dorrance leading the U.S. to the 1991 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Pia Sundhage leading the Americans to a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics and Jill Ellis helping the U.S. to its third World Cup title in 2015.

“The goal is closer but the job’s not done yet,” Swanson told reporters after the match. “I think that obviously we’re in a great position. You take this win and we’re on a high right now, but it’s important just to stay steady with everything we’re doing. Just stay steady.”

Despite what the critics were saying two weeks ago, the expectations - of the highest kind - have been restored. Before this tournament, logic dictated that simply securing any medal for this U.S. squad would be a notable result.

That box is now checked, so the bar has been raised. It's all there for the taking, and with Hayes leading the charge, the USWNT must believe that they are, in fact, ready to take it.