Picture of perfection: Trinity Rodman, Emma Hayes and USWNT's winners and losers entering Olympic quarterfinals

If you were wondering what kind of difference she could have made at the World Cup, we now know: substantial.

Swanson's return has ignited this team and this attack. Her two goals in less than a minute against Zambia fueled that win. Her finish against Germany put the game away. Just 18 months after her catastrophic knee injury, Swanson is among the Golden Boot favorites at these Games.

It's been the perfect return to this stage for Swanson, who, at 26, is surprisingly the elder stateswoman of this attacking trio. She's been setting the tone and Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman have followed, playing with confidence while scoring goals of their own.

One year after the USWNT attack struggled mightily, it's now absolutely humming, and Swanson deserves major credit for driving that change.

This could have been Shaw's breakout. Instead, we're left wondering if we're going to see her at all in these Games.

Shaw has missed each of the USWNT's first three matches due to a leg injury, robbing this group of one of its most dynamic attacking stars. Fortunately for the U.S., the rest of the team has more than picked up the slack - but this is still extremely disappointing for Shaw, who had earned this chance.

After breaking in post-World Cup, Shaw has proven herself as an elite attacker at just 19. Despite her age and inexperience, she showed that she deserved this Olympic spot. Unfortunately for both Shaw and the USWNT, though, she hasn't been able to enjoy that opportunity.

The question is: will she feature at all in the Olympics? The knockouts are looming and Shaw hasn't had a chance to shake off those first-tournament jitters. Can she be thrust into those big games without that chance? Will she be fit enough to play?

It's tough, and it's particularly challenging for Shaw, who will have expected this summer to be life-altering.

This isn't breaking news, but it bears repeating: Good things happen when Sophia Smith gets the ball. Tremendous things, actually.

We've seen that over and over again during these Olympics, as Smith has amassed two goals and two assists through three games. She's equaled her goal tally from the World Cup, but the difference between these two tournaments has been night and day.

Smith scored twice against Vietnam last summer and then went silent after. She's been comparatively noisy at these Olympics. She continues to make things happen, with the most recent big moment being her fantastic assist to Rodman to lead the way in Wednesday's win over Australia.

The Portland Thorns star is feeling herself now and everyone around her is better for it.

Frustrating, to say the least.

Coffey had been making a difference. She was a missing piece for the U.S. during the World Cup, and now they will have to play without her again as a costly yellow card in the group stage finale against Australia means she'll be suspended for the quarterfinals.

That will leave a big hole in the midfield. Coffey hasn't had a perfect Olympics, but it's obvious how she can impact the game. As this team's No. 6, she frees up both Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle to do what they do best: change the game.

Now, Hayes will have to shuffle things. Emily Sonnett could play there, but she's been in at centerback for Davidson. Korbin Albert can be tossed into the XI, but she's a different type of player. Crystal Dunn could play centrally, but she's been so strong at left-back.

Coffey's yellow card puts this team in a tough spot, especially since it was entirely avoidable.

One last shoutout to the attacking group, and that's because Rodman deserves her own spotlight.

She's scored two goals, but that's not the part that's worth highlighting. Instead, focus all of the other moments and the irreplaceable value she brings to this team. Rodman and Smith have both either scored or assisted in all of the USWNT’s group stage games, the first time two U.S. teammates have done so since Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach at London 2012.

On the attacking end, Rodman is trying things that few players in the world would have the confidence to attempt. She tries to embarrass defenders and, more often than not, it works. She's a force to play against. And defensively, her work goes under the radar. She tracks back more than she ever did, making everyone around her more effective.

Rodman is seemingly a completely new player this summer, and the USWNT is reaping the benefits of her development.

The competition is better than ever. The rest of the world has caught up with the U.S., for sure. But one of the USWNT's goals is to prove that "caught up" doesn't necessarily mean "surpassed." That's the aspiration for these Olympics.

This team may not exactly inspire the fear that teams of old did, at least not yet. However, if you've watched the USWNT, you know the deal. Anyone in their path should be very, very concerned.

Their attack may just be the best in the world and, if all goes to plan, it may be one of the best in USWNT history. When this group is confident and firing, they are close to unstoppable.

On the other side, defensively this team has only allowed two goals and, with Hayes at the helm, opponents never know what to expect tactically. Preparing for the U.S. difficult task, especially as they perform at an elite level.

The rest of the field has been put on notice: the U.S. is back, and they have their sights set on gold.

Entering the Olympics, Hayes refused to make promises. She admitted that this would be a difficult test. She pointed out that history would not help them and that the teams in the USWNT's way were really, really good. This team was, and is, a work in progress. Hayes has so much work to do.

As it turns out, though, she's doing it quicker than expected.

The Hayes Era is off to a damn good start. After some initial hiccups in friendlies, the U.S. cruised past Zambia, 3-0. They smashed Germany, 4-1. They then closed the group with a tighter-than-expected, but still solid 2-1 win over Australia.

And Hayes' fingerprints have been all over it. The attack has looked fluid and dynamic. The midfield has been far better balanced than it ever was against Vlatko Andonovski. And the defense has been stingy. All over the field, just about everything has been better.

And the best part? Hayes is just getting started. This team is already in a far superior position than it had been a year ago, and that makes you wonder: just how far can Hayes and the USWNT go?