“Trinity Rodman powered a shot into the bottom corner of Brazil’s goal, instantly embraced by her teammates. She then playfully grabbed her lower back, pretending to cramp, before laughing and tossing her pink hair back with a smile.”
Image Credit: MSN
After eight months of recovering from back pain, Trinity Rodman is finally back in top form. The U.S. women’s national team also looked strong, beating Brazil 2-0 in a friendly rematch of the Paris Olympics final.
Rodman scored just five minutes into her return, finishing a great setup by Alyssa Thompson.
Rodman, 22, made her first U.S. appearance since the Olympic final, capping it with a fun celebration after her 11th goal.
Rodman laughed, saying, “The medical staff was freaking out, but I had to. It felt amazing to be back — the crowd was insane.”
Phallon Tullis-Joyce made six saves for a shutout in her U.S. debut at 28. Lindsey Horan scored a second-half penalty in the first of two U.S. friendlies against Brazil, who lost to the Americans in the Paris Olympics.
“This really shows the progress our team is making,” Heaps shared. “We’re getting stronger every day, and the gap between players is shrinking. Seeing these young stars rise is truly inspiring for all of us.”
Before a lively crowd of 32,303, SoFi Stadium hosted its first professional women’s sporting event, nearly five years after opening as home to the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams.
The teams face off again Tuesday night in San Jose.
In their last match in February, the U.S. women suffered their first loss under coach Emma Hayes, falling 2-1 to Japan in the SheBelieves Cup final. The Americans had gone 15-0-2 since Hayes took over in June 2024.
The U.S. struck early at SoFi Stadium, with Studio City native Alyssa Thompson slicing through Brazil’s defense before setting up Trinity Rodman for a cool finish.
Rodman’s cheeky celebration fooled even coach Emma Hayes, who initially thought she was injured. “I’ll have a word with her,” Hayes said, laughing.
Later, Rodman did pick up a knock — a charley horse — but stayed on until the 61st minute.
The U.S. sealed the win when substitute Lily Johannes earned a penalty, and Heaps buried it for her 37th career goal.
Despite a depleted defense, the U.S. held firm as Brazil pushed the attack. Phallon Tullis-Joyce, making a surprise start, handled every shot with ease.
“I love a clean sheet,” said Tullis-Joyce, whose family learned she was starting just an hour before kickoff.
With Naomi Girma and Tierna Davidson out, Emily Sonnett and Tara McKeown stepped in after recently breaking into the lineup.
Two weeks after Mexico’s CONCACAF Nations Cup win at SoFi, this friendly kicked off a busy soccer era for Los Angeles, with the 2026 World Cup, the Olympics, and likely the 2031 Women’s World Cup ahead.