USA Today SportsBouncing back from a disappointing World Cup, the 22-year-old U.S. winger is creating magical moments while the U.S. chases gold at the Paris Games.
Who hasn’t experienced those solitary dreams on the field? The countdown is on, it’s the last minutes, and your team is desperate for a goal. As the seconds slip away and the tension rises, you rise to the occasion and score, emerging as the hero. Every child has had such moments. Adults also continue to ponder about them.
Trinity Rodman got to live that dream Saturday. Deep into extra time against rival Japan, the U.S. women's national team needed a goal to keep their Olympic hopes alive. Rodman provided it, scoring a stunning goal that will be part of her own personal highlight reel for the rest of her career.
It’s fortunate, as although the goal was undoubtedly one Rodman used to dream about as a child, she doesn’t recall a single moment of the actual event.
“She confessed with a chuckle after the game, “I sort of lost consciousness. That’s the pinnacle of my career… The final thing I recall is Crystal [Dunn] in action, and then I was just screaming, ‘Ahh!'”
“Wow!” is a fitting response commonly triggered by watching Rodman. From her heel chops to her stunning goals and physical battles, her game evokes astonishment. This summer, she has shown the world a glimpse of the “Wow” moments she can create.
Rodman is just beginning, and likewise, a U.S. team that is reaping the benefits of her game-changing skills in the Paris Games.
