Trinity Rodman’s dazzling spin move — she proudly called it a “Trin Spin” — led to a gorgeous goal early in the first half and stood as the highlight of a 3-0 victory over Zambia that wasn’t nearly as close as the scoreline might indicate.
Mallory Swanson scored the other two goals for the Americans just over a minute apart to give new coach Emma Hayes a straightforward win in her major tournament debut, but Rodman’s turn on defender Martha Tembo was the standout moment that made the small but spirited crowd at the Allianz Riviera take notice.
The U.S. dominated most of the first half, peppering the Zambia goal even before Pauline Zulu was sent off for fouling Sophia Smith and denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. The U.S. registered 27 shots for the game and hit the bar twice in addition to having several chances cleared off the line.