Sports
USWNT is coming into its own under head coach Emma Hayes – but it's just the beginning
MARSEILLE — To be in the mixed zone at Stade de Marseille following an Olympic soccer match is to witness an impromptu tap show. As each player enters the small maze of ropes to meet their tournament obligations, their cleats create a chaotic rhythm punctuated by their laughs or sighs, depending on which side of the result they’re on.
For the U.S. women’s national team on Sunday night, fresh off a dominant 4-1 win over Germany, the good vibes kept rolling on. Center-back Naomi Girma giggled as she took baby steps through the press area, as her fellow defender Jenna Nighswonger offered to help keep her balance. Some simply stopped, untied their cleats and opted for socks. No matter what method they used, everyone shared the same buoyant, if still determined, mood.
After all, while the USWNT may be sitting in control of Group B with six points through their two games so far and guaranteed a quarterfinal spot at the 2024 Olympics, this is still just the beginning. A win or a draw against Australia assures first place in the group and a trip to Paris later this week to begin the knockout rounds.
“We’re playing with more structure and discipline, and then I think we’re having fun too,” midfielder Rose Lavelle said when assessing the difference in the start between these games and last summer’s World Cup. “We have a lot of really special players and we’re finally starting to connect. But we know we still have another level in us.”
At the World Cup last year, the U.S. scored four goals through three group stage matches before getting bounced from the tournament by Sweden on penalties during the round of 16. During this summer’s Olympics, the U.S. already has seven goals through two games, including four against Germany alone.
And on those special players — with the starting forward line of Sophia Smith, Mal Swanson and Trinity Rodman all now having scored, with Smith getting her turn in the spotlight on Sunday thanks to a brace — there was a theme in the mixed zone:
“That’s classic Mal.”
“Soph being Soph.”
“Give Trinity the ball and let her do her thing.”
Swanson, Rodman and Smith have combined for the bulk of USWNT’s goals at the Olympics (Getty Images)
The way the players talk about their teammates is more than just a casual acceptance of the talent level at play and an assumption that it will make itself known, but a reminder of the depth of trust that they have in one another to produce in the biggest moments, as well as a level of selflessness.
“Any way I can contribute to this team, I’m going to do it,” Swanson said. “It doesn’t matter who’s scoring, as long as we’re getting the results that we need. That’s what matters. What’s going on in the training ground is paying off, and you’re seeing that.”
There are bigger tests that await. It’s clear the USWNT feels ready for them, despite still thinking they have not yet reached their full potential.
“This is probably only game six or seven of us playing up front together,” Smith said after the game. “We’re clicking really well, really fast. I think this is only like 70 percent of what we can do.”
Compared to last summer, when the USWNT had strong defensive performances, including a breakout World Cup from Girma in the center-back position and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher doing her best to carry the team, and compared to the lackluster send-off games, the team has found its offensive firepower and found it early at these Games.
“You’re seeing a collective effort from top to bottom,” Naeher said Sunday. “You know the defensive mentality from the group, then four goals on top of that is huge for us, to be able to find the back of the net, especially early on; set the tone right from the beginning.”
The early leads have been important but it might have been Lynn Williams’ second-half goal that felt the most like a breakthrough for the U.S. on Sunday, her team finally showing a necessary ruthlessness through the entirety of the game via that late finish.
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Emma Hayes was particularly pleased with that one, especially after the U.S. failed to produce a second-half goal against Zambia.
“That was just validation: one of the importance of the squad and the importance of finishers coming onto the pitch,” Hayes said. “You’ve got to take chances when they come. This is top level.”
But, just like the players, Hayes went beyond the goal from a result point-of-view, speaking about Williams the person in addition to Williams the player.
“A player who epitomizes everything you want in a squad, someone who cares, someone who trains with great intensity, someone who’s intentional, and everything she does is deserving of what she got tonight,” Hayes said. “She doesn’t give up on herself but most importantly, she’s the best teammate you could possibly have.”
Williams was originally an alternate on the USWNT roster (Getty Images)
Maybe that was best illustrated by the fact that Williams, when asked how she felt about her goal, immediately replied that she was more excited about the win.
“There were times where we had to weather a storm, especially in that second half,” the U.S. defender said. “I think that’s what’s really cool about this team and what’s great is that nobody looks frightened in those moments. Every single person is doing their role defensively, offensively. I don’t know if it’s another gear — it’s just more of a belief that no matter what somebody throws at us, we’re going to get the job done.”
Hayes said she learned things about the team on Sunday, things she had wanted to see in terms of character and resilience: conceding a goal to Germany, then an immediate answer, and big stops from Naeher but defensive contributions across the board.
She saw lapses too, of course. Lavelle said the team were their own harshest critics, so she’ll have company there, but Hayes saw the USWNT out of its comfort zone thanks to the ‘top-level opponent’ Germany provided in Marseille, and she saw the team from all sides. She’s ready to work with that.
“The front three, in general, were dynamic as hell, really fun to watch. Most importantly, they enjoyed themselves,” Hayes began, before offering up an apology for what came next. All they did on Sunday was secure three points.
“We’re not here to wow everyone for a game and not do it again. We have to build the momentum,” she said. “First of all, recovering from this type of game — you can imagine the adrenaline — that’s probably my biggest concern now.
“You get so high, the comedown is like any hangover. We have a day and a half to recover before we go on the training pitch. We have to analyze the things that are within our control and we have to win against Australia. Simple as that.”
The players will have a rest day on Monday without any travel but a rest day doesn’t necessarily mean a full 24 hours off. Not in a tournament like the Olympics.
“We’re gonna be happy tonight,” Lavelle promised, “then we have another game in two days.”
(Top photo: Getty Images)
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Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes will be out for the rest of the season as he suffered a torn ACL on Sunday in a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, according to multiple reports.
Mahomes’ knee buckled while he was scrambling and as he was getting hit by Chargers defensive end Da’Shawn Hand. He was helped off the field and he limped to the locker room. An MRI reportedly confirmed the extent of the damage.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes grabs his knee after being injured during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
The quarterback wrote a message to fans as word of his injury trickled out.
“Don’t know why this had to happen,” Mahomes wrote on X. “And not going to lie (it) hurts. But all we can do now is Trust in God and attack every single day over and over again. Thank you Chiefs kingdom for always supporting me and for everyone who has reached out and sent prayers. I Will be back stronger than ever.”
Chiefs coach Andy Reid offered a gloomy outlook for Mahomes as he spoke to reporters following the loss.
PHILIP RIVERS THROWS FIRST TOUCHDOWN PASS SINCE 2020 SEASON
Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Odafe Oweh (98) sacks Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Dec. 14, 2025. (Jay Biggerstaff/Imagn Images)
“… It didn’t look good,” Reid said when asked whether he knew if Mahomes’ injury was serious. “I mean you guys saw it. We’ll just see where it goes.”
The loss to the Chargers also meant the Chiefs will not be making the postseason. Kansas City made it to the AFC Championship each season since 2018. They made it to the Super Bowl in each of the last three seasons, winning two titles in that span.
Mahomes will finish the season with 3,398 passing yards and 22 touchdown passes.
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Kansas City is 6-8 on the year.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On a day when the Chargers took a big step toward the postseason, the Kansas City Chiefs lost their most important player.
What started in balmy Brazil ended Sunday in the bitter cold of Arrowhead Stadium. The Chargers completed a season sweep of AFC West bully Kansas City with a 16-13 victory that ultimately knocked the Chiefs out of playoff contention for the first time in 11 years.
It was the third-coldest game in Chargers history — 15 degrees at kickoff — and showcased a red-hot defense that paved the way to Los Angeles wins over Philadelphia and Kansas City, last season’s Super Bowl teams, in consecutive weeks.
“This is a ball team,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said, gleeful after his team won for the sixth time in seven games. “A real ball team.”
This Chargers season, which began with a 27-21 victory over the Chiefs in São Paulo, is just the second in the last 13 years in which they beat their division rival twice.
Harbaugh began his postgame remarks on a somber note, wishing the best for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who left the game late in the fourth quarter after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee when he was hit by defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand.
Gardner Minshew closed out at quarterback for the Chiefs, and the game ended when Derwin James Jr. intercepted his final pass. There would be no fantastic finish for the franchise that won the last nine division titles.
“We’ve been going at those guys for a while, going back to Baltimore,” said Chargers edge rusher Odafe Oweh, acquired in a trade with the Ravens this season. “It was long overdue.”
A week after Cameron Dicker kicked five field goals in the win over Philadelphia, he kicked three more against the Chiefs.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes grabs his left leg after sustaining a torn ACL in the fourth quarter.
(Reed Hoffmann / Associated Press)
Oweh had two sacks of Mahomes, and Tuli Tuipulotu had two more. The defense had the Chiefs in a hammer lock, limiting them to 190 yards in the air and a mere 49 on the ground.
Still, the Chargers had to dig themselves out of a hole. They faced a 13-3 deficit late in the second quarter before tearing off 13 unanswered points.
Justin Herbert threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to rookie KeAndre Lambert-Smith with five seconds left in the first half to start the comeback. After that it was Dicker and defense for the visitors.
“It was really cool that we were able to close out a one-score game like that,” said Herbert, who said his surgically repaired left hand felt tight in the cold weather but was better, as was his grip on the ball. “How many times we’ve played them and it’s been those one-score games? The defense came up with the turnovers and the stops.”
Kansas City, trailing by three, got all the way down to the visitors’ 17 early in the fourth quarter but the Chargers yet again came up big on defense. Linebacker Daiyan Henley intercepted a third-down pass near the goal line, getting position on running back Kareem Hunt and essentially becoming the receiver on the play.
“I was surprised to even see the ball go up in the air, but I had to revert back to my receiver days and get an over-the-shoulder look,” said Henley, who last lined up as a pass catcher six or seven years ago at the University of Nevada Reno. “Eye-hand coordination is something you just have to have in those moments.”
Not everything the Chargers defense did was so smooth. Safety Tony Jefferson was ejected in the fourth quarter after a helmet-to-helmet hit that knocked Chiefs receiver Tyquan Thornton out of the game. The call to send Jefferson packing was not made by officials on the field, who flagged him for unnecessary roughness, but by league officials watching from New York.
Earlier in the second half, Jefferson flattened receiver Rashee Rice with another devastating hit, and Rice came after him as the Chargers safety made his way off the field and toward the locker room. Players from both sides intervened.
Chargers safety Tony Jefferson leaves the field after being ejected against the Chiefs on Sunday.
(Reed Hoffmann / Associated Press)
In response to the booing crowd, Jefferson raised both middle fingers, a gesture that likely will draw more attention from the league.
“I apologize for that,” he said afterward. “I’m classier than that. I was just caught up in the moment. Emotions get high. I won’t sit here and act like I’m a perfect man. I messed up when I did that.”
The Chargers (10-4), who finish the season at Denver, have yet to lose an AFC West game. They are 5-0 in those and remain within striking distance of the division-leading Broncos.
It won’t be an easy road. The Chargers play at Dallas next Sunday, then play host to Houston before closing out the regular season against the Broncos.
“I started thinking, this is my favorite ball team I’ve ever been on,” Harbaugh said. “Been on some good ones. None better than this one.
“They’re tight. Fates are intertwined. It’s unselfish. Nothing anyone is doing is for themselves.”
And on this frigid Sunday, that paid some unforgettable dividends.
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Indiana University quarterback Fernando Mendoza became the first Hoosier to win the coveted Heisman Trophy, college football’s most prestigious award.
Mendoza claimed 2,392 first-place votes, beating Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (1,435 votes), Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (719 votes) and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin (432 votes).
Mendoza guided the Hoosiers to their first No. 1 ranking and the top seed in the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket, throwing for 2,980 yards and a nation-best 33 touchdown passes while also running for six scores.
Indiana, the last unbeaten team in major college football, will play a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game in the Rose Bowl Jan. 1.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza runs off the field after a game against Wisconsin Nov. 15, 2025, in Bloomington, Ind (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Mendoza, the Hoosiers’ first-year starter after transferring from California, is the triggerman for an offense that surpassed program records for touchdowns and points set during last season’s surprise run to the CFP.
A redshirt junior, the once lightly recruited Miami native is the second Heisman finalist in school history, joining 1989 runner-up Anthony Thompson. The trophy was established in 1935.
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Mendoza is the seventh Indiana player to earn a top 10 finish in Heisman balloting, and it marks another first in program history. It now has had players in the top 10 of Heisman voting in back-to-back years. Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke was ninth last year.
Quarterbacks have won the Heisman four of the last five years. Travis Hunter of Colorado, who played wide receiver and cornerback, won last season.
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Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza throws before a game against Wisconsin Nov. 15, 2025, in Bloomington, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Mendoza was named The Associated Press Player of the Year earlier this week and picked up the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards Friday night while Love won the Doak Walker Award.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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